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Wondering if I should get the SOG seal team elite knife or the BK7. Is the seal team elite worth the extra 15-20$?
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SOG Seal Team Elite vs Kabar BK7
- Thread starter ThePancakeLord
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It depends on your intended use. I've owned both, and as a "woods blade" I think the BK7 is the better option. The handle is more ergonomic for outdoor tasks and the flat saber grind makes batoning easier I that's what you're into. The SEAL is more designed as a fighter/military utility. If that's what you're looking for its not a bad option.
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Personally I prefer the Kabar Becker line for cost and utility. I don't have the seal team elite, but I do have the seal pup elite which I always liked as a general purpose woods knife. It obviously is a lot smaller than the BK-7.
Which I would get depends on my use.
Which I would get depends on my use.
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I'm looking for a woods blade so thanks for the feedback.
I personally would not touch new SOG at all. I avoid it at all costs.
The BK7 is I think the best one of the two. Stronger construction and good for everything. It is also more customizable.
Even if you needed it for military use, between those two I'd still get the Becker, and if I wanted something like the SOG at all, Id get a SEAL pup instead of the team elite.
The BK7 is I think the best one of the two. Stronger construction and good for everything. It is also more customizable.
Even if you needed it for military use, between those two I'd still get the Becker, and if I wanted something like the SOG at all, Id get a SEAL pup instead of the team elite.
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having owned the SOG and having traded it, I would go for the becker. Not to say that the SOG was not a great blade, but it just didn't work for me, I started going towards smaller blades (jumped from the SOG as a main fixed to a ESEE-3) I found the serration to get in the way, and made fine use more difficult, but I have small hands, so leverage is always against me. For that style of blade the SOG is a good choice, but for your use, I think the BK will tick more boxes and is a far more "beatable" knife. it will take a thrashing that I wouldn't do with the SOG.
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BK7 hands down.
If your willing to spend more then spend it on the BK9 or BK12 aka RSK MK2 Perserverance or ESEE 6.
and WELCOME to the forums!
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Of the two, I would choose the BK-7 due to the handles and 1095 steel. I think you may be better off with a BK-10 or BK-16. You may find the BK-7 a bit large to carry routinely in the woods. But I bought one for just that purpose. Ended up using the BK-15 the most and I have settled down with that choice; basically a trailing point about 5-6" long is what I seem to intuitively like the most. In essence, this is the same general size as the SOG Seal Pup Elite (plain edge) but I prefer the Becker handles over the SOGs.
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I just opened up both to compare side by side and the BK7 hands down over the SOG seal team elite. I couldn't imagine using the SOG in the woods for very long. Without gloves your hands will be hurting very quickly. The texture provides for a good grip, although I think the girth could be a little more, it's just go aggressive for extended use. The BK7 is so much more comfortable and fills up your hand just right. Here is side by side and top down of the handle.
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I feel the same way about the Seal Team and do NOT like the partially serrated edge. The SOG NW Ranger might be another consideration for a slimmer knife than the BK-7 if you like SOGs. Steel is probably better on the Beckers for woods duty.
For me, I just can't see myself carrying the BK-7 or liking to carry the BK-7 in the woods on a regular basis. It feels like a BIG knife, but it does not chop as well as the BK-9. Great for splitting wood however and tough. If I want BIG, I go BIG. Like I said earlier, I tend to prefer something a bit smaller and I will absolutely carry that. The Condor Hudson Bay although big, carries pretty easily.
For me, I just can't see myself carrying the BK-7 or liking to carry the BK-7 in the woods on a regular basis. It feels like a BIG knife, but it does not chop as well as the BK-9. Great for splitting wood however and tough. If I want BIG, I go BIG. Like I said earlier, I tend to prefer something a bit smaller and I will absolutely carry that. The Condor Hudson Bay although big, carries pretty easily.
too big and you are only adding chopping power, like say 22-Rimfire's example of the BK7 vrs the BK9.... while true if you are running a 1 or even a 2 knife rig, like coupled with a BK16....the 9 just makes more sense.....
however, I run a 3 sharp rig, and my 3rd woods sharp is a Silky Saw so I just don't need to chop much of anything, I do use a larger blade for baton work to split larger diameter stuff and save the 16 for fine carving tasks.... in a rig like I run, the 7 would be every bit the equal of the 9.....though I always carry the 9 anyway just because I have both and occasionally I just WANT to chop at something....
7, 9....your call, the 9 WILL chop better, but the 7 ain't bad....
ETA: just incase it wasn't obvious, my vote is for the BK over the Sog.....I've seen enough of those rubber overlay handles go bad during use to ever own one on what I would consider a working knife....I just don't trust em to hold up without eventually splitting out...and I won't even start on the difference between exposed full tang and what's typically inside the rubber covering....
however, I run a 3 sharp rig, and my 3rd woods sharp is a Silky Saw so I just don't need to chop much of anything, I do use a larger blade for baton work to split larger diameter stuff and save the 16 for fine carving tasks.... in a rig like I run, the 7 would be every bit the equal of the 9.....though I always carry the 9 anyway just because I have both and occasionally I just WANT to chop at something....
7, 9....your call, the 9 WILL chop better, but the 7 ain't bad....
ETA: just incase it wasn't obvious, my vote is for the BK over the Sog.....I've seen enough of those rubber overlay handles go bad during use to ever own one on what I would consider a working knife....I just don't trust em to hold up without eventually splitting out...and I won't even start on the difference between exposed full tang and what's typically inside the rubber covering....
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Just dug my BK-7 out and I think if I wanted a 7" blade, I could carry it on my belt without any major issues. So, the BK-7 is my recommendation regardless of what I said earlier about other knives. I really do mostly carry the BK-15 or one of similar size in the woods, but certainly not as tough as the BK-7.
SALTY
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In that case, it's not even a question - get the Becker.
Come to think of it, I would recommend the Becker anyways except that if a fighting knife were the purpose then the BK-5 rules!
Torquem
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Had a seal team elite. Cool factor off the charts. But like others have said it will tear your hands up! Very aggressive stippling/texture. I have no doubt that it would work fine in the woods if need be, but there are other better suited knives.
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I don't trust a lot of SOGs but I do trust the Seal Team. I have used one as my yard work and utility knife for 4 years. It does a lot of dirty nasty tasks I wouldn't want my nice knives to touch. I have another Seal team that I keep in a go bag. I've got a ton of other trustworthy knives, including other SOGs, if I didn't trust a knife I wouldn't own it.
What exactly is your experience with the SOG Seal Team?
Oh, and the OP hasn't logged in since the day after he started this thread almost 5 months ago, so posting just to bash a company is rather pointless.
