Sog Seal Pup elite vs Kabar Mark 1 for woods knife?

T

theyoungone

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Jul 19, 2013
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I stuck with my next knife purchase. I need a general FB knife, for hiking, camping, hunting and self defense. I need it to be lightweight, and about a 5" blade.

I like the history behind the Ka-bar Mark 1, that its made in the USA and I like that its FFG and the overall blade shape for things like processing meat. I might do some light batoning with it so I am nervous about that rat tang, and also the 1095 my be an issue with a wet environment and with meat processing. The handle also looks a bit wide.

I like that the SOG Seal Pup Elite is made of AUS8. I'm thinking that the blade and tang is thicker and stronger then the Mark 1. I just hate that the knife is made in Taiwan and I just don't get the spine ridges down the entire top of the blade.

So does anyone own both and have an opinion on what is better? Also is the SOG Seal Pup Elite less likely to break than the Mark 1?
 
sideways said:
Neither. Get a Mora.
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Good choice if you like a Scandi grind. I'm over them. For a woods knife, not as "flexible" as a FFG, in my opinion.

The Mark 1 would be a great choice for an outdoor knife. I'm not sure why people seem to overlook it. I'd take a stacked leather handle one of those into the woods in a heartbeat.

keep the handle above the point if you baton....wipe it off when you are done using it. Rust shouldn't be an issue. I'd even be tempted to strip the coating off. Make it even more "woodsy."
 
I have the Seal Pup Elite and it is a good all around woods knife. Don't have the Mark 1, but it appears to be a same sort of use knife. Hence, get which ever one you like better.

If I had a suggestion other than "get a Mora" it would be get a Kabar Becker BK-16 or BK-17 instead of either.
 
sideways said:
Neither. Get a Mora.
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Bingo. Neither of the two knives currently up for consideration are true woods knives. Both are "combat style" knives. There are plenty of good woods knives to choose from, specifically designed for the application you may intend and more.
 
A Becker BK-16 or Bk-10. Full tangs, made in the USA, rugged, good warranty, etc.
 
I like the SOG. They seem to a good job with Aus-8. Mine came screaming sharp and has stayed that way with just a stropping every now and then. This one hasn't really seen any hard use. I wouldn't worry about the made in Taiwan thing. It's a quality blade. Spine ridges work as jimping and they are also good for notching. And they actually work. If you don't like'em don't pay them any attention!

As far as 'likely to break"...The Sog is pretty light. I would be leery of hard batonning but for most camp chores it'll be just fine. Don't have any experience with the Mark 1.

For meat processing the SOG is good. Good slicer and enough belly for skinning. Contrary to popular opinion around here as far as I'm concerned SOG makes some fine fixed blades. Go ahead and get it. Heck, it's cheap enough if you don't like it sell it or give it away and try something else. There are 100's of knives that will fit your needs....nobody needs just one.
 
The Mark 1 I have have been used so much that there is almost 50% of the blade coating gone, no rust, gets sharps, stays sharp. It batons ok, not a good chopper, decent slicer.

Very light overall, but handle heavy. I go against what some of the other's say, as in I own a Mora companion as well, honestly I wouldn't use the Mora as my only woods knife (as a back-up to a sturdier blade would be ok). However Cody Lundin of Dual Survivor seems to love his Mora and it works for him. Calls for more brain than Brawn when using the Mora.

Overall the Mora is better suited for food and Bushcrafty things, the KaBar would be a Jack-Of-All/Master-Of-None. Can't speak for the Sog except that the Aus8 is going to be more brittle than the 1095 KaBar uses, oh and I have tried to phase out buying communist country blades (china,and all that are generally a big NO for me, and Taiwan even though it is technically capitolist).

Hope that helps, Cheers.
 
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I have a SOG Seal Pup, and that knife screams "I'll take out the sentry on the left, you guys handle those guys on the right, then we'll sneak into the enemy base. Knives only, gotta do this quiet".

Woods knives, there are so many better suited. Yes, the aforementioned Mora is a great place to start.
 
Firestrike said:
The Mark 1 I have have been used so much that there is almost 50% of the blade coating gone, no rust, gets sharps, stays sharp. It batons ok, not a good chopper, decent slicer.

Very light overall, but handle heavy. I go against what some of the other's say, as in I own a Mora companion as well, honestly I wouldn't use the Mora as my only woods knife (as a back-up to a sturdier blade would be ok). However Cody Lundin of Dual Survivor seems to love his Mora and it works for him. Calls for more brain than Brawn when using the Mora.

Overall the Mora is better suited for food and Bushcrafty things, the KaBar would be a Jack-Of-All/Master-Of-None. Can't speak for the Sog except that the Aus8 is going to be more brittle than the 1095 KaBar uses, oh and I have tried to phase out buying communist country blades (tiawaan, china,and all that are generally a big NO for me).

