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Thoughts on Sog Seal Pup Elite?
- Thread starter wacki
- Start date
Mine has held up well in the midwest. I mostly use it in the colder months. I am on my 3rd sheath though. The 1st one was somewhat mauled. Then the second just sucked. The insert fell out. Since SOG doesn't warranty their sheaths, I had to con them into a 3rd one. This one had the outer pouch open up on the bottom and spill out my sharpening stone and lighter. The threads on the outer pouch just unravelled. So far the sheath itself is holding up well.:grumpy:
The knife is decent but I'd prefer a kraton or rubber handle over the zytel one. I was so desperate to get a satin finished bowie style knife at a decent price so I settled with this one. I agree with rifon, it's overpriced.
The knife is decent but I'd prefer a kraton or rubber handle over the zytel one. I was so desperate to get a satin finished bowie style knife at a decent price so I settled with this one. I agree with rifon, it's overpriced.
Esav Benyamin
MidniteSuperMod
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2000
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- 90,915
How much heavy work are you planning on using a knife for? If it's just a tourist trip, take a SAK, maybe an Opinel, and a Mora, and you will not only be covered for knife needs, no one will hassle you about your choices. If you need a serious blade for rough country, get one of the local machetes.
Do you have any recommendations?
Wow, there are just too many good knives out there to recommend without having more information.
What are you going to be using the knife for, generally?
Batoning into wood? Bushcraft? Regular camping tasks? Display?
Are you going to be using it in and around salt water?
Do you definitely want a fixed blade, or would a folder work for you?
What kind of price range?
I can tell you right off the bat that one of my all around favorite production knives - sized similarly to the SOG you mentioned - is the Fallkniven S1.
But there are plenty of other great choices too.
If you can answer at least some of the above questions, it will be far easier to recommend a really good knife for your specific purposes.
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2009
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- 6,234
You can get the Aus8 SHARP. Very well designed and well balanced fighting knife. I've gone through three though because of chipping/wear. For a dive or fighting knife they're great. For a survival knife, not so much.
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2008
- Messages
- 615
The Seal pup elite is a good knife for the money. The sheaths are crap like a lot of production knife sheaths.
I have a nice straight edge SOG Trident folder w/ Tanto smooth edge blade.
I also have a good blunt nose diver knife.
I'm looking for a good, high quality fixed blade all-purpose knife for use in the deep woods. Going to Costa Rica in a week. Generally I take at least one exotic trip a year.
COST
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If I have to buy one for near salt water and one for fresh water territory I'm open to that. I'll buy two no problem. For a typical pocket knife that costs $60-80 I'm not afraid to use and abuse it. That's my favorite price range for small knives as they are of good quality and I don't worry about losing or breaking them. A 4-5" knife that costs $100 I start to treat a little more cautiously. I don't like spending $120 on a folding pocket knife with a mere 4" blade. I can afford the $120, I just don't like having the stress of worrying about losing/misplacing such a small item.
However, if a knife is much larger then things are different. I will have no problem dropping $140 on a big bowie or more with lots of high quality steel. Those are much harder to lose/misplace.
Price range is subjective to quality difference and my ability to accidentally lose it.
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A high quality fixed blade all-purpose knife for use in the deep woods...
I'm going to stick with my recommendation of the Fallkniven S1.
I might have recommended a RAT Cutlery RC-4 or RC-5, a Bark River (one of various models), or otherwise, but I think the S1 is overall a great choice for your requirements.
It's high quality stainless steel (VG-10), so you don't have to be overly concerned with corrosion. Full tang construction, and the rear extends past the end of the handle for use as an impact device. The knife is very tough and superbly well made (in Japan). The handle is Thermorun, which is very durable, and it's sized well.
The blade is just about 5 inches long, which to me is a great all purpose blade length.
http://www.fallkniven.com/S1new.html
I also like the Bark River Aurora a lot; I'd make it a choice between that and the S1.
(Personally I like the S1 for it's slightly longer and thicker blade, but the Aurora is a great knife IMO with exceptional blade steel [A2].) The Aurora is available with a wide variety of handles; I'd recommend Micarta which is virtually indestructible.
http://www.barkriverknifetool.com/bushcraft/aurora.php
http://www.knivesshipfree.com/Aurora
It doesn't sound like you're going to be using the knife in and around salt water so I don't see a need for a knife specifically designed for use in that kind of environment (like, for example, a Spyderco Salt.)
A2 is tool steel, and less corrosion resistant than VG-10 which is a true "stainless", but A2 does have some chromium in it (providing some corrosion resistance) unlike, say, 1095. As long as you keep it wiped down and dry between uses, it'll be fine. I like A2 somewhat more than I like VG-10, but with knives and steels there are invariably trade-offs.
So I'd pick up a Fallkniven S1.
Doubtlessly there will be other suggestions as this thread gets going, but the S1 would be my choice.
I'm going to stick with my recommendation of the Fallkniven S1.
I might have recommended a RAT Cutlery RC-4 or RC-5, a Bark River (one of various models), or otherwise, but I think the S1 is overall a great choice for your requirements.
It's high quality stainless steel (VG-10), so you don't have to be overly concerned with corrosion. Full tang construction, and the rear extends past the end of the handle for use as an impact device. The knife is very tough and superbly well made (in Japan). The handle is Thermorun, which is very durable, and it's sized well.
The blade is just about 5 inches long, which to me is a great all purpose blade length.
http://www.fallkniven.com/S1new.html
I also like the Bark River Aurora a lot; I'd make it a choice between that and the S1.
(Personally I like the S1 for it's slightly longer and thicker blade, but the Aurora is a great knife IMO with exceptional blade steel [A2].) The Aurora is available with a wide variety of handles; I'd recommend Micarta which is virtually indestructible.
http://www.barkriverknifetool.com/bushcraft/aurora.php
http://www.knivesshipfree.com/Aurora
It doesn't sound like you're going to be using the knife in and around salt water so I don't see a need for a knife specifically designed for use in that kind of environment (like, for example, a Spyderco Salt.)
A2 is tool steel, and less corrosion resistant than VG-10 which is a true "stainless", but A2 does have some chromium in it (providing some corrosion resistance) unlike, say, 1095. As long as you keep it wiped down and dry between uses, it'll be fine. I like A2 somewhat more than I like VG-10, but with knives and steels there are invariably trade-offs.
So I'd pick up a Fallkniven S1.
Doubtlessly there will be other suggestions as this thread gets going, but the S1 would be my choice.
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Not a big fan of the SEAL pup design for woods use it works okay but you can do better for the same price..
I picked up a Gerber prodigy for $60, I like it. It's like the Gerber LMF but a bit smaller. IT's about the size of a Seal Pup and only a little heavier. The handle's more grippy and the sheath is a lot better, it's easy to resharpen and the edge lasts a long time/ It works better than you'd expect a knife of that size to work. I take it on most of my day hikes. Other ones I like about the same size and price of a SEAL Pup are the Ka-Bar Becker BK2, or a Buck 119, you really can't go wring with the 119.
I picked up a Gerber prodigy for $60, I like it. It's like the Gerber LMF but a bit smaller. IT's about the size of a Seal Pup and only a little heavier. The handle's more grippy and the sheath is a lot better, it's easy to resharpen and the edge lasts a long time/ It works better than you'd expect a knife of that size to work. I take it on most of my day hikes. Other ones I like about the same size and price of a SEAL Pup are the Ka-Bar Becker BK2, or a Buck 119, you really can't go wring with the 119.