Seal Pup Elite Tactical Fixed Blade- Survival and Hunting Knife with Sheath, 4.85 Inch Combat Knife Blade (E37T-K)

This is a great knife for the money. For a long time I couldn't choose between this one and a short Kabar. Many pros and cons to both. I debated for probably 9 hours reading reviews and watching videos on youtube, etc. Until finally I bought the Seal Pup Elite. Mine came with the tiniest little "nic" in the blade but i didn't think it was worth whining over. The steel is strong and sharp. No real complaints at all. This IS the ideal knife for backpacking/hiking/hunting/survival/price -combined. There ARE better knives in all of the previous categories, but for all intents and purposes, this knife will do it all just fine. Edit: (11/5/2013) *I previously said this was a "good" knife... I have owned and used this knife for everything outdoor related since I bought it in 2010. This is a light duty knife that can handle some heavy duty tasks as well. I have used it extensively for fire-building duties, light shelter making, and wild game prep. The sheath is well-used, buit is holding together well. I keep a small plastic lighter, flint/steel, a little multi-tool, and a P38 can opener (because it takes no space and weighs nothing)in the pouch. It amazes me when I can split wood and gut a fish easily with the same knife. It does not rust, and while I usually avoid Aus8 steel, SOG does it right here. For a more dedicated survival knife, the Cold Steel SRK in San Mai III is better, but it's also bigger, more expensive, heavier, etc. As I previously mentioned, if you are in the market for and an all-purpose fixed blade outdoor knife, and you want the highest "value" for your money, then this is the knife you want.

This knife has got it all, and the price is hard to beat. It can handle various bushcraft and survival tasks, feels great in the hand, and is the most visually pleasing of all the knives I own in the 4"-6" range. If you are looking for the best survival knife for the money and are looking to stay below $40, then the Morakniv Companion Fixed Blade Outdoor Knife with Carbon Steel Blade, Military Green, 4.1-Inch , with Carbon Steel, is impossible to beat. There is no better knife for the money. The SOG Seal Pup Elite outclasses that knife, but for double the price. The Seal Pup Elite is full tang (the Mora is not), and is a bit more heavy duty. Also, the SOG sheath alone is worth the difference in price. The sheath that comes with the Seal Pup Elite (as well as SOG's other knives in this line, such as the Seal Team Elite) is heavy duty ballistic nylon with a pouch you can use for various items. I put the DMT FWFC Double Sided Diafold Sharpener Fine / Coarse in mine, hands down the best field sharpener. I wouldn't trust that Smith's pocket pal, I don't understand why it is rated so highly on Amazon. I bought it and it only sharpens from "Dull" to "Barely Functional", not up to the standards set by other field sharpeners. If you are looking for something you can beat the tar out of while staying under $100, then there is only one knife to consider: Ka-Bar Becker BK2 Campanion Fixed Blade Knife . Unless you are willing to spend over $200, then there is no reason to look anywhere else. Even then, you will be hard-pressed to find a stronger knife. However, it is HEAVY. The Seal Pup is 5.4oz. The Becker BK2 is 16oz! You can certainly baton wood with the Seal Pup Elite and it'll hold up, but it won't handle it with the authority that the Becker will. The becker is a full pound hunk of 1095 steel, with a blade about an inch longer and is .25" thick. The Seal Pup Elite uses AUS-8 Steel. I love this steel. Perhaps 1095 carbon is a bit stronger (the Becker BK2 and the Esee 6 have 1095 carbon), but the AUS-8 requires much less maintenance in the field and can handle almost any survival task you ask it to. It also takes a new edge VERY easily. 10 minutes on the Tri-Angle Sharpmaker and this thing will be shaving hair off your arms like new. If you are looking in the $40-$80 range and want an all-around great knife that requires little maintenance, is comfortable and aesthetically pleasing, and has among the best sheaths out there, this is the knife for you. If you don't mind tripling the weight and carrying a small bottle of mineral oil with you, and plan on chopping down a small tree and breaking it into little pieces, then look at the Becker BK2. If you decide to forego budgets and want to get something that gets the best of both worlds, check out the ESEE 6P-B Fixed Blade Knife . It is 2 inches longer and a beast in the field, and a beast on your wallet.

