SOG Zoom Assist Knife — Quick Review

I carried the SOG-TAC automatic knife for several months and absolutely loved the knife for several reasons, not the least of which was that it was so incredibly slim.  The profile along with the deep carry pocket clip made it the perfect carry knife for everyday use.  Now SOG has done it again with the Zoom knife.  A spring assist knife that uses SOG’s patented Assisted Technology, this knife has about the same thickness profile as the SOG-TAC knives. It also has a deep carry pocket clip.

Here are the things I absolutely love about the Zoom.  The aluminum handle sits atop a skeletonized frame.  The handle is open construction for about two-thirds of the knife.  This nice feature allows you to keep the inside of your knife clean without having to open it up.  The handle features four finger grooves that keeps your hand nicely positioned in the traditional grip and makes for a very solid grip.  It also has two slight step indentations in the first finger groove.  The primary purpose of these step indentations is to allow you to access the thumb studs.  They also allow you to position your forefinger and thumb in a pinch grip if you need to make some delicate or precision cuts.

The drop point blade has a slight recurve which makes it especially good for pull cuts on things like rope and straps.  The spine of the blade has an aggressive half-moon curve right where it meets the handle.  This curve is filled with heavy jimping and gives your thumb an extremely stable position and grip for heavy cutting as well as piercing cuts.

The blade opens fast using the ambidextrous thumb studs.  When the blade is closed you can us the toggle lock to keep it there. When the blade is open, a small button lock pops up from the flush position on the handle.  To close the blade, you depress this button lock and then the blade is “unlocked” so you can close it.

The deep carry pocket clip is a bit shorter and much wider than what was on the SOG-TAC series.  I like it better for several reasons.  First, it is curved.  I like the look of the curve and the curve will be less abusive on your pants pocket.  Second, the widthe makes for a stronger clip.  I especially like how SOG was very careful on the design to round off the end of the clip, bend it up an adequate amount, as well as slightly narrow it.  This makes the act of slipping it onto your pocket easy and smooth.  The pocket clip is reversible right/left so you can carry either handed.  Although for lefties, even though the knife can be opened from either side of the handle,  it doesn’t solve the age-old problem of the knife being essentially a right-handed knife since the blade release/button lock is on the “right-handed” side.  The handle also has a lanyard hole for alternate carry.

The SOG Zoom is a fantastic add to SOG’s production line.  The fact that it is a spring assist that is fast, reliable, thin and relatively lightweight is sure to make this knife a best seller as well as your new favorite EDC assist knife.  Get your new SOG Zoom on our website here and let me know what you think of yours below.

SPECIFICATIONS:

• Overall Length: 8.3″
• Closed Length: 4.7″
• Blade Length: 3.6″
• Blade Thickness: .1″
• Blade Steel: AUS 8
• Blade Style: Drop Point, Plain or Combo
• Blade Finish: Satin or Hardcase Black TiNi
• Weight:4.00 oz
• Handle Material: Aluminum