SOG Knife
Encyclopedia
The SOG knife was designed for, and issued to, covert Studies and Observation Group personnel during the Vietnam War
. It was unmarked and supposedly untraceable to country of origin or manufacture in order to maintain plausible deniability
of covert operators
in the event of their death or capture.
of 55-57. The blade pattern featured a convex false edge on the clip point of a Bowie knife
. The stacked leather handle was inspired by a Marbles Gladstone Skining Knife made in the 1920s owned by Baker, into which finger grooves were molded. The blade was typically parkerized or blackened to reduce glare. This was done so by applying a dark gun-blue finish (similar to those used on guns) on this carbon steel knife. The knife was carried in a leather sheath which contained a sharpening steel or whetstone.
The first contract was awarded to Japanese manufacturer Yogi Shokai for 1,300 seven-inch blades designated "Knife, indigenous, RECON, 7", w/scabbard & whetstone" at $9.85 each. In 1966, SOG ordered 1,200 sterile knives with six-inch blades and black sheaths and in March of the following year an additional lot of 3,700 was ordered. This second lot was serial numbered for accountability purposes and was designated "Knife, indigenous, hunting, 6", w/black sheath and whetstone".
In the 1980s a company named SOG Specialty Knives
manufactured a knife very similar to the original SOG knife in Seki City, Japan and marked it with the US Army Special Forces Crest., and named it the "S1 Bowie". The other Vietnam replica knife is known as the "Recon Bowie" by SOG and both knives are manufactured to the same specifications and in the same factory as the original Vietnam-era knives. The last replica knife is the "SCUBA/Demo".
SOG made a version with a stainless steel blade and micarta in commemoration of the U.S. Navy SEALs., known as the "SOG Trident". Replicas of the SOG knife have been made by Al Mar Knives
, Ek Knives, and Strider Knives
. None of these knives, however, are currently used by any branch of the US Military in an official capacity. Original models are valuable collector's items among both knife collectors and militaria collectors.
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. It was unmarked and supposedly untraceable to country of origin or manufacture in order to maintain plausible deniability
Plausible deniability
Plausible deniability is, at root, credible ability to deny a fact or allegation, or to deny previous knowledge of a fact. The term most often refers to the denial of blame in chains of command, where upper rungs quarantine the blame to the lower rungs, and the lower rungs are often inaccessible,...
of covert operators
Covert operation
A covert operation is a military, intelligence or law enforcement operation that is carried clandestinely and, often, outside of official channels. Covert operations aim to fulfill their mission objectives without any parties knowing who sponsored or carried out the operation...
in the event of their death or capture.
Design
The SOG Knife was designed by Benjamin Baker, the Deputy Chief of the U.S. Counterinsurgency Support Office (CISO). A chrome-moly steel known as SKS-3 was chosen for the blade and hardened to a Rockwell hardnessRockwell scale
The Rockwell scale is a hardness scale based on the indentation hardness of a material. The Rockwell test determines the hardness by measuring the depth of penetration of an indenter under a large load compared to the penetration made by a preload. There are different scales, denoted by a single...
of 55-57. The blade pattern featured a convex false edge on the clip point of a Bowie knife
Bowie knife
A Bowie knife is a pattern of fixed-blade fighting knife first popularized by Colonel James "Jim" Bowie in the early 19th Century. Since the first incarnation was created by James Black, the Bowie knife has come to incorporate several recognizable and characteristic design features, although its...
. The stacked leather handle was inspired by a Marbles Gladstone Skining Knife made in the 1920s owned by Baker, into which finger grooves were molded. The blade was typically parkerized or blackened to reduce glare. This was done so by applying a dark gun-blue finish (similar to those used on guns) on this carbon steel knife. The knife was carried in a leather sheath which contained a sharpening steel or whetstone.
The first contract was awarded to Japanese manufacturer Yogi Shokai for 1,300 seven-inch blades designated "Knife, indigenous, RECON, 7", w/scabbard & whetstone" at $9.85 each. In 1966, SOG ordered 1,200 sterile knives with six-inch blades and black sheaths and in March of the following year an additional lot of 3,700 was ordered. This second lot was serial numbered for accountability purposes and was designated "Knife, indigenous, hunting, 6", w/black sheath and whetstone".
In the 1980s a company named SOG Specialty Knives
SOG Specialty Knives
SOG Specialty Knives, Inc. is a U.S. knife and tool manufacturing company famous for their production of the knife with the same name, SOG....
manufactured a knife very similar to the original SOG knife in Seki City, Japan and marked it with the US Army Special Forces Crest., and named it the "S1 Bowie". The other Vietnam replica knife is known as the "Recon Bowie" by SOG and both knives are manufactured to the same specifications and in the same factory as the original Vietnam-era knives. The last replica knife is the "SCUBA/Demo".
SOG made a version with a stainless steel blade and micarta in commemoration of the U.S. Navy SEALs., known as the "SOG Trident". Replicas of the SOG knife have been made by Al Mar Knives
Al Mar Knives
Al Mar Knives is a production knife company headquartered in Tualatin, Oregon, United States. Al Mar Knives was established in 1979 by Al Mar, and has a reputation for making tactical knives of innovative design. While headquartered in the United States, Al Mar Knives are made in Japan.-Al Mar:Al...
, Ek Knives, and Strider Knives
Strider Knives
Strider Knives, Inc. is a custom and production knifemaking facility headed by Mick Strider and Duane Dwyer based in San Marcos, California.-Materials and design:...
. None of these knives, however, are currently used by any branch of the US Military in an official capacity. Original models are valuable collector's items among both knife collectors and militaria collectors.
External links
- Gallery of SOG knives
- SOG S1 Bowie - Information on the replica of the SOG Knife (Manufactured by SOG Specialty Knives) used by MACVSOG Forces in Vietnam