I am not going to bore you with all the specs and why it is good and the arguments that go with it. But what i would tell you is straight real world experience, my real world experience with this knife. High quality steel with a good design at an affordable price point is hard to beat. i have two of the same exact knife, one for my go bag and one for my utility bag. The knife i use for my utility bag has gone through a lot of beating, from chopping fire wood to cutting steal wires,skinning, opening cans and even carving aluminum make shift front sight post when my rifle sights got lost in the woods. This knife took the abuse and still shines and retains it sharpness, yes a few scratches here and there is inevitable but for function and intended use, it performs and exceeds expectations. What this knife is NOT: This knife is not a shelf or show case queen This is not a machete This is not a hachet or an axe This is not a saw This is not a under the pillow defensive tool alternative What this knife is: This knife is a great all around work/utility/hunting or even tactical knife if calling it so makes you feel more secure, then yes it can perform in those categories. No serrations, easier to sharpen out in the field longer cutting edge This knife is by far the best quality knife at this price point in my opinion. No none sense, No BS. just plain business! For camping or back packing the nylon sheath option would be your best bet, it can hold anything up to the size of a glock 17 mag. For vest or tactical use the kydex sheath would be better for it has a slimmer profile and less chances of getting snagged.

I am truly impressed by the quality of this knife and sheath in relationship to the price. I opted for the straight edge with the satin finish, because the TiNi coating wasn't worth the additional cost to me. The coating definitely adds the "cool factor" and has some functional advantages, but for casual camping/backpacking, I did not find it necessary. The product arrived sharp with a light protective oil on the blade. Upon examination, I was unable to find any quality issues or blemishes. The blade has a nice, smooth surface finish. I would not classify it as a satin finish though. It is reflective, so if that is an issue for your application, go with the TiNi coating. I like the fact that this knife is full tang, yet still lightweight, and the sheath has many mounting options. For this reason, it's great for backpacking. The sheath, in it of itself, is just as nice as the knife. It features a MOLLE style attachment system and a functional front pocket large enough to accommodate a multitool, small flashlight, sharpener etc. The sheath features a plastic insert to guard the nylon from accidental cuts and gives some retention to the blade in case the handle strap isn't clasped. The handle strap consists of a button snap and velcro to ensure that everything is secure. Also, I read one review stating that their knife came with a sheath that did not match the photo. I believe the reviewer was referring to an older model sheath SOG once issued. Thankfully, mine was shipped with the pictured sheath. This model is much improved and I can appreciate that customer's disappointment. Overall, I'm pleased with this purchase and would highly recommend it on a visual inspection basis. I'm looking forward to the field test. 4 out of 5 stars due to the manufacturing location, but that is becoming more and more common these day. In my opinion, the SOG quality policy has been implemented in their lower-cost manufacturing facilities abroad, and this is still going to be a reliable product. UPDATE: 10-15-2015 Much to my disappointment, I snapped the blade on my SOG Seal Pup Elite while processing kindling for a campfire over the weekend. The blade failed about 1 inch from the handle. I will see if SOG will offer a replacement, but their warranty states that replacements for broken blades are up to their discretion. We will see how that goes. In the meantime, I'll be ordering an ESEE 6 as my primary replacement. The ESEE warranty is unbeatable - unintentional and intentional blade failures will be replaced without question. UPDATE: 10-27-2015 I just received shipping confirmation from SOG regarding a replacement knife. This is good news and a good reflection on SOG's warranty/customer service. I wrote them a detailed letter outlining what happened (not required, but felt inclined to do so), filled out the warranty form from their website, and shipped the broken knife to them. No other interaction was required; it was a seamless process.

