The best knives from the SOG brand

History

SOG is an acronym meaning Study and Observation Group , which dates back to before the Vietnam War in 1964. MACV-SOG (Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group) was formed as a joint task force consisting of members of the Army, Special Forces, Navy SEALS, Air Force, CIA, and Marines. SOG operated in Vietnam (as well as Laos and Cambodia) during the war, conducting all sorts of special operations as part of intelligence operations in the region. They also carried a really cool knife with them, known as a SOG Bowie .

The original SOG Bowies were very minimalist, 7-inch long tools with a stacked leather handle and a clip-point blade with a faux-tip. SK-3 steel , usually gun-blued to make it less reflective. They came with a leather case that included a whetstone, and the original SOG Bowies were made in Seki City for $9.85 each. Interestingly, all SOG Bowies actually used in service were "sterile," meaning they bore no markings that would allow their origin to be traced if found.

These original Bowies SOGs inspired Spencer Frazer , UCLA graduate and industrial designer , who had worked in various industries before venturing into the world of knives, creating SOG Specialty Knives & Tools in 1986 to create a replica of the original SOG Bowie. The knives were a success and SOG quickly expanded into more different product lines, including a range of innovative multi-tools in 1991 and their first compound lever multi-tool in 1996. SOG also continued to adapt new knife designs, creating the Arc-lock. in the 90s (a unique lock that used a pivoting arm and spring to lock the blade open and closed) and went on to create a series of acclaimed folding knives like the Flash, Aegis, Trident, Twitch, and Vision (which won Import Knife of the Year at the 1999 Blade Show).

Recommended models

Below, we feature some of our favorite SOG knives and what we love about them.

SOG TERMINUS XR/XR-LTE

But they all share the basic dimensions and excellent neck shape – a sweet spot 3 inch dish , which if you look up "ideal EDC blade profile" in the dictionary, you will find. Excellent for piercing, excellent for slicing, not too long and not too short, the Terminus has there blade shape. The handle is great too, an exercise in simplicity – a good scalloped finger and a flat back, it has enough width to fill the palm but no quirks. It's an ergonomic treat.

The basic version comes with handle scales G10 (in a variety of colors, including a trendy natural jade green G10 color as well as dark red, OD green, and black) and a blade D2 faded for about $55 retail. Upgrading to the carbon fiber for $85 results in an improvement over steel S35VN (the old version we tested used the CTS-BDZ1 ). Both versions are remarkably light at 3.32 ounces and both use the same XR-Lock. If you're unfamiliar, the XR Lock is SOG's take on the sliding bar locking mechanism that works similarly to the AXIS Lock, using two springs to propel a horizontal locking bar over the blade shank. It also uses caged ball bearings for quick deployment.

Finally, the top-of-the-range model Terminus XR LTE reduces weight of a whole ounce compared to the standard version, reaching 2.35 ounces. This is due to the use of carbon fiber (!) coatings instead of steel, which is an industry first. The LTE model also eliminates my main criticism of the classic XR, namely the terrible pocket clip that is a combination of a display panel and a deep top section that gets stuck in your pocket. The entire Terminus XR line is EDC perfection at a reasonable price.

PILLAR SOG

In a completely different segment, how about a huge fixed blade? The Pillar was a boost when it debuted at the 2017 SHOT show, a truly honest, high-end fixed blade from a brand most people associate with the cheap, blister-packed knives sold at sporting goods stores. At $190, it's expensive, but you knew SOG would come around when the Pillar received a score of 20/20 on the notoriously picky dailycommentary.com website, with Tony calling the knife “probably the best production all-around fixed blade available” – highly praised indeed.

This isn't a small knife, the Pillar. With a 5-inch blade and an overall length of 9.9 inches, it's a big knife to take with you camping in the woods, not for cutting a sandwich on your lunch break. The Pillar uses steel CPM S35VN cryogenically treated with a two-tone stonewash finish on the flats and a satin finish on the main bevel, in a pronounced clip point with a false wedge along the spine. The handles are contoured linen micarta and the pillar uses full tang construction for strength. It also includes a Kydex sheath with a low-profile adjustable locking keeper.