Hope that helps, Cheers.
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I can't speak for "Tiawaan", as I can't even find that country on a map. Taiwan however is Capitalist, not under Communist rule. Just saying.
 
Quiet said:
I can't speak for "Tiawaan", as I can't even find that country on a map. Taiwan however is Capitalist, not under Communist rule. Just saying.
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I stand corrected, but I think you all have enough Gray Matter to catch my drift.
 
Firestrike said:
I stand corrected, but I think you all have enough Gray Matter to catch my drift.
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I do understand your point. I do not buy knives made in China either. Taiwan, however? Well, that's a different matter, made all the harder by how absolutely excellent the Taichung Spydies are. The Spyderco Gayle Bradley is (for me) a nearly perfect knife and it's made there. The good news is that you are free to buy whatever you want to buy, from wherever you want to buy it, and I sincerely wish you well on that score.
 
Firestrike said:
I stand corrected, but I think you all have enough Gray Matter to catch my drift.
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I'm actually not catching it. Taiwan and China are entirely different. I'm not getting what factor lumps them together. Other than "not America." Which is a fine reason to choose to not buy them....of course Moras aren't made here either. :)
 
Quiet said:
I do understand your point. I do not buy knives made in China either. Taiwan, however? Well, that's a different matter, made all the harder by how absolutely excellent the Taichung Spydies are. The Spyderco Gayle Bradley is (for me) a nearly perfect knife and it's made there. The good news is that you are free to buy whatever you want to buy, from wherever you want to buy it, and I sincerely wish you well on that score.
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Nicely put. Way better than I put it! :thumbup:
 
Well my biggest problem is when a knife company started production in the U.S. and earned a great reputation. Once they earned it then they start shipping American jobs overseas, where Americans don't usually have the chance to work. So it hurts our economy. Gerber, CRKT, Spyderco, KaBar, Ontario and more are all guilty of this. I understand that quality still comes from overseas, I own models from these companies made in both the US and overseas.

Mora never started here so not like they took American jobs when they started making knives in Sweden.

I understand many of you all love the Spydies made "ANYWHERE EARTH", and I would agree, but when it comes down to spending the $$$, I will gladly pay more for the stamp reading "USA EARTH".

Not trying to derail the thread here so I will limit my replies on once USA manufacture now _% foreign manufacturer to what I have already stated.

OP,

IMHO, out of your two knives you have inquired about, neither is or would be ideal for,

"hiking, camping, hunting and self defense. I need it to be lightweight, and about a 5" blade."

that is why there are some many types of knives.

The Tops BOB Fieldcraft is pretty solid, but will run a little more than a Franklin.

Ever though of carrying a combo of two to three knives, this is likely the best solution to your quest.

For example currently I run
1) Tops Fieldcraft (soon to be rotated out by a Swamp Rat Rodent Solution, but was a KaBar Mark 1 before the Tops) for medium use/carving/firecraft/bushcraft/sheltercraft,
2)SAK Huntsman or Leatherman Sidekick for food processing/lightduty camp chores,
3)Busse TGLB or Tops Firestrike for all the stupid stuff I want to do heavy use/chopping down trees/batoning/fighting off bear, boar, zombies, invading ninja armies

the #3 line isn't generally necessary as long as #1 & #2 are quality tools.

Best of luck.
 
sideways said:
Neither. Get a Mora.
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RevDevil said:
Bingo. Neither of the two knives currently up for consideration are true woods knives. Both are "combat style" knives. There are plenty of good woods knives to choose from, specifically designed for the application you may intend and more.
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Yea but isn't the tang of even the heartiest of Mora still not as good as even a rat tail of a Ka-bar Mark 1. The Bushcaft version is only a 2/3rds tang in a soft plastic handle. I got a few cheap Moras , and the light my fire model, but if I want a the more sturdy Mora Bushcraft I need to drop as much money as a Mark 1 or a SOG.

uppsgadeknivar2.JPG


Mora-xray-wtext.jpg


Sog Seal Pup Elite
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theyoungone said:
Yea but isn't the tang of even the heartiest of Mora still not as good as even a rat tail of a Ka-bar Mark 1. The Bushcaft version is only a 2/3rds tang in a soft plastic handle. I got a few cheap Moras , and the light my fire model, but if I want a the more sturdy Mora Bushcraft I need to drop as much money as a Mark 1 or a SOG.

uppsgadeknivar2.JPG


Mora-xray-wtext.jpg


Sog Seal Pup Elite
maxresdefault.jpg
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I got to say that I really beat on a companion model Mora just to break it, suprisingly they can take quite a bit, not as much as a KaBar but still impressive for a knife that I love to hate.
 
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