SOG X-42 Field Knife?

K

knifedaddy84

Joined
Oct 8, 2002
Messages
339
What are your experiences with this blade? Have you used it for hunting, camping, or hiking? I am considering it for my general purpose outdoor knife (all of the above). Love to hear what you think!
 
I held one about two weeks ago, but didn't buy it (not because I didn't want it; just didn't have the money on me at the time). It is a nice size, great steel, and the grip feels good and secure in the hand. I really liked it a lot.
 
Cliff Stamp tested the earlier Recondo model with the tanto blade. Here is a quote from his review:

The NIB edge was very dull, the worst I have seen in a long time. It was far below shaving sharp. It could not even break my skin on a draw cut at high pressure
Click to expand...

Let's hope the Field Knife is alot better than the Recondo.
 
<a href="http://www.sergium.izet.pl/images/knives/sog/Field_Knife_01.jpg" target="_blank"><IMG align=right SRC="http://www.sergium.izet.pl/images/knives/sog/Field_Knife_01_tn.jpg" border="2"></a>Mine came pretty sharp out of the box. However I’m rarely satisfied with factory sharpening, so I have put cute thin edge with decent back bevel and now it cuts like crazy.

Good points:
  • Excellent handling comfort and security
  • Very nicely profiled blade grind – flat, high, creating acute cutting wedge
  • Good balance, the blade is easily controllable
  • The blade is not overhardened. I have tried mine laterally pressing pretty thin edge against Sharpmaker’s brass rod and it have bent, not chipped
Weak points (sorry, Friends, like each knife):
  • Poorly designed sheath, simply cry for custom one
  • I would like the edge without recurve. So slight recurve gives practically nothing to cutting performance but can noticeably obstruct sharpening, especially in field conditions
  • I would like the blade without choil between the handle and the edge. I don’t know what purposes it is intended for but it certainly “eats” close to inch of valuable edge length.
Reassuming: I like it (especially after I got custom leather sheath made after my project) and with no doubts would rely on it going outdoors.

Edited to add image, click it to open full-sized picture in separate window
 
Originally posted by W.T. Beck
Let's hope the Field Knife is alot better than the Recondo.
Click to expand...

If the one that I handled was any indication (and I fully believe it was), the Field Knife has no problem whatsoever with edge sharpness. If Stiffy couldn't break his skin with that one, then he has the skin of a croc.
 
Poorly designed sheath, simply cry for custom one
Click to expand...

I am beginning to wonder if knifemakers should not required to take a course in sheath making, before they can sell knives. I have become reluctant to order a knife with a kydex sheath, due to the problems I have encountered with those. The most common problem has been knives rattling loudly in the sheaths. I have gotten kydex sheaths that were too tight as well. Recently I got a Timberline Zambezi with a button release on the sheath, which I find difficult to operate.

A good kydex sheath can be superior to a leather one, but far too many of them have serious problems.
 
Ok, my 0.02$ :)
I've had it for a while and I'm really satisfied with its performance. Although I have to say that I was using it only for light/medium cutting, no chopping or prying.
NIB blade was very decent, especially for the factory knife. Measured on Edge-Pro at 21 deg. per side. Since I was going to use it mainly for light cutting I've thinned it down to 18, very soon. Although I did some testing with NIB edge. The results were better than satisfactory, including such tasks as cable and wire cutting.
Later once the edge was thinned down, obviously it performed significantly better cutting-wise. Also, obviously it became weaker too :) One of the cables that was no prb with the original edge now caused couple rolls. However no chips and those rolls were easy to alight with the smooth steel. IMHO it would've been interesting to have this blade at 62 HRC too ;) Anyway, for the price it is a very good knife. I had no complaints regarding its QC, and comfortability, peerformance, all were really good.

The sheath is not the high point of this knife, and another problem I've had with it was overly agressive thumb ramp checkering. I rerely use glowes while working with a knife, but thoose sharp teeth forced me to. Really annoying, especially if you need to cut for prolonged time. Though, 15 mins with a dremel tool solved the problem. I've smoothed down checkering and now it's much better using bare hand.
I donno, may be for those who always use glowes it'll be absolutely ok to keep factory checkering, but for bare hand use I'd rather have somoething smoother.
 
Spencer 'bout had me talked into buying one at SMKW's rep day this morning. I decided not to get one, because I would have only rarely used it. This isn't a knife that should sit on a shelf. It does feel great in your hand and the one I looked at was quite sharp. For the price, if I did buy one and it wasn't hair-popping sharp, I'd just put the effort into getting their myself. For around $100, a BG-42 blade of this size, with a functional Kydex sheath, can't be realistically expected to be shaving sharp from the factory.
 
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