SOG Targa Stainless Tanto Folder Knife Review

The SOG story begins in Vietnam, where members of a highly classified US special ops unit (known as MACV-SOG) carried a unique combat knife into the jungle on covert missions. Years later, in 1986, that same knife inspire a young designer named Spencer Frazer to found SOG Specialty Knives.

His mission was to reproduce the original SOG Bowie knife and pay tribute to the special ops unit that created it. What began as a single commemorative model soon became a full line of innovate tools. These tools are filed prove by US Special Forces, and even honored as the Navy SEAL knife of choice. Today, SOG knives are carried with confidence into the most demanding situations. They say, “Forged out of tradition, hardened in the field, honed for you.”

SOG says, “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. #TakePoint.” SOG is a high quality company that you know you will be able to rely on when the time comes.

Today we will be talking about the SOG Targa Stainless Tanto Folder knife. Of course, this knife is no different from the rest of SOG in that it will be a sturdy knife that you can use to get the job done.

 

The Blade:

The blade on this knife is made out of VG-10 stainless steel. This is a high end steel that is very similar to 154CM and ATS-34, except that it has slightly more chromium. This added chromium makes for enhanced corrosion resistance. However, this steel also contains vanadium which is going to make it tougher than the other two similar steels. In all reality, the amount of toughness is not going to make a huge difference in your day to day life, because it is just a fraction tougher. However, if the Targa were not an EDC knife, the added toughness may be easier to utilize and benefit from. This steel came from Japan and has been introduced into the American cutlery industry slowly but surely. Spyderco was one of the first few brands that really made this steel stand out and put it on the map here in the states. Some of the overall benefits to this steel is that it is relatively hard and can get needle sharp when sharpened correctly. Also, this steel does have the toughness to get the job done.

The blade has been finished with a satin finish. This finish is created by sanding the blade in one direction with an increasing level of a fine abrasive, which is usually a sandpaper. The satin finish is used to show off the bevels of the blade while also showcasing the lines of the knife while reducing its reflective glare. As a key, the finer the abrasive and the more even the lines, the cleaner the satin finish is going to look. A satin finish is going to be one of the most traditional blade finishes that you are going to find in the cutlery industry.

The blade on the Targa has been carved into a tanto blade shape. The tanto blade shape is definitely not designed to do everything like a drop point blade is. The tanto blade shape is designed to do one thing and do one thing really well. With the tanto, that one thing is being able to pierce through hard materials. The tanto blade shape was originally designed for armor piercing and was used on Japanese long and short swords. In the 1980s, Cold Steel revamped the shape and popularized it. It is not the exact shape that you would find on the Japanese swords, but the concepts are the same. The shape of the tanto is built from a high point and a flat grind, which leads to a very strong point that makes it perfect for stabbing into had materials. It is because of the thick point of the tanto that is it able to stab into hard materials. This is because the excess metal is able to absorb the impact from repeated piercing that would cause most other knives to break. The front edge of the tanto meets the spine of the knife at an angle, rather than a curve. Because of this, the tanto blade does not actually have a belly, which makes it a little harder to use for slicing. However, the Targa does have a recurve belly, instead of the typical straight edge, so you will be able to slice with this knife. While this knife is not going to do it all, it is going to get the job one and make for an alright every day carry knife.

The blade is a plain edge, which allows people to take on more tasks. The plain edge is going to be easier to sharpen. Unfortunately, the plain edge is going to need to be sharpened more often than a serrated edge would. The plain edge is going to give cleaner cuts, which is great for everyday carry knives such as this one.

On the spine of the blade, right before the handle begins, there is a short row of little jimping. This allows for a better grip when you are using the knife because it adds a little bit of texture for you to get a grip with your fingers.

 

The Handle:

             The handle on this knife is made out of stainless steel. Stainless steel is a great material because it helps add high levels of durability to the knife, which is ideal for an EDC knife, because you never know what you are going to encounter and you are going to be using this knife almost every day for little odds and ends. Stainless steel is also going to be very resistant to corrosion, which cuts down on maintenance considerably. With an EDC knife, corrosion isn’t a huge problem that you are going to encounter every day, but when you do, it will be easy to take care of because of how corrosion resistant it really is. Unfortunately, stainless steel is incredibly heavy and is going to add a lot of weight to the knife. This can be an advantage in a smaller knife such as this one, because you don’t have to worry about if the knife has enough heft. But, it can be a drawback in larger knives where the weight can begin to add up. Also, stainless steel is pretty slippery, which means that the manufacturer is going to have to add in ridges, etchings, or grooves to get you the texture that you need. The overall benefits of stainless steel are that the handle is going to be strong, durable, and corrosion resistant. The cons are that it can be slippery and it is going to be heavy.