I loaned out my years old camping/backpacking knife only to have it lost, so I began looking around for a replacement. I looked at survival knives, hunting and fishing knives, and tactical knives. It was hard for me to make a decision, since there are some really good knives on the market for around $100. I settled on this knife due to reviews of it written by survival enthusiasts. The blade on this knife came out of the box sharp enough to cut hair on my arm. The edge is straight and consistently sharp along it from tip to heel. I don't intend to shave with this knife. :) I bought the knife for backpacking and camping (light duty) and not for cutting hair. I will use it for kindling, notching, cutting rope, cutting fishing line, and gutting out fish, birds, and small game. So, I tested this knife by breaking down a store bought whole chicken. I know, sounds weird, but getting through slimy chicken skin and chicken bones is allot of work on a knife edge. I have had boning knives lose their edge half way through breaking down a whole chicken, so this is at least a meaningful test for me (if not comical for some readers). This knife passed my little test with flying colors and is still exceptionally sharp! It cut through rib bones like they were butter and I was able to remove the wishbone with surgical accuracy. Cutting through raw chicken skin is a challenge for improperly sharpened knives, but this SOG sliced through it like it was air. Now, I am sure the SEAL teams wouldn't be impressed by my "test" but I have no doubt that this knife's edge is up to all the work I am going to throw at it. The knife's handle is comfortable for my hands. The balance of the knife is incredible. The weight is perfect for me. The knurling in the handle and it's materials holds up well and I didn't encounter any problems with the skin-slime from my chicken test; which is not to say that I had the handle covered in it! Clean up of the knife is a snap. The coating on the blade ensures that it will be rust free for years to come and the coating held up through the bone cutting process of my test with no scratches in it. I am sure if I put it through daily use that would change, but I believe the blade's TiNi coating is tough as nails and I see no flaws in the coating even after a thorough hot-soapy-water washing. Finally, the only think I don't like is the nylon sheath. I am going to upgrade to a zydex sheath. While the utility pocket on the nylon sheath is handy, I don't like the sheath's nylon strap which will get cut into over time as the blade is sheathed and re-sheathed. But, it isn't worth dinging the rating by a star over the sheath, since the knife is what is under consideration here and not what it is housed in. This is an excellent knife and I am very pleased with my purchase.

MY OWN MEASUREMENTS: 12 & 1/4" sheathed (with belt loop and retainer plate) 10" sheathed (without belt loop and retainer plate) 9 & 3/8" knife Overall 4 & 13/16" exposed blade 4 & 1/4" sharpened blade 3/16" blade thickness 5.7oz knife 1.3oz Kydex sheath (without belt loop and retainer plate) ---PROS:--- LIGHTWEIGHT - After months of searching for a lightweight, solid, fixed-blade for backpacking, I finally decided on the SOG Seal Pup Elite with Kydex Sheath, mainly for it's compact 9 & 3/8" overall length and an incredibly lightweight 5.7oz. Since I plan on lashing the knife to my pack (and because it fits so securely in the sheath) I've removed the belt-loop and retainer plate from the sheath, leaving me with a total mounted weight of 7.0oz! Backpackers rejoice! SHARP & DURABLE - Mine came sharp enough to shave with right out of the box (honestly, I did it - I'll post a pic), as well as easily slice through paper without tearing it. That classifies as razor sharp in my book! Not to mention the serrations, which cut me right out of the box after little more than a light brush alongside them. To the reviewer who said "looks awsome [sic] but is dull..." I ask, "Have you even handled this knife?" It is DEFINITELY NOT dull out of the box. But even if it were, so what?! All knives need to be sharpened from time to time, and yes, sometimes out of the box; you wouldn't throw a $160 knife away just because it dulled would you? You're not paying for a sharp sharp blade, you're paying for a well designed, high quality blade YOU keep sharp. With the Seal Pup Elite and it's AUS-8 steel specially cryogenic treated by SOG, you're getting proven steel with excellent edge holding capability. The edge itself features SOG's original Bowie design with plenty of belly, distributing the workload