I bought an SOG Seal Pup late last year and haven't even used it yet. Just wondering if it is a good knife and will hold an edge. The blade says China which I don't like, but it sure does look cool.

This is a really decent field-knife. I have two, a Seal Pup and Seal Pup Elite. I like them both very much... For the money and size, they are an excellent fixed blade knife.

Don't get too hung up on where the knife is manufactured, so long as it comes from a decent company*like SOG*. Actually, some Chinese/Taiwan/Japanese steel is superior than some American steels...As much of the heavy-metal industry has left America for Asia, they make alot different steels, some of it superior.

IIRC, SOG has changed the steel on the SEAL Pup once or twice...though I could be mistaken. Mine are both "newer" models, less than 1 year old and have AUS6 blades.

AUS6/AUS8 blades are good steel for everyday use. They are reasonably durable and hold thier edge fairly well, though better choices exist. However, many knives are made out of AUS6/AUS8 or thier 440 series equivalents. Better steel exists, but for everyday use, its an excellent choice.

Different steels have different edge holding properties, with AUS6/AUS8 being in the middle of the road, its not the best and not the worst. What are you using this knife for? What angle of grind do you prefer? For general cutting use, it should hold a usable edge quite well. For cutting hard/tough objects, the edge will fail quicker. If you are cutting heavy duty stuff, its best to get a knife tailored to that specific task as other steels will be more resiliant and hold an edge better.

For a general use knife, your SEAL Pup is an excellent choice and will be durable and hold its edge quite well, provided you don't abuse it.

I fantasize about using it like man vs wild would but in reality the toughest job it probably will ever see is gutting a trout or cutting hay twine.

Thanks for the info.

It is a horrible knife.  It has been known to jump out of its sheath at night and slay dogs and small children.  Send it to me for proper disposal.

Don't get too hung up on where the knife is manufactured, so long as it comes from a decent company*like SOG*. Actually, some Chinese/Taiwan/Japanese steel is superior than some American steels...As much of the heavy-metal industry has left America for Asia, they make alot different steels, some of it superior.

+1

This is my full size one





Notice the indent in the blade.  I took the knife to a 220 volt line cause I didn't have time to wait for anything else to cut it with.  It didn't kill me.  I had to hone it down a little afterwards, but i doubt other knives would have performed that well.  SOG is top notch.

Great knife.  They are issued to us at NECC.

Bear has used a SOG SEAL Pup on Man vs Wild, amongst others. He has used many, including a Buck Zipper, Cold Steal Voyager and Gerber LMF II. He now uses a custom knife, which sells for around 700.00.

I used to really like Bear, and seriously considered buying "his" knife. I even started saving for it...until I found out he is a phony. The show is still entertaining and he is a semi-hard individual, but he is no Survivorman.

For running around in the field, hunting or fishing I really like my SOG SEAL Pup, Gerber Sheridan and CRKT M60.

Were I doing Man vs Wild stuff, I think an LMF II would probably be one of the best choices...

I got mine last christmas and i love it.  It has a fairly steep edge angle so it will hold an edge well.  It also has fairly hard steel so that will help.  Despite what others may tell you about the sheath i have had extremely good results with mine.  I have landed on it while jumping off of a 12 foot rock here in the moutains of North Carolina.  All it did was scratch it up.  It drains water pretty well too(there is a hole in the bottom).  It also fits my small hands better than the full size SEAL knife, which I also gladly own.