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SOG got their start with one fixed blade combat knife. It’s hard for me to imagine a knife company’s future balancing on the edge of one blade, but that’s how it went. Thankfully that knife was popular so we now have many SOG knives to enjoy today. One of those knives is the SOG SEAL Pup, a fixed blade military inspired knife that can trace its roots all the way back to that original SOG blade. It’s got a definite pedigree and some proud traditions behind it.
Buy the SOG SEAL Pup at BladeHQ
Thankfully SOG doesn’t rest on their laurels, and their knives get continually updated. The SEAL Pup is one such example. I purchased this SEAL Pup in 2011 and the dimensions are the same as the SEAL Pup Elite, which is a slightly more expensive version of the knife. The only differences are that the Elite uses AUS8 blade steel, is made of slightly thicker stock, can come with a plain edge (vs partially serrated) and has some gentle jimping on the spine of the blade. These are nice improvements, but I think they are marginal. The major updates that the new SEAL Pup has are the bigger, ergonomically improved handle and longer edge. Those are the things that matter the most. I’ll try and get my hands on a SEAL Pup elite for a future review but for now, let me say, I was very impressed with this knife – especially with it’s sub-$50 price tag.
Purpose
First off, the SEAL Pup isn’t a large survival knife or a bushcrafting knife. All it takes is one look and you can see this knife is more oriented for tactical use and general utility. The partial hollow grind is not designed for batoning through wood. The steel is stainless, not a high carbon tool steel. Similar things can be said about the sharp tip and double clip blade shape – they aren’t dedicated survival knife features. While it could work in the woods, if you are in the market for a dedicated survival blade that you plan to use extensively in that role I would suggest looking elsewhere.
However, I understand we don’t always get to pick our survival situations, so many might view the Pup as a potential survival blade. If it’s all you have – rock on, I definitely think it will work. But in my mind the SEAL Pup is geared more as a smaller tactical/combat knife which means in addition to serving as a defensive tool, this knife will serve for basic functions like opening packages, cutting rope, preparing food and stuff like that. I think the SEAL Pup would make for a cool camp knife, and could be carried along on day hikes and similar excursions. I also think this could make a good BOB knife. It’s light enough to be an easy carry.
General Dimensions and Blade Details
The SOG website claims the SEAL Pup has an overall length of 9″ a blade length of 4.75″ and a weight of 5.4 ounces. Mine was closer to the SEAL Pup Elite, with a 4.85″ blade and overall length of 9.5″. I don’t have a small scale so I couldn’t weigh the knife, but I know with the sheath this knife still weighs under 10 ounces. That is a great carry weight, and like I alluded to in the “purpose” section, carry-ability is important. That big and bad 30 ounce survival knife might be the best wood splitter in the world, but if you are stuck out on a day hike and didn’t feel like strapping that high carbon beast to your back that morning, I’ll tell you – the SEAL Pup could literally be a lifesaver. So in short, I love the practical dimensions of this knife.
The blade shape on the SEAL Pup is a very cool modified bowie shape that calls back to the “One Zero” knife used by the original SOG special forces team in the Vietnam War. Visually, it’s a very cool design. The SEAL Pup is given a hollow grind and there is a big swedge along the top. Mine came with a combo edge although you can find a plain edge version if you buy the SEAL Pup Elite. Also, the SEAL Pup comes with an attractive metallic gray powdercoated finish. This is a durable finish; it’s not some cheap painted finish that will rub off in the sheath.
The SEAL Pup comes in AUS6 steel. AUS6 is obviously similar to AUS8 – it’s a softer steel that is easy to sharpen. I know it may turn some people off, but I actually find AUS6 to be very tough. For a utility blade and potential survival knife, I think AUS6 is decent because the steel resists chipping and cracking very well. However, it a softer steel and will lose its edge faster than AUS8 because it has a lower carbon content. I would recommend spending the extra money and upgrading to AUS8, which is found in the SEAL Pup Elite. All in all, AUS6 is ok here, not outstanding.
Handle and Ergonomics
The handle is one aspect of the SOG Seal Pup that has been recently updated. The handle is made of black glass reinforced nylon (GRN). GRN a tough handle material that has a nice solid feel in the hand. The handle does not feel light or cheap. This is a full tang knife (or near full tang) so it’s a very strong design. Everything feels very well made.
