The story of SOG begins in Vietnam, where members of a highly classified US special unit - known as MACV-SOG - carried a unique combat knife on covert missions in the jungle. The SOG knife was developed and produced for the personnel of the Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG) during the Vietnam War. It was unmarked and allegedly untraceable to the origin or manufacturing country to maintain plausible deniability for participants in covert operations in case of their death or capture.
Years later, 1986, this knife inspired a young designer named Spencer Frazer to found SOG Specialty Knives. His mission: to reproduce the original SOG Bowie knife in honor of the special unit that developed it. What started as a single model soon became a complete range of innovative tools - field-tested by US special forces, even awarded as the Navy SEAL knife of choice. Today, SOG knives are confidently carried into the most demanding situations. Forged from tradition, hardened in the field, sharpened for you.
Whether you're protecting others or leading an epic hunting expedition, mastering one of life's daily challenges, or facing its most extreme conditions, with SOG, you're always up to date.
The original SOG knife was designed by Benjamin Baker, the deputy director of the U.S. Counterinsurgency Support Office (CISO). The blade made of a chrome-molybdenum steel, known as SKS-3, was hardened to a Rockwell hardness of 55-57. The blade pattern featured a convex false edge. The handle made of stacked leather washers was inspired by a Marmor Gladstone Skinner knife from the 1920s owned by Baker. The blade was typically blued or blackened to reduce glare. The knife was carried in a leather sheath that included a sharpening steel or whetstone.
For today's knives from SOG, blade steels such as VG-10 and AUS-8, as well as 8CR13MOV, 7CR17MOV, 5CR15MOV, and 420er are used. Depending on the intended use, SOG uses the appropriate steel. In general, SOG uses materials that have proven themselves over the years and have been tested countless times in use.
The company SOG Speciality Knives offers today an impressive selection of tactical knives, Bowies, pocket knives, survival knives, machetes, multitools, tomahawks, throwing axes, and tactical axes for various purposes. And with the Balance Knives, SOG offers a highly versatile throwing knife set. This set includes 3 knives, which are very comfortable to hold in the hand due to the handles wrapped with Paracord, making them very useful survival knives. However, they can also be easily converted into spears or used as throwing knives. A 3-piece set in a nylon sheath, with which you have 3 throwing knives or even [[3]] spears and a hunting knife, or perhaps 3 carving knives for the whole family.
The proven quality of SOG has been convincing military units as well as private knife owners for years. For elite units and discerning collectors, the advancements of the original combat knife are a must. However, SOG also offers a good selection of very affordable and extremely functional products for those with a smaller budget.