along the long, sweeping edge. The blade's starts at 3/16" thick, making it nearly indestructible; I've jammed this knife tip-first into hardwood over and over again and so far the tip is just fine. I've used it to chip down 2" diameter branches and baton 4" thick firewood for kindling and the edge is still sharp. I've left it out in the dew all night and, partly thanks to the Titanium Nitride coating, I have yet to see a spot of rust. durable? Check. GREAT HANDLE - Solid feel in your hand, lightweight, grippy, durable. Compared to the original, non-Elite version, the Elite's handle is slightly longer with more curve around the pinky. The balance point is right at the index finger so it feels very maneuverable. Pictures will do a better job of showing the texture molded into the Zytel than I could do describing it, but overall just know that it has an impressive grippiness to it considering how slick untextured Zytel is. If you've never felt Zytel before, you'll be at how light and yet how durable it is; its incredibly hard, harder than any plastic I've ever dealt with, and yet still not brittle. They say it's basically a mix of nylon an fiberglass. Whatever it is, it's unbreakable. Lanyard hole is a plus, but I don't use it. SHEATH - The sheath is basically made of three easily separable parts: the Kydex sheath itself, the retainer strap plate, and the Velcro belt loop. With the retainer plate and belt loop removed, this sheath is crazy stealth - lighter and more compact than pretty much any other survival knife OEM sheath out there and perfect for backpacking. It's poked full of mounting options, can be mounted in pretty much any direction, and the knife locks in tightly with no rattle. Basically, the sheath is molded around the shape of the knife and hilt, and the hilt tapers slightly away from the blade. When you pull the knife out, the sheath hast to expand a little bit to let the larger end of the hilt pass through, providing retention even when mounted tip-up with the retention strap removed. There's no need to press a release mechanism, but under certain circumstances (without the retainer) it might shake loose. I chose to go the extra mile and glue the expanding part of the case together, tightening up the sheath's hold on the hilt. It's secure enough to run with confidently while mounted upside down. Oh, and there's also a quick-access cord cutting slot notched into the sheath, but it's lame, so I'm saving that for the "Cons" section of this review. GO ELITE! - I had the opportunity to handle the standard (non Elite) version of the Seal Pup before making my final decision, and BELIEVE ME, it's worth spending the extra few dollars for the Elite. Better sheath, better handle, better steel (AUS-8 over AUS-6), longer blade/shorter choil, and the spine rasp [which I don't particularly find any need for whatsoever, but it's nice to know that, should I ever need "notch" wood, they're there... Mainly though, they just look cool ;) ] VALUE - As I'm writing this review, Amazon is selling this knife with the Kydex sheath for $73 (down from $130 MSRP). For what you're getting here this is an outstanding deal! ---CONS / LIMITATIONS:--- LIMITED HACKING/BATONING ABILITY - a 5.7oz knife with a 5" blade is a great compromise where larger knifes are just too heavy and bulky to bring along, but with the saving in weight and length you also lose sheering and hacking ability. With the Seal Pup Elite, you probably won't find it *practical* to hack through branches thicker than 2 inches diameter or baton through logs thicker than 5" diameter (extra 3/4" gained by not going straight through the diameter). While that's still enough to get you by in a survival or backpacking situation, hardcore survivalists might want something with a bit more momentum and length, and that's not what this is for. LIMITED HAMMERING ABILITY - Although indestructible, the Zytel handle is all but useless for hammering, especially tent-stakes. SOG decided to round off the base of the knife, probably for comfort. Had they left it *just* a bit flatter it would have been up to the task, but as it stands, the rounded pommel either glances off your stake or doesn't strike hard enough. Another con of a lightweight knife, but nothing that can't be fixed with a nearby rock ;) POOR JIMPING - There *is* a thumb-ramp formed into the Zytel handle to prevent slippage when thrusting the blade, and it does have very slight grooves, but not deep enough to write home about. Also, the first ~3/4" of the spine isn't rasped, which just doesn't make sense to me as it would be perfect jimping if you