SOG Seal PUP Questions

M

mikellen

Joined
Jul 25, 2009
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I'm sorry if this has been asked before but I'm not able to use the search function.

The SOG Seal Pup M37 has an AUS 6 blade while the
Seal Pup Elite has an AUS 8 blade.

Can someone please explain the difference between the Aus 6 and Aus 8 and is there any practical difference between the two? I could purchase the M37 for about $20.00 less than the Elite version and am wondering if the AUS 8 is worth the extra cost.

Supposedly the SOG Seal knife has gone through extensive testing and has been selected by the Navy Seals. This is a reason why I am interested in purchasing this knife. If there is something else better out there at an equal price then I'm open to any suggestions.

I thank you in advance for any replies.
 
For an extra 20 bucks you get aus8 steel, longer and better handle with deeper finger grooves, the option of a plain edge and a shorter ricasso/longer cutting edge. If i was you i'd go for the elite. Its well worth the price difference and a pretty good knife ive heard.
 
Just to clarify the Elite is also a Seal Pup version which is the same size as the M37 (non elite). So is the full size Seal the better choice over the Pup version?

Is the plain edge a better choice over the partial serrated blade? This knife will be my survival knife that will be placed in my Bug out Bag for when a catastrophe happens.

If the Aus 8 is a better blade as compared to the AUS 6 blade then I wouldn't mind paying the extra money, I was just wondering if there was a practical difference between the blades.

Thanks.
 
AUS 6 has higher rust resistance than AUS 8.

But unless you are doing some serious scuba diving, the Seal Pup Elite with AUS 8 is a more reasonable choice, though I personally like the Seki Japan SOGs.
 
gargoyle3 said:
There's no catastrophe coming..enjoy your life & buy the coolest knife you can afford. Peace.
Click to expand...

LOLOLOL I like your attitude man, but "IT" is still coming, lol.

To the O.P. if you are relatively new to knives, and not profficient at sharpening then a partially serrated blade may be good for you. When I first started collecting it was with Sog knives. And I've owned my share of their fixed blades. The Seal pup elite looks nice, I gave the satin plain edged one away as a gift, and traded the black combo edge. Which one is still in my car? My old beat up regular Seal pup. The elites are made in Taiwan, The pup you are looking at may be one of the Seiki made ones, which is like.. a prestigious place for knives and swords to be made.

Anyway sorry to get so far off of topic. If you are still pretty new to knives, you will never notice the difference between those two steels. I probably wouldn't either so.. The elites do have less wasted space right where the edge starts. And unless you know how to sharpen, and keep your knives sharp the combo edge might be better for you.
Good luck
-Steve
 
i like aus6 because it is relatively easy and quick to sharpen back up and is a better rust resistant stainless...save the $20 for a couple of all-you-can-eat buffet meals...
 
kmm said:
For an extra 20 bucks you get aus8 steel, longer and better handle with deeper finger grooves, the option of a plain edge and a shorter ricasso/longer cutting edge. If i was you i'd go for the elite. Its well worth the price difference and a pretty good knife ive heard.
Click to expand...

Should I consider the place of where it was manufactured? The M37 I can get
is made in Japan with AUS 8 while the Elite is made in Taiwan (also AUS 8).
Is the type of steel and quality of manufacturing better in Seki, Japan or is it manufactured just as well in Taiwan?




Thanks.
 
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While I would normally go for the better steel, as has been said, you'll probably never notice the difference. The difference I noticed was that I liked the handle on the Seal Pup MUCH better than the Elite.
 
If I'm not mistaken, the SEAL pup was not the SOG entry into the Navy SEAL knife test, the SEAL Team was; the SEAL Pup is a smaller version of that knife. The SEAL Pup is still a great knife but I just wanted to point that out.
 
Originally posted by mikellen
Should I consider the place of where it was manufactured? The M37 I can get
is made in Japan with AUS 8 while the Elite is made in Taiwan (also AUS 8).
Is the type of steel and quality of manufacturing better in Seki, Japan or is it manufactured just as well in Taiwan?
Click to expand...

There are two considerations here; where the materials come from and where the knife is actually made.
Generally the best knives are produced in Japan and in the West, but this doesn't necessarily mean that Chinese or Taiwanese craftsmanship is lacking. Rather the issue is one of quality control, which has not been the best in either of these places. The materials and workmanship in these areas can be just as good as any other, but historically, they have not been as consistent.
Hence, a knife with either materials or craftsmanship from China or Taiwan doesn't necessarily mean that the knife is bad, or worse, but typically your chances of getting a lemon are greater. The Elite may be made from Japanese AUS8, which goes a long way, but the workmanship itself - which includes the heat treat, the soul of the steel - is done in Taiwan and this makes it slightly more likely (though hardly certain) to be an inferior product.

Don't get me wrong, it's often worth the risk, especially if a knife that you're attracted to is made (in whole or in part) in those areas. My Columbia River Razel is made in China, from Chinese steel - 3cr13, I think - and it's been about the most useful knife I own.

Frankly, if you're new to knives, I doubt you'd notice a difference even if you got a lemon. The Seal knives are very hard to screw up. It's more something to look into after you catch the knife bug, and shouldn't be a major factor in your decision making at this point.
 
mikellen said:
Should I consider the place of where it was manufactured? The M37 I can get
is made in Japan with AUS 8 while the Elite is made in Taiwan (also AUS 8).
Is the type of steel and quality of manufacturing better in Seki, Japan or is it manufactured just as well in Taiwan?
Thanks.
Click to expand...

Hey bro. I'm just mentioning that from an Old school Sog fan standpoint. All of the long time Sog collectors remember the knives coming from Seiki. The "new age Sog" stuff is from Taiwan, and there is a group of people who feel that this move, along with the Fusion line, are contributing to the degradation of the Sog name.

That all may be too in depth for you, but I invite you to pose some of your questions in the Sog sub-forum. There are many Sog fans there and they can point you in the right direction, and help answer some of your questions.

Good luck. the Blade forums Sog sub-forum can be found here
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=729
 
I have both the seal pup with the small section of serrations and the grey blade ,and the plain edge satin finish seal pup elite ,the elite has ridges in the spine and a longer cutting edge and the handle is more hand filling and feels a little nicer.I would go with the elite if you can find one at a good price but keep in mind the blade is thicker and so not as good a slicer also you should know the choil is larger on the regular pup(this is why the blade lenghts are so close but the cutting edge is longer on the elite. Both nice as you might have guessed by my having both;) Buy the one that speaks to you.To quote a wise man "but the coolest knife you can afford"
 
get the AUS 8. the elite is a great little knife. But, if you want something with a better steel(i.e. better edge holding but less rust resistant) than i would go with something like a RAT cutlery RC 4 or 6. THere are so many options out there, don't just jump in on the Seal pup imo. do your research. the seal knives are great, especially for that price. good luck, the search for the best knife is all the fun!
 
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