SOG 9.75" Jungle Warrior Review
May 5, 2011 21:57:01 GMT
Post by ghost on May 5, 2011 21:57:01 GMT
SOG Jungle Warrior Review
by Ghost :twisted:
Introduction
Recently I encountered this newly released knife posted up by Sebastien. I was very interested in its attractive design but was put off by the price tag at first. Since there were no reviews on this product, I went ahead and did a little digging on the Jungle Primitive. The feedback from consumers seems just about right and I decided to go ahead and make the purchase. I bought this last weekend from Sportsman Depot - a great vendor that does everything by the book; tracking numbers, fast shipping, and extreme overpackaging (They sent me such a large box, I thought it was mistake).
--->anyways... I fullheartedly blame Seb for influencing my buying behavior. This is my first review so please bear with any mistakes I make and point out any biases.
Statistics:
Blade Length........... 9.75" x .19"
Overall Length........ 15.25"
Weight .......... 16.5 oz.
Edge ........ Straight
Steel ....... 8Cr13MoV
HRC ............ 56-58
Handle .......... Kraton
Finish .......... Black Oxide <---- um really? it feels and looks like paint
Sheath ............. Nylon <-----CARDBOARD
Country of Origin ........... China
mmm China engraving on one side may be a turnoff to some.
A side-by-side comparison w/ the Kabar USMC 7.25" fighting Knife since they do have the same price range.
I really do love the blade shape. Most of the spine is flat ground but the edge is hollow ground. I can squeeze in my index finger into the notch very securely. My thumb resting on the jagged spine is very secure...but discomforting if pressed down too hard. [edit] Spine edge is actually slightly hollow ground - checked w/ a flat edge.
The spine is even thicker than the Kabar- it's pretty strong, but tapers nicely towards the tip.
The checkered Kraton handle makes for some a very secure grip. The handle material was very surprising since I expected it to be plastic-like, hard, and coarse. Instead, it feels more like very firm but squish-able foam. This makes for a sensational grip. The Jagged pommel, no doubt for hammering, is actually the tang of the knife. It feels very sturdy and could be used to tenderize meat, break bones for access to marrow, etc. The upper handguard also has an extended portion of the tang running through the Kraton.
observation: [edit] - the tang has a cut made near the jagged-hammer butt section from the last hole out to the spine. This seems to be done deliberately to help mitigate force traveling up throughout the tang while hammering.
Handling:
The Jungle Warrior handles very very well. The knife feels very light for such a large size and fits into the hand very snugly. I have big hands and there is an extra cm of space if gripped tightly, and none if I hold it loosely. The Kraton handle is very soft - somewhat squishy feeling - so it very comfortable. You can expect to feel no vibrations up your arm if you every use it to hack, chop, and so forth. This is the most comfortable knife I have ever gripped...ever. However, the one downside is sweat buildup. After holding it for quite an extended period of time, sweat is trapped up against your palm since the Kraton melds to your hands so well. The knife swings and handles well and I am very pleased - it's pob is about 1 cm above the finger notch.
Conclusions:
I feel that the knife is definitely worth the money. However, the sheath is a total POS. It literally is made of cardboard covered by some polyester/nylon crap. Everything about it is flimsy - I'm not sure it'll last another week on me... I really am being truthful, when I say that I would rather have a dollar than this sheath.
Another peeve, is that the blade is embedded with little slivers of steel - no doubt from grinding. It got mixed in with the paint and was left to dry - it just feels nasty. This is no doubt a result of a dirty and unclean manufacturing environment.
Overall, the knife is very well designed - it stays really thick near the "ricasso" (it may seem to be the weakest portion of the knife, but is actually the strongest) and tapers down very nicely towards the blade. The false edge at the top is slightly hollow ground at 1.5-2 mm thick; batoning on this portion could be done...
The jagged spine section serves as a thumb grip in the controlled whitting position but could serve a great fish de-scaler, wood hasper, notcher, etc.
In conclusion, this knife would only be of medium performance in the outdoors - it would be perfect...if you were planning on getting attacked by a bear or cougar. The false edge is not good for batoning but the grip is superb for extended and heavy work.
Pros:
-excellent and sexy blade design; hollow ground edge, hollow ground false edge, finger notch, etc.
-Kraton texture grip is fantastic; will disperse a lot of force.
-jagged hammer portion at the butt is part of the tang.
-3 holes extending through the grip; all 3 go through the tang, even the index guard
-tang is hefty- from observation everything under the grip is as massive as the "ricasso" region
-light for its size
Cons:
-blade finish - steel slivers embedded in the black paint.....oh joy
-cardboard sheath is total crap - wonder if my dog will even want to chew on it; there's some gluey substance rubbing off onto the blade.
-how durable (not talking about tough) is the Kraton grip? - it feels like an eraser - cutting it will definitely rip it or leave marks.
-[edit]- Kraton grip is attracting quite a bit of dust and dirt;
-not an optimized survival knife - probably the worst in the SOG Jungle series for the wilderness.
Recommendation(s):
For its price... it is still a bit high. If the sheath were replaced with a kydex or even a leather one, this knife would be worth every penny. I appreciate its overall design and would recommend it if you could find it for sub-$40. Definitely plan on shelling out for a better sheath...I certainly will have to make a kydex one.