The handle is pretty unique to this knife. The spine of the knife has a slow curve from the blade to the butt. The butt is straight down to the belly. The belly is where things get the most unique. There are two smaller finger grooves and then one elongated finger groove. Each of these grooves are equipped with plenty of jimping to give you a solid grip on tis stainless steel knife.

The face of the knife is also unique. There is the hardware and locking mechanism right after the blade on the handle. After that, there are vent-like slits that add enough texture for you to really be able to utilize this knife with the slippery stainless steel. Following that, SOG has stamped their name in a raised manner, which will add a little more texture to the knife as well.

Overall, this knife is going to give you the grip that you need from the knife to really use it as your everyday knife. It also looks unique so when you pull this knife out of your pocket, people are going to be intrigued with it. What I’m saying is that this knife is going to get the job done and look good while doing it.

 

The Pocket Clip:

The pocket clip on this knife is a darker stainless steel. It has been skeletonized with the SOG logo in the middle of it. This clip is reversible for either left or right handed carry, which is a definite advantage of the knife. However, it is not reversible for either tip-up or tip-down carry. This pocket clip can only be attached for tip-up carry, which is a disadvantage. This knife should not accidentally come open in your pocket, but if it does, the tip-up carry can create a dangerous weapon in your pocket. There are plenty of stories of people reaching into their pockets to pull out their knives and slicing themselves.

 

The Mechanism:

             This is a manual folding knife that has been equipped with a thumb stud as well as a thumb hole. The hole is triangular, with the largest end being closest to the handle. Where this triangle ends, the thumb stud is situated. The thumb slot or hole is used just like you would a thumb stud, except by its very design, it is ambidextrous. The thumb hole is a slot in the blade where you would normally find a nail nick. This allows you to get a grip on the knife with your thumb and flip the knife open. The thumb stud is a barrel that is situated protruding off of the blade. To open a knife with a thumb stud, you hold the folded knife, place the tip of your thumb on the stud, and then push your thumb to swing the blade open and lock it into place. Most knives with a thumb stud do incorporate a locking mechanism of some sort. The Targa is one of those knives and incorporates SOG’s arc lock. The Arc-Lock is known for its ambidexterity as well as all the other attributes that knife enthusiasts seek. For starters, the Arc-Lock is incredibly strong. It has been tested at over 1000 lbs. of force (measured at the lock), which far surpasses conventional lock strength. Second, it has high speed. The Arc-Lock is described as lightning-quick. It can also be opened with only one-hand as well as closed with only one-hand. Next, the Arc-Lock is very safe. It has a spring-action that securely retains the blade closed which means that your fingers are going to be kept safely out of the way when you are unlocking this knife. Lastly, the Arc-Lock is very durable. The lock has been designed to self-adjust over time and can be easily cleaned, which helps with long-term optimal performance.

 

The Specs:

The blade on this knife measures in at 3.5 inches long with a blade thickness of 0.120 inches. When this knife is opened, it measures in at an overall length of 7.9 inches. This knife weighs in at 3.1 ounces.

 

Conclusion:

When SOG describes this knife, they say, “Taking advantage of some of SOG’s greatest designs, the Targa is a slim, but solidly built folder with a big punch. It sources VG-10 cutlery grade stainless steel from Japan to utilize some of the best edge retention characteristics in the industry.” The Targa is a slim but solidly built folder with a big punch. This knife boasts VG-10 cutlery grade stainless steel from Japan provides some of the best edge retention characteristics in the industry. Using SOG’s Arc-Lock mechanism, for strong lockup and smooth operation, plus full length stainless steel handle, the Targa is a robust folder in a slim, minimalist framework that make it a great everyday carry. It comes with a satin finished tanto point blade for maximum piercing capability and is small enough to fit in your pocket but big enough to get any job done. The Targa makes for an excellent minimalist EDC option. You can pick up this knife today at BladeOps and have your new favorite go-to knife.