SOG Specialty Knives, Inc.–more commonly known as SOG (which stands for “Studies and Observations Group”)–began in 1986, but the story went back as far as the Vietnam War. A highly specialized US special ops team carried a unique knife in their covert operations. The founder, Spencer Frazer, created SOG to recreate the unique knife that the team carried around.
SOG is known mostly for its tactical knives–the stuff made by operators for operators. They’re often slick, fancy knives that just make you feel cool for holding them. But of course, the ever-present question in the knife world: Are they any good?
SOG knives have recently gone from good to great: They’re now slicker, fancier, smoother, stronger, and look cool. Before, they weren’t bad knives–but they weren’t as great as they are now. If you’re looking for a slick knife that makes you feel and function like an operator, then get a SOG knife.
A lot of SOG’s knives are designed to be used by military or police personnel. They’re often designed in collaboration with military personnel–the SEAL XR is an example.
They’re also designed with every day carry use in mind. A lot of them are made to withstand some punishment and put up to daily use–making them great options for your EDC knife.
SOG really stepped up their game in around 2019-2020. Before that, while they were still good knives, they weren’t as good as they are now. They’ve improved their knives in terms of steel, function, and looks. You can see the difference in design between the old SOG Trident and the new SOG Trident AT. The old version has AUS-8 for the blade. The new one has D2 (D2 is better)–and looks better.
Basically, yes, SOG knives are good. They’re good for EDC knives, self-defense knives, and just slick, cool-looking tactical knives. Another good thing about the new updated SOG knives is that they’re almost all ambidextrous–so you can use them regardless of whether you’re a righty or a lefty.
Here are some of my favorites from SOG:
Flash AT
The Flash AT is the remake of their old Flash knife. It was designed with the EDC community in mind.
It’s got D2 steel, assisted opening, a spine-mounted safety lock, and an XR lock. It also comes in a couple different colors: Urban grey, civic cyan, blackout, and garnet red. It’s also got partially-serrated versions and straight-edge versions of each color.
If you’re looking for a knife that looks good, functions well, and has some flashy features, you’ll enjoy the Flash AT.
Trident AT
Similar to how the Flash AT is the remake of the old Flash, the Trident AT is the remake of the old Trident. The Trident AT was designed for people who needed something with a bit more features than the Flash AT.
The Trident AT has D2 steel, assisted opening, their XR lock, and a spine-mounted safety lock–all like the Flash AT. Where it differs is in its extra features: It has a lanyard hold at the bottom of the knife, a glass breaker at the top of the handle when the blade is closed, and a line cutter for when the knife is closed.
They’ve also got a couple different colors: Blackout, FDE (Flat Dark Earth), olive drab, and black & red. It’s also got partially-serrated versions of some of the colors and tanto versions of some of the colors (they’re regularly clip point blades).
The shape is different, but in terms of features, it’s like an upgraded Flash AT. Check it out on SOG’s website here.
Kiku XR
The Kiku XR is a knife made for, well, pretty much everything. It’s beefy enough to withstand use in the outdoors, but still small enough to be kept in your pocket and used in EDC conditions.
The Kiku XR has a blade that’s a mix between a kukri-shape and a tanto-shape. It’s got CTS XHP steel, a linen micarta handle, a flipper and thumb hole to open it, and SOG’s XR lock (which you can also use to open the knife).
It also comes in different colors: Blackout and natural micarta with a satin-colored blade. And it has an “LTE” version, which is lighter than the original. The LTE versions come in a blackout-colored micarta with a satin-colored blade and a blaze-orange G10 handle with a satin-colored blade.
You can click the links to any of the colors/versions above to get taken to the products on SOG’s website.
Aegis AT
The Aegis AT is, you guessed it, an upgrade of the old SOG Aegis design. It’s made mostly for outdoor use (the colors alone give that away), but it also works great as an EDC.
The blade is a classic drop point shape made of cryo D2. It’s also got the XR lock, a spine-mounted safety lock, a lanyard hole, and a textured GRN handle to make it easier to grip in outdoor conditions.
It comes in 3 different color pairings: Indigo & acid, forest & moss, and black & cyan.
Check out the Aegis AT on SOG’s website here.
Pentagon XR
The Pentagon XR is a folding knife made with self-defense in mind.
It’s got a thumb stud and flipper that you can open it with, an XR lock (that you can also open it with), a spear point blade, a G10 handle, and a cryo CTS XHP blade. Overall, it’s something designed for self-defense.
It comes in a couple different colors: Blackout, OD green, black with carbon, and flat dark earth.
If you’re looking for a self-defense knife, check out the Pentagon XR on SOG’s website.
SOG Seal XR
The Seal XR is a sweet knife by SOG designed in collaboration with operators. It’s one of those knives that’s made by operators for operators–meaning, it’s super useful as a tactical/self-defense knife.
It’s got an XR lock, a thumbhole, and a flipper that you can all use to open up the knife. It’s got a really smooth action that feels like assisted opening (but isn’t) and it can be opened up in reverse grip using your pinkie. It was designed that way so it could be opened in the reverse “fighter” grip you see so often in movies and TV shows.
It’s got a clip point blade, S35VN steel, and a glass-reinforced nylon handle. If you’re looking for a slick knife that makes you feel like some kind of spec ops guy, this is for you. Check it out on SOG’s website here.
Overall, SOG’s knives are awesome. They’ve gone from good to great in recent years. If you’re looking for some tactical, high-end knives, go with SOG.
If you’re interested in checking out some more knife reviews, check out our articles. We’ve got a ton of stuff on knives, blade steels, and more. Check them all out here. [link]