If you are looking for a good survival knife - this one would not be it; it would get a 6/10 in my book for tool function. If in the Alaskan wilderness or a rainforest setting (a place with more predators)- I'd feel a bit safer, but it still wouldn't be that great. It certainly does have the reach for snakes and is a very fast knife, but you'd be a moron to not have carved a pointy stick by then. Altogether, after a little fixing - it'll be a very good knife to own - just be sure to realize that it'll have shortcomings in some departments.
by Ghost :twisted:
Introduction
Recently I encountered this newly released knife posted up by Sebastien. I was very interested in its attractive design but was put off by the price tag at first. Since there were no reviews on this product, I went ahead and did a little digging on the Jungle Primitive. The feedback from consumers seems just about right and I decided to go ahead and make the purchase. I bought this last weekend from Sportsman Depot - a great vendor that does everything by the book; tracking numbers, fast shipping, and extreme overpackaging (They sent me such a large box, I thought it was mistake).
--->anyways... I fullheartedly blame Seb for influencing my buying behavior. This is my first review so please bear with any mistakes I make and point out any biases.
Statistics:
Blade Length........... 9.75" x .19"
Overall Length........ 15.25"
Weight .......... 16.5 oz.
Edge ........ Straight
Steel ....... 8Cr13MoV
HRC ............ 56-58
Handle .......... Kraton
Finish .......... Black Oxide <---- um really? it feels and looks like paint
Sheath ............. Nylon <-----CARDBOARD
Country of Origin ........... China
mmm China engraving on one side may be a turnoff to some.
A side-by-side comparison w/ the Kabar USMC 7.25" fighting Knife since they do have the same price range.
I really do love the blade shape. Most of the spine is flat ground but the edge is hollow ground. I can squeeze in my index finger into the notch very securely. My thumb resting on the jagged spine is very secure...but discomforting if pressed down too hard. [edit] Spine edge is actually slightly hollow ground - checked w/ a flat edge.
The spine is even thicker than the Kabar- it's pretty strong, but tapers nicely towards the tip.
The checkered Kraton handle makes for some a very secure grip. The handle material was very surprising since I expected it to be plastic-like, hard, and coarse. Instead, it feels more like very firm but squish-able foam. This makes for a sensational grip. The Jagged pommel, no doubt for hammering, is actually the tang of the knife. It feels very sturdy and could be used to tenderize meat, break bones for access to marrow, etc. The upper handguard also has an extended portion of the tang running through the Kraton.
observation: [edit] - the tang has a cut made near the jagged-hammer butt section from the last hole out to the spine. This seems to be done deliberately to help mitigate force traveling up throughout the tang while hammering.
Handling:
The Jungle Warrior handles very very well. The knife feels very light for such a large size and fits into the hand very snugly. I have big hands and there is an extra cm of space if gripped tightly, and none if I hold it loosely. The Kraton handle is very soft - somewhat squishy feeling - so it very comfortable. You can expect to feel no vibrations up your arm if you every use it to hack, chop, and so forth. This is the most comfortable knife I have ever gripped...ever. However, the one downside is sweat buildup. After holding it for quite an extended period of time, sweat is trapped up against your palm since the Kraton melds to your hands so well. The knife swings and handles well and I am very pleased - it's pob is about 1 cm above the finger notch.
Conclusions:
I feel that the knife is definitely worth the money. However, the sheath is a total POS. It literally is made of cardboard covered by some polyester/nylon crap. Everything about it is flimsy - I'm not sure it'll last another week on me... I really am being truthful, when I say that I would rather have a dollar than this sheath.
Another peeve, is that the blade is embedded with little slivers of steel - no doubt from grinding. It got mixed in with the paint and was left to dry - it just feels nasty. This is no doubt a result of a dirty and unclean manufacturing environment.
Overall, the knife is very well designed - it stays really thick near the "ricasso" (it may seem to be the weakest portion of the knife, but is actually the strongest) and tapers down very nicely towards the blade. The false edge at the top is slightly hollow ground at 1.5-2 mm thick; batoning on this portion could be done...
The jagged spine section serves as a thumb grip in the controlled whitting position but could serve a great fish de-scaler, wood hasper, notcher, etc.
In conclusion, this knife would only be of medium performance in the outdoors - it would be perfect...if you were planning on getting attacked by a bear or cougar. The false edge is not good for batoning but the grip is superb for extended and heavy work.
Pros:
-excellent and sexy blade design; hollow ground edge, hollow ground false edge, finger notch, etc.
-Kraton texture grip is fantastic; will disperse a lot of force.
-jagged hammer portion at the butt is part of the tang.
-3 holes extending through the grip; all 3 go through the tang, even the index guard
-tang is hefty- from observation everything under the grip is as massive as the "ricasso" region
-light for its size
Cons:
-blade finish - steel slivers embedded in the black paint.....oh joy
-cardboard sheath is total crap - wonder if my dog will even want to chew on it; there's some gluey substance rubbing off onto the blade.
-how durable (not talking about tough) is the Kraton grip? - it feels like an eraser - cutting it will definitely rip it or leave marks.
-[edit]- Kraton grip is attracting quite a bit of dust and dirt;
-not an optimized survival knife - probably the worst in the SOG Jungle series for the wilderness.
Recommendation(s):
For its price... it is still a bit high. If the sheath were replaced with a kydex or even a leather one, this knife would be worth every penny. I appreciate its overall design and would recommend it if you could find it for sub-$40. Definitely plan on shelling out for a better sheath...I certainly will have to make a kydex one.
If you are looking for a good survival knife - this one would not be it; it would get a 6/10 in my book for tool function. If in the Alaskan wilderness or a rainforest setting (a place with more predators)- I'd feel a bit safer, but it still wouldn't be that great. It certainly does have the reach for snakes and is a very fast knife, but you'd be a moron to not have carved a pointy stick by then. Altogether, after a little fixing - it'll be a very good knife to own - just be sure to realize that it'll have shortcomings in some departments.