SOG Huntspoint Wood Boning Knife Review

“SOG started some 25 years ago in my apartment with a simple mission: To create innovative products that stand apart from the pack. While SOG has grown, our commitment to that original mission has remained the same. Today, it’s one of my greatest satisfactions to receive letters from SOG enthusiasts the world over, expressing the fact that our products have lived up to their highest standards. It inspires us to continue to build superior products that last… knives and tools that help you meet the challenges of a demanding world.”

Born in 1955, Spencer Frazer was a creative kid with a great curiosity for how things worked. As he grew older, while in the Boy Scouts, he gained an affinity for knives and axes. But it wasn’t until much later that this interest would be channeled into actually creating knives and tools.

After graduating from UCLA as a math and science major, Spencer started his own company in the professional audio industry, designing a whole new style of speaker system.

“I learned to work with many different materials as I built models and prototypes,” he says.

Then Spencer went on to work in the aerospace defense industry – in the Top Secret Black Projects Division – as an R&D tool/die and model maker. He recalls, “I saw things there I still can’t talk about.” At about that same time, while becoming involved in the modern art movement and meeting with top artists, Spencer learned a lot about scale and color. He went on to work in product development, creating toys and consumer products.

All these life experiences converged the moment Spencer saw his first Vietnam SOG Bowie: “The knife was magical in how it looked and felt. You could see the history as well as the functional aspects of the knife.” That single knife spawned the birth of SOG Specialty Knives & Tools, Inc. His one goal: to reproduce the mystical knife… the SOG Bowie. “We started our company by having to sell a one-knife line at the very high price of $200 retail!”

Today, SOG is a true innovator in the knife industry. Having won many industry awards, SOG was one of the first companies to be synonymous with a high-tech modern image. “SOG was the first company,” says Spencer, “to produce a sculptural faceted folding knife. We called it the Tomcat. With the Paratool, SOG became the second company ever to produce a folding multi-tool. And we remain the only company that uses compound leverage in our multi-tools; the only company to have adjustable lock-on clips on our folding knives; the only company to employ one of the strongest locks in the industry with the Arc-Lock; the only company to use exotic BG-42 steel cost effectively in the production of our knives; and the first company in the world to offer an automatic opening multi-tool.”

But those are just a few of the landmarks Spencer Frazer has helped SOG achieve. “I design each one of our products,” he says, “to be functional and comfortable to use, as well as aesthetically pleasing. If I personally don’t like them or wouldn’t use them, they don’t make it into production.”

Today, SOG is distributed and sold throughout the world. Law enforcement specialists, military, hunters, outdoor enthusiasts, industrial professionals, and everyday carry knife enthusiasts have come to rely on SOG in the most extreme conditions.

“We don’t settle for ordinary,” says Spencer. “We never did, and we never will.”

Today we will be talking about the SOG Huntspoint Wood Boning Knife.

The Blade:

The blade on this knife has been made out of AUS-8 steel. This is an upper mid-range steel that is produced by Aichi steel. This is a Japanese made steel that is very similar to 440B. This steel is also going to be slightly more resistant to rusting and corroding than 440C, but it is not going to be as hard of a steel because it does have less carbon in it. This steel is tough enough to get the job done, but because it has a lower level of carbon, it is not going to hold its edge for as long of periods of time. That being said, this steel is a breeze to sharpen and you will be able to get it incredibly sharp.

The blade has been finished with a satin finish, which is the most common blade finish on the market today. This is also one of the most traditional blade finishes on the market today, which is why it is the perfect option for the Huntspoint, which has a traditional wood handle and a traditional leather sheath. The satin finish is created by repeatedly sanding the blade in one direction with a very fine level of a sandpaper. This finish is used to showcase the bevels of the blade while also helping to show off the fine lines of the steel. Not only that, but the satin finish does help to reduce glares and reflections slightly, while also slightly increasing the corrosion resistance levels of the steel.

