Gear Review: SOG SEAL Strike

The SOG SEAL Strike, for all intents and purposes, is probably one of my favorite all-around survival knives. I have a SEAL Pup and another SOG fixed blade with the TiNi finish, and love them, but SOG hit a home run with the SOG SEAL Strike Fixed Blade.

Before we even get into the specs, I want to talk about the other features that make this a great blade for all around use.

I think if you’re going to carry just 1 knife in your pack, you should carry this one. The blade itself is 4.9 inches long, with a 9.6 inch overall length, but the whole thing weighs in at under 6 ounces.

Now, this is great if you have a bunch of kit, as we’re talking ounces, not in pounds, which matters for a go-bag. That being said, you will definitely need a hatchet, machete, or kukhri for your heavy chopping tasks as this knife is on the lighter side.

A sharp AUS-8 blade with a clip point gives way to some aggressive jimping on the top, I like this, as it allows for you to control the blade for fine work. The glass-filled nylon handle has some nice aluminum inserts, and the full tang actually extends through the pommel (that jagged bit on the end.)

Check out the SOG SEAL Strike Fixed Blade @ Amazon.com

I especially like feature on the pommel as it’s good for mashing food or breaking up things for survival applications. SOG also claims you can use this end as a hammer, but personally, I’d prefer the side of a heavier knife or a hatchet for that application. The knife is very well-balanced and feels well in the hand. And, like most AUS-8 blades, it’s very sharp.

My favorite functions, which I think make it a home run for SOG, are the features on the sheath. While I do not like the belt clip on the sheath (great for webbing, and for field use as the blade locks in so securely, you may pull the sheath right off your belt from time to time), the positive locking nature and feature rich adornments make up for this shortcoming. On the sheath, you have a fire steel, single stage sharpening stones, and an access port to turn a sheathed knife into a cord/seatbelt cutter. Very innovative in my opinion, and making this an outstanding knife for a go-bag or backcountry pack. You have a firesteel, sharpener, and solid field knife; all wrapped up in one self-contained package.

Overall, I give it a 9 out of 10, with the only overall issue with this knife being the belt clip. It’s super light, super sharp, and feature rich. I highly recommend adding this knife to your go bag or backcountry survival kit.

PROS:

Many. Feature-rich sheath, sharp AUS-8 blade, integrated fire steel, full tang with hammering spike on back. Positive grip and aggressive jimping on the back of the blade.

CONS:

A tad lightweight for a survival knife – you will need to carry a machete or hatchet for significant chopping tasks.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex Castiglione lives in Atlanta, and is an avid outdoorsman and competitive shooter.

Where-abouts include getting after it in his garage gym, practicing martial arts, hitting the trails, or running CrossFit and Strongman competitions 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.

Question: What about the SOG knife vs Gerber?

Answer: I personally have a Gerber Paraframe Knife that I used on my kayak boating vest for years. I now keep it as a backup that I keep in my truck and it has done well for me considering I paid $15 for it. If someone asked me if I would recommend it for light use I would say yes.

Question: What do you think of the SEAL Pup knife vs SOG?

Answer: Check out our review of the SEAL Pup here:

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