The Pillar is available in four varieties: the two-tone finish blade with linen micarta handle or a limited-edition safety orange G10 handle, a dark earth cerakoted flat blade with greenish micarta, and a blackout version. Also made in the USA.

SOG TAC AU (Automatic)

Slide the bolt forward against a notch and it clicks into the safe position. Pull it back with a single click to cock it, or pull it all the way past the rear trigger to fire the blade—and of course, there's a "red means dead" safety indicator dot on the mechanism to let you know. Compared to the SOG-TAC XR, the AU is actually slimmer and lighter, with a width of 0.41" versus 0.56" and 3.5 ounces versus 5.23 (for the full-size 3.5" model). Indeed, the AU uses from 6061 anodized. handles made of aluminum with a machined texture, compared to the G10 wider than the XR on stainless steel liners, which means it's also easier to carry in your pocket.

The SOG TAC AU line comes in three different size varieties: the full size with a 3.5" blade and 8" overall, the Compact with a 3" blade and 7" overall, and the CA Special Compact (with the same handle as the Compact, but a truncated 2" blade and 6" overall.) All – for now – are blackened with anodized frames and steel cerakoted blades D2 cryo treated, with a choice of drop point and tanto blade shapes as well. Also available as partially serrated or plain edge blades. The price of these knives finally gives some much needed competition to the Kershaw Launch knife range, and if you like automobiles, they are a pretty easy sell.

SOG PENTAGON OTF

But the party trick is SOG's Dynamic Locking System, a unique addition to the usual double-action OTF mechanism. This system promises a blade without wobble when open and a knife without rattle when closed—traditional irritants in OTFs—in addition to being self-adjusting as it wears, requiring less maintenance than a typical OTF. The system is fairly complicated, but the gist is that a side-mounted detent pin snaps into place as the blade deploys, wedging the blade where a dovetailed edge meets a groove machined into the handle that stabilizes it. This is the kind of next-level thinking that's noticeably absent in some other, more expensive, US-built OTFs on the market. You can get one in black or with FDE handles, same price, both made in the USA.

POWERLITER SOG

How about a multi-tool? In a market almost entirely dominated by two Oregon brands (no need to guess!), it's hard to stand out in the MT market, but SOG has figured out how to do it since the '90s. The Powerpint is one of their newer models, along with the similar Powerliter (which includes a corkscrew), and its notable superpower is tool density. The Powerpint is 5 inches long and only 4.2 ounces, and somehow manages to hold 18 (!) tools, including a set of pliers with SOG's geared compound lever configuration. It holds five layers of tools per side of the handle, which is crazy, including plain and serrated blades, scissors, can and bottle openers, several different screwdrivers, a file, an awl, a hook cutter, and many more.

It also includes a pocket clip (because it's small enough to reasonably carry in a pocket) and it has a magnetic bit holder at the base of the pliers head, a clever addition that's essentially a waste of space on most other multi-tools.

SEAL XR SOG

Another knife for the "that's not a knife, THIS is a knife!" crowd, the Seal XR is the perfect antidote for anyone still sad that Zero Tolerance killed the 0200/0300 knife series. This bad boy weighs 8.3 ounces. It features a 3.9" long clip-point blade made of Cryo CPM-S35VN, measuring 0.19" thick at the spine. It is of course cerakoted black, the same color as the textured scales on the GRN. It is a very durable knife with skips on seemingly every surface, and a striking pommel at the end of the handle to boot. A large, heavy, curved steel pocket clip allows for ambidextrous carry of the point.