were to ride your thumb high. Fortunately, there's enough texture and finger grooving in the Zytel handle overall that, combined with the thumb ramp under actual use, this isn't really a problem. SHEATH - Yeah, I know the sheath is in the Pros section, but it's not without its flaws. Kydex is supposedly a top of the line, lightweight, durable sheath material. But something about this sheath, while still better than the nylon version, just seams cheap to me. It's basically a sheet of plastic that's been heated and folded in half around a mold, then riveted together. After spending a weekend of removing and reinserting the knife, it's developed a little catching point inside where, if you don't insert the knife straight in, it'll get stuck on the way in. Also, the retainer loop/plate and Velcro belt loop screw points are different widths, meaning you cannot attach the belt loop to the sheath without the retainer plate in the middle. Again, not a big deal as I don't plan on using either of them, but you might want to know. Oh, and the quick-access rope cutter is a joke. Sure, it works (you have to pull pretty hard since you don't get the slicing you would otherwise get if you just used the knife) but think about it: when is it going to be quicker to un-lash the sheath from your gear, just to cut a cord, then lash it back down the way you like it? Never, and though I haven't actually gotten it caught on anything, I'm still afraid it's just a liability. So that's it. I truly recommend this to those looking for a lightweight backpacking knife.

I own a few SOG items, and the quality is really good with this company. No one knife can do everything perfectly, but this one strikes a great balance. The Pup came shipped very sharp already. I could easily shave bark off some limbs. It isn't a heavy knife, and the handle makes it easy to control your cuts and carving. Batoning is tough on a knife, but the Pup went through some pretty hefty chunks of wood with ease. The rasp on the spine does notch wood well, if you need to. But it also makes a great strike surface to use, if you need to baton. It actually helps control your hits. The wood you strike it with will grab that rasp surface, and direct all your energy down, instead of sliding around or off the spine of the blade. After all of the testing I did the first day, it is still as sharp as when I first held it. The edge retains a level of sharpness that is impressive, and up to taking abuse. I have not yet had to sharpen it after quite a long period of hard use. The sheath is good, but not great. The nylon sheath will mount in several ways, and securely holds the Pup. That said, the knife sometimes wanted to miss the insert in the sheath for the blade. You have to be careful putting it back into the insert to avoid damage to the sheath. The outside pocket is a great addition, and a worthy trade-off to the Kydex sheath. I have a sharpener in the pocket, with room to spare. With use, the sheath has worked out the initial stiffness, and drawing and replacing the blade is now easier. It takes a small break-in period however. Just be careful when the sheath is new. The velcro/snap strap holds the knife securely. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another.

I'm not going to make this a really long review so quick and simple here we go... PROS: Pretty good ergos Sharp Decent steel (aus8) Good design Kydex sheath Good quality Inexpensive price CONS: Spine rasping (or the jumping on the spine) I don't really see a need for this and it can get kind of uncomfortable when doing push-cuts, it also chews up your (wood) boton when botoning wood. Made in Taiwan, yes it's not made in the USA but it is still a very good quality knife and well built (at least it's better than china) which speaking of... Sog has started making these in china now so get these Taiwan ones before they restock with the China stuff. There probably isn't much of a difference but I think Taiwan makes better knives than china (my personal opinion/prejudice) All in all this is a good knife, I would definitely carry this if I was in the military (which I'm planning to be in) It is definitely better than both the newer regular seal pup and the old japan one. It is definitely worth the money and I reccomend! P.S the regular seal pup is also very good too, I beat the crap out of that and it held up but I no longer use it because I snapped the tip off while being stupid. P.P.S this review is not sponsored by Sog, this is just my personal opinion, I just thought I should add this because it kind of sounds like a review sponsored by Sog.