Knife Review: SOG Jungle Primitive Fixed Blade Knife

The SOG Jungle Primitive Fixed Blade Knife

SOG Specialty Knives, Inc. is a United States knife and tool manufacturing company famous for their reproduction SOG Knife from the Vietnam era. SOG manufactures a variety of knives other than the original military inspired designs, many designed for everyday carry. The company also produces a line of multi-tools.

The company was founded in 1986 by Spencer and Gloria Frazer and was inspired in its choice of name by the Joint Services Special Operations unit known as the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observations Group or MACV-SOG who developed their own knife during the War in Vietnam.

Changes were made to the original design of the MACV SOG Fighter, like resin-impregnating the leather handle, utilizing thicker stock and new grind lines, Spencer and Gloria launched their product and company with a one-page, black and white ad in Soldier of Fortune magazine for the S1 Bowie, a replica of the SOG Knife used by the SOG groups operating in South-East Asia. They also produced the SCUBA/Demo knife, which is a replica of one of the rarest military knives to date (only 1 of the original 39 knives produced has survived till this day). Author Greg Walker considers knives such as these and many of the SOG models produced prior to the shift of production from Seki City, Japan to Taiwan to be the best knives SOG had ever made.

A second "maritime" version of the Bowie (S2) was made utilizing a black micarta handle and stainless-steel blade known as the Trident.It was decorated with the US Navy SEAL emblem as opposed to the Special Forces Crest found on the Bowie. The original S1 and S2 classic bowies were manufactured for SOG by Ichiro Hattori of Seki Japan until 2006. The other models were manufactured by Kinryu Corp. also of Seki until 2007.

OG Specialty Knives manufactures an array of tools available for military personnel and casual outdoor users. SOG also makes several other military style knives including a tactical switchblade which is only available to military/law enforcement personnel. SOG has developed fixed blade knives for survival and outdoors such as the Tech Bowie as well as folding knives, many of which feature assisted opening technology such as the Aegis, Twitch and Trident. SOG also manufactures multi-tools including the Paratool, PowerLock, and PowerAssist.

Many of SOG's folding knives and multi-tools are made or assembled in the United States, with the higher priced folders being made by G.Sakai in Seki City. The fixed blade models that were originally made in Seki are now made in Taiwan. Some of SOG's lesser priced tools, such as the Fusion line are manufactured in Taiwan or China.

SOG says, “Forged out of tradition, hardened in the field, honed for you. So, whether you're protecting others or leading an epic hunting expedition, tackling one of life's everyday challenges or facing your most extreme conditions yet, lead the way with SOG.”

Today, we will be going over the Jungle Primitive fixed blade, which is one of their more extreme fixed blades.

The Blade:

The blade on this fixed blade has been made out of 8Cr13MoV steel. This is a Chinese based steel that is from the Cr line of steels. The top of the line is the 9Cr formula, with 8Cr shortly behind. 9Cr steel is better than AUS-8, but 8Cr is about even with AUS-8, maybe even a little behind it. 8Cr13MoV steel is going to get the job done. It is resistant to corrosion, but not extremely resistant to corrosion. It isn’t hard and it isn’t soft. Really, it sits right in the middle of the spectrum. The biggest advantage that it boasts is its cost. This is a fantastic budget steel. It will get the job done and it isn’t going to raise the cost of the overall knife. It also isn’t going to compare to the newer steels or the super steels that you might encounter.

The blade has been finished with a black coating, which is what starts this off as an all-black knife. The black coating is going to do what any coating does—prolong the life of the blade. It is going to create a barrier in between the steel and the environment, which means that the corrosion resistance and wear resistance are both going to be significantly enhanced. The next thing that the black coating is going to do is reduce nearly all glares and reflections. This is a sleek black color that gives the Jungle Primitive some serious edge.

The only drawback to a coated blade is that coatings do scratch off after time or with use.

The blade is crazy extreme. For starters, the spine of the blade is not perfectly straight like many are—instead, it has been equipped with some seriously thick serrations. These serrations will be able to tear through nearly any material that you may come across. Branches, small trees, you name it, and it should be able to saw right through it. The blade does have a slight upsweep to it, which is going to enhance the surface area of the belly. The belly is large, which will help you slice with it. Really, you should be able to slice right through almost anything that comes your way. Even though the bulk of the belly does not have serrations, it is thick enough, large enough, and can be sharp enough to do some serious damage that a plain edge normally would not be able to do.

The bottom portion of the belly is serrated. While proportionally, this is a much smaller area, it still is a lot of length, because of just how large the knife really is. This section of serrations will also help work as more of a saw.