The Ergonomics on the SEAL Pup are great. The handle has been given 4 finger grooves and has a ramp for your thumb. All the edges have been rounded and almost every inch of the handle has been textured. I find the handle to be both comfortable and grippy. Also, the size of this handle is great too. The previous version had a smaller handle that was less comfortable. I take a large glove, and the upgraded handle fits me well in both forward and reverse grips. This is a very practical design that I am extremely satisfied with.
There is also a large lanyard hole in the pommel that could be a great option depending on how you plan on using this knife.
Sheath
I was extremely impressed with the sheath on the SEAL Pup. Keep in mind, at retail this is a ~$50 knife. I’ve said it before, but for many knives the sheaths can be a major drag on an otherwise great knife. The SEAL Pup comes with a nylon sheath. You have the option of buying a kydex sheath from SOG for around 20 bucks, which is not a bad. That said, I actually really like the nylon sheath.
First of all, the nylon is of high quality. Next, everything is well built. All the seems are double stitched and riveted. The backing is reinforced with plastic (in between the nylon layers) which provides form and rigidity. The sheath itself has a plastic insert that fits the blade of the SEAL Pup snugly. Even if you don’t use the retention strap, the knife will not fall or shake out. The retention strap is a snap AND velcro. This is an awesome touch. The outside of the sheath has a little pouch with the SOG logo stitched onto a velcro flap. That could be a good spot for a small sharpening stone. My only concern with the sheath is that the retention strap could get cut while quickly drawing the knife.
As you can see, there are multiple attachment points on the back of the sheath. You can thread it through all kind of belts, webbing, etc in addition to the 4 eyelets that can be used to lash the knife down. However, the sheath is not molle compatible. This strikes me as an unfortunate oversight as many people would assume that this style of sheath would work with molle webbing.
All in all I was happy with the nylon sheath on the SEAL Pup.
SOG SEAL Pup Review – Final Thoughts
What is there left to say? I am pleased with the SOG SEAL Pup. I have spent a lot of time talking about the design, but I didn’t mention that the fit and finish were also very good. Keep in mind this knife was made in Taiwan, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Everything is well put together. The finish on the blade looks awesome, everything fits together tightly.Combine that with the refined design of this updated version and I don’t think you will be able to find anything like the SEAL Pup at this price.
If you need fixed blade capabilities in your tactical, utility or light duty survival knife then I highly recommend the SOG SEAL Pup.
- 4. 75 INCH AUS-8 STEEL PARTIALLY SERRATED BLADE: The SEAL Pup outdoor knife is a perfectly balanced combat knife, boot knife and hunting knife with sheath; measures 9 inches overall length
- 5. 4 OUNCE WT. W/ BLACK GRN HANDLE: This stainless fixed blade military knife includes a nearly indestructible field knife handle; glass-reinforced nylon offers great grip w/ zero maintenance
- MOLLE-COMPATIBLE SHEATH ATTACHMENT: Easily carry this versatile back pack knife, camping knife and compact belt knife with sheath with the nylon MOLLE knife sheath
- FULL TANG, POWDER COATED AND HARDENED: Far stronger than your average belt buckle knife; SOG’s cryogenic heat treatment hardens the blade steel at the atomic level
- SOG KNIFE FOR LIFE: Take care of your tactical knife and we’ll take care of you; SOG fixed blade knives with sheath are built to last, and we consider all repair and replacement requests
I recommend purchasing the SOG SEAL Pup at Amazon or BladeHQ. Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.
Another great and informative review! SOG makes great products at this price point. I’ve handled a lot of them, seen them abused and they hold up beyond their cost with some style…
Thanks man. The SEAL Pup is very well built, I do like the look of the knife as well.
Love my SOG Seal Pup. For the money is a great value. Good all-around gen. purpose knife. A plus is for us lefties, the plastic sheath insert allows left side carry with knife in correct position. I keep a fire steel & small LED light in sheath pouch.
Thanks for the comment Dave – glad you are enjoying your SEAL Pup. Excellent point on the sheath, I totally forgot to mention that (being left-handed myself). I think a fire steel and light are good ideas for the pouch, I would be hesitant to carry a second blade in there (just in case you managed to lose the sheath somehow – then you would be out both your blades).
For the record, that pouch holds a SOG multi-tool perfectly.
Very cool Marvin. That would be a nice choice indeed!
