It’s no surprise that we love our blades here at SGPT. Whether it’s a field knife that can cut through rebar like the FirstEdge HR-1 or a discreet blade to carry everyday – like the SOG Pent Arc Folding Knife.
But this one we have for review today is a mean mother that means business: the SOG Du Hoc.
This one is especially noteworthy for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it is part of CRKT’s Forged By War program, and we’ve reviewed plenty of kick-ass blades that were in this same vein: the Sangrador, RASP, and SIWI are all designed by combat veterans and exude utility and can-do attitude. The Du Hoc is no different.
“Built on an American hero’s legacy. It wasn’t until half a century after he served, that Forged by War® designer Austin McGlaun discovered his late uncle won the Silver Star at Point Du Hoc. To honor his service, he designed this colossal karambit fixed blade knife. With the help of Ryan Johnson of RMJ Tactical, it’s been perfected as a mission-inspired eye catcher from the tip of the recurved blade to the thumb ring at the end of the handle.
As a part of the Forged By War® program, Austin’s design matched with Ryan’s expertise makes the Du Hoc™ a powerful tactical carry. An ominous 5” carbon steel recurved blade—sharp on the nose and the belly—is a dependable companion in a self-defense situation. A thumb ring sits proudly atop the textured G10 handle for an unbreakable traditional karambit-style grip.” (Source: CRKT Website)
And they were spot on when they said “ominous” carbon steel blade. This knife is ready for work, with a 5″ razor-sharp blade, edged along the re-curve as well as on the top edge of the blade, and has some serious heft to it. What’s more, is the unique, glass-filled nylon sheath can be oriented a variety of ways, and clips to your belt in the same fashion that much shooting kit does via a Tek Lok system. In fact, it may be a TekLok setup, but I’m not sure if it’s licensed or not. When it comes to specs, this knife sports a SK5 high carbon steel blade with G10 handles.
However, it’s much heavier than a standard karambit, coming in at just over a half pound at 9.3 oz. It’s also a solid .2 inches thick of steel, and the handle itself has a width of .7 inches. Moreover, the ring on the back has a spur, properly allowing it to be flipped like a true karambit.
These guys did their homework, and I wouldn’t expect any less from CRKT.
Overall, it’s a very fine knife for a battle belt or as a back up for your body armor. Especially considering one can modify and orient the sheath however they need to, I would consider this the best option for offense. When it comes to a defensive load out, the blade is simply too big to be concealed in my opinion.
Pros, what we like: Veteran designed right here in the US with a history of service, it’s an offensive knife with carry options and 9.3 oz of ready-to-get-some steel. G10 handles give it positive feel.
COns, what we don’t like: It’s endemic to all karambit style blades, but it’s a bit awkward to unsheath and resheath. However, being an offensive and not defensive tool, you’re not losing much reaction time.
Related Articles:
Gear Review: CRKT Rasp by Darrin Sirois
Gear Review: SOG Mini Pentagon
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alex Castiglione lives in Atlanta, and is an avid outdoorsman and competitive shooter. He loves getting after it in his garage gym, practicing martial arts, hitting the trails, or running CrossFit and Strongman competitions.
His passion is helping animals and raising funds for his non-profit, Barbells for Bullies, which holds fundraiser fitness competitions dedicated to aiding Bully breed rescues, dog rescues, or other non-profits with similar missions.
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