The blade is extreme, one that you aren’t going to really see in other places. The blade truly is equipped to take on nearly anything that happens to come your way.

The Handle:

The handle of the beast that is the Jungle Primitive is made out of black Kraton. SOG describes this material by saying, “Kraton is a synthetic replacement to rubber. It offers many of the same properties that natural rubber offers, such as flexibility, high traction, and sealing abilities, but with increased heat resistance, weathering, and chemicals. Typically, it is over-molded on the knife handle to provide added grip and comes in various degrees of hardness.”

This all means that it is going to offer you superior grip. In almost any environment, you are not going to have to worry about slipping. In fact, the Kraton has been roughly textured to add in an even more secure grip. When it comes to you wielding this knife, you are going to desperately need a solid grip. This thing is a monster, so the Kraton is the perfect option for it. Even if you are in a wet or humid environment, you won’t feel like you have any less of a solid grip on this thing.

The handle is just as extreme as the blade is. The spine of the handle is straight form the blade to the butt. The belly of the handle is where things are shaken up though. For starters, there is a massive finger guard. This is obviously needed because the blade would do some serious damage if you were to slip. This finger guard is bigger than any that I have ever seen, so it will do its job. The lower end of the finger guard is finished with jimping, which will give you a little bit more texture and a little bit of a better grip. The belly does bulge out, which will help this fit comfortably in your hand. Then, the butt curves out and up, mimicking the finger guard. This means that you hand can sit securely “inside” of the finger guard and the butt, further enhancing your hold on it. The butt is squared off and has been finished with some smaller spikes.

The Mechanism:

This is a massive fixed blade, which means that there is no mechanism on the knife. The handle and the blade are connected with no hinge. To cover the blade, you put it in a sheath, instead of folding it into the handle. This does mean that the blade can be longer and thicker than any folding knife, because the blade does not have to fit inside of the handle. Trust me, SOG really took advantage of this and the blade is longer and thicker than any pocketknife you will ever see.

Some benefits of a fixed blade are that they are easier to care for. This is because the blade is thicker, which means that it is going to be less likely to break. Really, if this blade snapped, I would be shocked. It is crazy strong. Also, all you have to do is wipe down the blade and handle and it is clean. You don’t have to worry about the innards getting junked up because there isn’t access to the innards. A fixed blade also makes a superior outdoors knife because it can do a lot more than just cut. It is going to be strong enough to be used as a general utility tool in the field. You can easily cut, saw, hammer, dig, and even pry with this knife. If you have the Jungle Primitive with you, you never need to be afraid that you won’t be able to take on what is coming your way.

The Sheath:

The sheath that accompanies this terrifying knife is a black ballistic nylon with hook and loop attachment style. The nylon sheath is one of the more commonly used knife sheath materials. They are often compared to leather, because they are very common and have been around for longer periods of time. Just like leather, nylon sheaths are known for being tough as well as strong. However, nylon does take the lead because they are resistant to rot and mildew as well as not being as vulnerable to water as leather sheaths are. As we all know, leather’s biggest enemy is the sheath or the water. Next, nylon sheaths are not easily scuffed or torn because of how durable the material really is.

Of course, the sheath material is going to have its disadvantages. For example, nylon sheaths are not going to last as long as leather sheaths are. Plus, the longer you have a leather sheath, the better your knife is going to fit in it. When it comes to nylon, it is almost the exact opposite. Nylon sheaths get stretched out over time, which means that while the sheath will continue to work, it is not going to give your knife a snug or secure hold. In some cases, the sheath will get so stretched out that it is much safer to just go out and buy a new sheath

The Specs:

The blade has a blade thickness of 0.15 inches thick. This is a crazy thick blade, really, you aren’t going to find many others like this. However, the most stunning part of the Jungle Primitive is that the overall length of the knife measures in at a whopping 15.3 inches long. That’s over a foot! This thing is a beast. It is thick, strong, and durable, so you will really be equipped to take on nearly anything.

Conclusion:

The SOG Jungle Primitive fixed blade knife is for the primitive in you. This knife is built with a durable and comfortable molded Kraton handle that features the SOG trademark Digi-Grip for maximum gripping power for when you need it. The Jungle Primitive knife is hard to categorize because it can be utilized as a small machete, limb saw or even a hammer and also includes a ballistic nylon sheath with utility pouch.

Really, with the Jungle Primitive, you can’t go wrong. You will be equipped for nearly anything that comes your way. That being said, the quantities are going quickly at BladeOps. To secure yours today, click here.