This hunting knife has been carved into a drop point blade shape, which is the perfect blade shape for a hunting knife. This is a great knife if you are looking for one knife to get all the jobs done. This blade shape is also tough, which helps you take on even the toughest of tasks. The most common place that you are going to find this blade shape is on hunting knives such as this one, although you can find it on other styles of knives. The shape of this knife is created by having the spine of the knife run from the handle to the tip of the knife in a slow, curving manner, which does create a lowered point. The lowered point works to add control and strength to the tip. It is the lowered point that really makes this knife a beauty for hunting knives. Because it is so easily controlled, you will be able to easily avoid accidentally nicking internal organs and ruining the meat of the game that you are dressing. The drop point knife also has a large belly that makes slicing a piece of cake. When it comes to field dressing, you are going to need to do quite a bit of slicing. Of course, like every blade shape, the drop point does have its disadvantages. Because the point on a drop point is so broad, you are not going to be super capable of piercing like you would be if you were using a clip point.

 

The Handle:

             The handle on this knife has been made out of Rosewood. Wood handles have been around basically since knives came into existence. A high quality wood handle can be durable as well as attractive and is an inexpensive material, even for heavy duty knives. One of the biggest advantages of a wood knife is that the wood is going to add beauty to the knife.

A Rosewood is any number of richly hued timbers, often that have brownish with darker veining, but you are going to find many hues of this wood. All Rosewoods are strong and heavy, while being capable of taking an excellent polish, which makes them a great option for things such as guitars, pens, and knife handles.

The handle scales on the Huntspoint are a light reddish brown. The handle has a pretty simple shape. The spine has a slight cure to it, with the middle bulging out. There is a large finger guard as well as groove, which help to keep you comfortable and safe. In the finger groove, there is a row of thick jimping, which is going to give you more control over your cuts and slices. Overall, the ergonomics of this knife are designed to be comfortable while also offering you some serious grip. The face of the handle has been texturized slightly, so that you don’t feel like you are slipping when you are using this knife. On the butt of the handle, there is a large lanyard hole which should be big enough for almost any lanyard that you would like. If you are ever feeling like you need a little extra grip when you are suing this knife, wrap the lanyard around the face of the handle before you grip it. This will create additional grip so that you feel in control.

 

The Mechanism:

             This is a full tang fixed blade.

A full tang knife is a knife that has the metal from the blade extend down throughout the entire length of the knife. The wood handles are referred to as handle scales and are secured into the full tang. Full tang knives are going to be stronger, because there are no weaker spots where the handle and the blade have been welded together. One of the other benefits is that you are most likely going to be using this knife outside or on long hunting trips. If the wood handle scales happen to crack or fall off, you will still have the entire knife shape to still work with, because the metal extends the entire length.

A fixed blade is great for survival knives because they are stronger, thicker, tougher, and less likely to break. You will also be capable of using this knife for things other than just cutting. This is a tough knife that isn’t going to break when you need it most.

 

The Sheath:

The sheath that comes with this knife is a leather sheath. Leather is a traditional material for a knife sheath and has been used almost for hundreds of years now. This sheath material is known to be rugged, tough, and strong. It is not going to break like the new modern materials such as plastic will, and if the stitching happens to come undone, re-sewing them should not be too big of an issue. Plus, leather looks really good. It looks more old-timey than any of the modern materials are going to look. If you take care of your leather sheath, it is only going to look better as time goes on. Leather is also silent, which is why the mountain men and cowboys loved them of old, and now, hunters love them. You can easily pull the knife out or put it back in without disturbing your surroundings or scaring the game that you are chasing. One of the biggest advantages about a leather sheath is that it is going to give your knife a custom fit once the leather has been broken in.

It is also going to have it drawbacks though. For starters, it is not waterproof or mold proof. Getting it wet a lot could cause it to mold. Or it could cause it to dry out the oils in the sheath and being to crack. Extreme heat might do the same thing to it, by also drying out the oils in the sheath and causing it to crack. To prevent both of these from happening, it is a good idea to oil the knife from time to time to help make it last a longer period of time.

The sheath is a black leather and is going to attach by using a belt loop.

 

The Specs:

The blade on this hunting knife measures in at 3.6 inches long with a blade thickness of 0.13 inches long. This fixed blade measures in at an overall length of 8.20 inches long and weighs in at 3.7 ounces, which is a great size and weight for a hunting knife like this one.

 

Conclusion:

When discussing this knife, SOG says, “The Huntspoint belongs to our purpose-driven line of hunting knives. Featuring a flat-ground boning knife shape crafted out of AUS-8 stainless steel, with Rosewood handles, and a USA made leather sheath and lanyard hole at the butt of the handle for easy carrying. Designed specifically for hunters, the Huntspoint belongs on your belt when you’re hunting big game.” You can pick up this knife today at BladeOps.