Being a pinball machine XR lock , it opens on caged ball bearings and offers a variety of opening methods: an oversized flipper tab, an oblong thumbhole, and pulling back on the locking bar and simply popping it out. SOG claims the Seal XR's XR lock can withstand 1,500 pounds of force—a claim I certainly hope to never verify. The handles offer four oversized finger grooves for a secure grip on the knife. If you're a fan of oversized, heavy-duty folders, this is a must-have to add to your collection. Made in the USA, to boot.

SOG TRIDENT AT-XR

First, the blade: a 3.7-inch-long clip point, the Trident uses steel Cryo D2 with a black cerakote to protect it from corrosion. It is also available as a plain edge or a partially serrated edge, and it deploys via assisted opening from a coil spring around the pivot, locking in place using SOG's XR lock. There is a secondary safety switch, a toggle on the spine that prevents the blade from accidentally deploying, with a red indicator dot to show that the safety is off.

However, the Trident has much more to offer than just the blade: in the closed position, a tungsten carbide glass breaker protrudes from the back of the blade forward. The cutout in the handle serves as a seatbelt cutter, drawing material into the narrow channel running through the Trident's blade without the risk of accidentally injuring the victim. And there's a lanyard hole that's part of the rear spacer and protrudes from the back of the handle. A knife designed from the ground up to make life easier for first responders, and it looks cool to boot.

SOG VISION XR LTE 35 YEARS EDITION

Version 35 ^e anniversary is based on the new Vision XR that recently debuted with the XR Lock (obviously), but the LE version adds several high-tech features. The first is that it now sports SOG's LTE carbon fiber composite liners, to reduce weight compared to steel ones. It also uses micro-textured titanium grips, as well as a deep carry pocket clip configured for ambidextrous carry.

The Vision 35's blade is a 3.36-inch long tanto made of Cryo tool steel CTS-XHP , cerakoté with a unique tiger stripe pattern reminiscent of Bowies MACV-SOG from Vietnam. Each edition of the 35 ^e anniversary comes with a commemorative coin, in a hard storage case with foam cutouts for safekeeping. While clearly a collectible, SOG says the Vision 35 is still built to withstand heavy use, hence its robust materials and solid lock. And if you don't like its irreplaceability or its high price, the Standard XR Vision is no slouch either at $149, with the same 3.36-inch tanto blade of coated CTS-XHP steel and textured G10 scales over stainless steel liners.

SOG SUPER BOWIE

The Super Bowie comes with a leather carrying sheath with a belt loop and a snap-closure strap for secure hold. It may not be the ideal everyday carry knife unless you live in the woods, but it is a cool piece of history.

Competing brands

The SOG brand currently occupies many markets, with a wide range of product types and price points, from the $400 Vision 35 all the way up to the $9 folding wrench knife, and occupying every slot, from folding knives to fixed blades, one-piece knives, and folding multitools. Their products run the gamut, from super small (like the ultra-thin Ultra XR) to larger ones (like the SOG Super Bowie and Seal XR). In terms of product thickness, they are currently focused on what we would call mid-level knives, i.e., between $50 and $150, with a wide range of very good folding knife options, from the low end of that range (D2 Terminus XR) to the high end (Pentagon XR). This puts them a bit below brands like Benchmade And Spyderco in terms of price, but more expensive than your Kershaw Or CRKT typical .

What sets SOG apart from others in the industry is the rapid redevelopment of their lineup at the moment, with almost all of their mainstream knives evolving into higher-quality products with better locks and materials than before, no more cheap $30 AUS-8 folders, and everything we've tried so far we've liked (with some notes, of course.) They're pushing the boundaries of technology for this market, having developed what I believe to be a superior alternative to the AXIS lock on their first try at bat.

Conclude

If you have considered SOG Years ago, it was a dead brand offering obsolete products to mall-bound knife shoppers. Look again: fresh blood and new management are pushing the brand to the top of the mid-tier market at an alarming rate. I hope you enjoyed our roundup of our favorite SOG knives.