Very nice review. I agree that this is an outstanding knife. I’ve read on several websites that the steel is AUS 6, but then I stumbled upon SOG’s website which says the steel is AUS 8. Not sure which is true, but I would tend to lean towards what the manufacturer claims.
http://sogknives.com/store/M37.html
Very interesting, Jason! I’m pretty sure when I did the review and checked SOG’s website it said that the Seal Pup Elite was AUS 8 and the regular Seal Pup was in AUS 6 (of course I could always be wrong).
That said, if SOG has upgraded this knife to AUS 8 I think that is excellent news; it’s a higher performing steel with it’s elevated carbon content. Thanks for bringing that to my attention – I’ll ask the guys at SOG to confirm and revise the review accordingly.
The Seal Pup I have Has AUS-8 on the tang
Hey, I found this review from google images, because there’s a picture of the back of the sheath. You can see the molle strapping on the back isn’t mil-spec. The space between the straps is far narrower than the straps, or the straps on what you’re mounting it to. Not only can you not attach the very top because it’s only wide enough for half a strap, but still bunches up like crazy and pulls on the straps of whatever you mount it to.
Compare it to some molle gear or just look at the picture, it’s so easy to see. I can’t even put it on my IOTV. I was never able to take this knife with me on mission just because of the sheath.
Chance, that is very unfortunate. Thank you for taking the time to let me know. This is kind embarrassing because I assumed it was molle compatible. As you know, assuming only makes an ass out you and me. So you have my apologies and I’ll update the review immediately. Thanks again for the excellent comment.
The new versions of the seal pup are aus8 steel I contacted and asked and that is what I was told 🙂
That’s excellent news Stephen, it’s a good upgrade in steel, I’m happy to hear they made that change. Thank you!
I’m late to the party, but just stumbled across this site. Great reviews, by the way.
I met with one of SOG’s reps at Smoky Mountain Knife Works in Sevierville, TN a few years back & had a long talk about the SEKI/Taiwan switch. (I wasn’t exactly happy that my beloved SOG knives were getting a Taiwan makeover) He told me not to worry, that all blades marked SEKI were, of course, made & assembled in SEKI Japan. The blades marked “Taiwan” are actually made in Washington state & then get shipped to Taiwan for final assembly of handles, etc. Same quality steel, but cheaper overall labor & still built to SOG’s specs. This goes for the Team Elite, Tigershark Elite, & the other higher end “Taiwan” knives. I currently have five Seal Pups including a couple SEKI (AUS6) & Elite (AUS8) models, as well as a Seal Team Elite & Tigershark Elite & all are equally well made.
Very interesting, Gary. Thank you. And better late than never! I appreciate your stopping by and commenting.
Dan
I was at a consignment shop yesterday and they had a Sog Seal Pup with the sheath for $15. Everything was in excellent shape-no scratches or chips on the blade, handle was great, and the sheath was a little dusty but great shape also, so I bought it. I already carry a Sog pocket knife so I know the quality. After reading your review, I think I got a steal.
Jeff,
For $15 I’d have to agree! That is a steal of a deal on one of SOG’s better offerings. I hope you enjoy your SEAL Pup.
Dan
I have been running with a SOG elite since around 2014-15′ I use my gear hard and hang it up wet! It’s easy to sharpen and hone back to razors edge factory sharpness! I have both the kydex sheath and nylon cordura also’ only thing I had to replace so far was the retention strap plate on the kydex sheath (dry rotted and split) easy fix if your handy’ it’s a constant companion and so light you barely notice’ one thing I read about knives from a retired Vietnam era seal was that they would ditch there GI knives for air crewman sized knives ( before the SOG came out)after one seal on a mission over the fence in Cambodia snuck up behind a VC one man listening point’ the seal grabbed the sentry by the front of his forward then down and over his knee while dispatching him with his KABAR’ the Cong’ was so small thet when the seal drove the knife through the poor bastards rib cage through his hart and almost 2 inches into the seals thigh “ouch” after that when the six man LRRP patrol extracted all the seals went to the PX and bought Air Crewman survival knives and grinder down the back edge making the knife more user friendly( only relevant since the air crewman and pup share the same type of jimping on the back) Anyways! Great review and top notch piece of gear.
I had a regular SEAL Pup and I actually really liked it. Its no high end fancy stuff but it felt great in the hand great balance and weight and held up fine for me.