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Last Updated: September 6, 2019
For those in need of a sleek fixed blade tactical knife with a proven pedigree, the SOG Ops may be just the ticket.
SOG describes the Ops as an evolution of their very popular SEAL Pup line of fixed blade knives. I wrote a SEAL Pup review a while back and was very impressed with this classic outdoors knife. Now that I have an Ops in hand I can say that there are some nice refinements that help this blade stand out from behind the shadow of it’s mighty predecessors. Lets take a closer look and see what the the Ops is all about.
General Dimensions and Blade Details
The Ops has a similar footprint to the SEAL Pup (and SEAL Pup Elite) with an overall length of 9.5″ a 4.85″ blade and a weight of 5.4 ounces. This is a great size for tactical and utility use. While we are on the subject of what this knife might be used knife for, it doesn’t strike me so much as a survival blade. I’m mainly drawing this from the blade shape, it seems much more purpose built for military and police use. Of course, your mileage may vary.
The curving blade is made from .185″ stock. This is a modified drop point design, and this unique blade shape features a nice recurve and long slender swedge forming a very capable tip. In my opinion this is a blade that was designed for penetration and slicing, and will not make a particularly good chopper. The recurve helps push material through the blade and aids in slicing tasks. The swedge enhances penetration while preserving the tip. SOG finished off the blade with a nice hollow grind and a beautifully ground edge.
You have your choice of either a plain satin finish or the Titanium Nitride (TiNi) coated version shown here. This coating will show wear with use but is a substantial improvement over a cheap teflon coating.
SOG used cryotreated AUS 8 stainless steel for the blade, a Japanese mid range steel that I’ve talked about at length. It’s a softer steel, so it won’t hold its edge forever, but for a smaller fixed blade I think AUS 8 was a good choice here.
Handle and Ergonomics
The handle on the Ops is exactly like the handle on a SEAL Pup (or Elite). The handle is made from glass-reinforced nylon (GRN). This is a very solid handle material giving the knife a pleasant amount of heft and a nice sturdy feeling. This is a handle designed to take a beating.
The ergonomics on the Ops are excellent. The handle is covered in medium texturing that provides good grip and response. The handle is formed with a series of finger grooves that accommodate my larger hands very well. One substantial difference between the SEAL Pup series and the Ops is the thumb ramp and aggressive jimping on the spine of the blade. This feature really locks your thumb in place, and in my mind, it completes the ergonomics on this knife. With your thumb locked up you can really control this knife for detailed tasks and it allows you to really dig into some of your harder cuts.
Sheath
The sheath on the Ops is just as nice as the knife itself. SOG started off with two thick pieces of kydex that have been riveted together with eyelets. The knife fits into the sheath with a snap and feels secure without being too difficult to remove. I didn’t notice any rattle but you can adjust retention to your level of preference. Topping things off, a small drainage hole has been drilled into the bottom sheath to help avoid corrosion.
Bolted onto the sheath is a belt loop and retention strap made of cordura and kydex. The retention strap secures the handle with both velcro and a large button strap. This portion of the sheath is removable and allows you to reverse the entire sheath for left side carry. If you aren’t a fan of belt loops, the eyelets allow you to mount a variety of attachments (such as MOLLE clips) or simply lash the sheath down. All in all this is a very high quality sheath that is designed to provide great blade retention and multiple carry options.
SOG Ops Review – Final Thoughts
All in all, the Ops is a solid piece of gear. This knife was made in Taiwan and the fit and finish is excellent. Honestly, I’m really struggling to find any kind of fault with the knife. Perhaps my only parting advice is that in my opinion this is a specialized knife designed mainly for tactical use. Some other ideas for the knife include home defense, something for the bug out bag or perhaps even hunting. Really though I think most people probably won’t find a ton of regular uses for a SOG Ops.
That said, if you are in the market for a fixed blade tactical I think it’s a very well built knife with a great sheath and a highly functional design.
- Compact fixed blade tactical knife
- 4.85 inch blade made from aus 8 steel
- Drop point tip
- Recurved edge and large thumb scallops deliver unparallel control and a longer cutting length
- Straight edge, fixed 4.85-inch AUS-8 steel blade has a drop point shape with a satin finish
I recommend purchasing the SOG Ops at Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.
I’m having trouble getting into the bulk of SOG knives. I love the twitch line, Aegis, Tactical tomahawk and the flash 1+2 are classics, but I really think that SOG needs to start collaborating with some other designers to get some diversity in their line. Sometimes their forms look a little awkward to me…. SOG criticism aside, great review.
I totally agree – while the Ops has great bones and is designed on solid principles ultimately the blade shape isn’t quite my taste. While it doesn’t diminish the usefulness of the knife, the shape may alienate itself from more casual users.
There is a real market for smaller fixed blades for offhand defensive use these days. This could serve as one of the larger ones. Could use a different sheath for CCW of course and a change or two to the grip. The shape is a bit on the different side, but should do any EDC tasks quite nicely. That jimping looks pretty great. Good review. Interesting design. Edge is very correct on the need for SOG to get some new blood. More choices in higher end steel, too. Especially, for their fixed blades. They have some seriously awesome fixed blade designs that would be sweet in carbon steel or a super stainless like S30V. A laminate version of their flagship SEAL line, could be a monster seller.
See, I know virtually nothing about defensive fixed blade use so it’s great to get your thoughts on this. I saw another review where the reviewer suggested that this could function as a larger boot knife. With a slimmed down sheath it could totally work. I also agree more steel choices would be welcome. A SEAL Pup in S30V or high carbon would be totally bad ***.
From what I’ve seen time and time again is that consumers really appreciate a better steel than AUS 8. AUS 8 has been around forever and definitely works, but today many people (myself included) simply want a higher performance steel. With so many great steels out there it’s becoming harder to ignore. I would be very interested to see what these knife companies could do to up the steel quality and how it would affect the price.
Very good review! You pointed out some very good points (no pun) and you made it clear, not so much survival as tactical.
Yes to me this is a somewhat special purpose blade although I’m sure it could cut wood if it had to. Thanks for stoppin by Captain, I do appreciate it.
What is a real blade thickness of SOG OPS? Description sais that it is 0,185 or ~4,7mm thick, like Sog Seal PUP Elite blade is. But even visually you can mention that it is thinner.
Second question – why the lanyard hole is sealed in black TiNI model?
Hey Irakli,
I took a measuring tape to my Ops and it is right at .185″ – compared to the Seal Pup it looks exactly the same. The lanyard hole is not sealed, it’s open and ready to accept cordage. It may look sealed because of the pictures but trust me it isn’t. Thanks for the great questions, I hope this helps.
Dan
Though I’ve been disappointed in the past with some SOG offerings, I do have a SOG Spec Elite 1, plain edge 4″ folder. I’m super impressed with this knife for it’s grip, arc lock, retention, and blade shape, fit and finish. Easy to carry, quick to deploy. You may want to grab a look at this for adding to your ‘tactical recommendations’. It’s pretty much replaced my Endura 4, a great knife in and of itself.
Thanks, Sifter. The Spec Elite 1 looks like a nice knife. Their Japanese made offerings are among their best imo.
Dan