SOG Bowie Knife

If many of the adverts are to be believed there isn’t a knife out there that can’t or doesn’t lay some form of claim to having some form of military history or application. But whilst a high percentage of these edged tools vie for supposed fame and fortune along with your hard earned cash, it’s the knives that don’t shout about their history that are invariably the real deal.

Knife, Indigenous, Hunting…

The first knife to bear the SOG name, the initials stand for Studies & Observation Group part of the American Special Forces in Vietnam who back at the start of the conflict were using a variety of European hunting or military style knives, the SOG abbreviation soon being elongated to MACV-SOG or Military Assistance Command Vietnam. 

Designed by Ben Baker the Recon Bowie as it was originally called was based on the Marbles Gladstone Skinner, a knife of 1920’s vintage. Conceived as the ideal all-round knife to be carried by the Counterinsurgency Support Office or CISO that were part and parcel of the CIA along with other clandestine and other cross-border recon teams, the SOG Bowie had to be all things to all men, totally reliable and able to carry out absolutely anything asked of it no matter what. As with all types of equipment that had to endure everything thrown at it and come out smiling, development of the knife as it is today saw a whole host of preproduction models of differing blade styles and handle configurations until the Recon Bowie became the knife you see today.

Interestingly, the Bowie 2.0 is more than proud to carry the SOG name and model, unlike the ones that were first issued. Known as ‘sterile models’ the reason was that if a knife was dropped and later found by the enemy there were no markings to give away where it had come from, who had carried it or who had manufactured it. Similarly, within the American military the knife was known by the ordnance descriptive name of ‘Knife, indigenous, hunting, 6” w/black sheath and whetstone’. 

Originally manufactured by Yogi Shokai, the original SOG Recon Bowies now command around £3,000 or even more if the knife has a fully documented history whilst some of the sub-models such as the CISO specific knife, the SCUBA/DEMO along with the NAD Da Nang RVN or Naval Advisory Detachment model and the various presentation versions can run into telephone number figures. This is where the SOG Bowie 2.0 as it is today comes in, the knife a perfect recreation of the original knives down to the last detail. Where the new version wins out from the ordinary buyer or collector comes into play is that whilst the originals will set you back thousands the modern Bowie 2.0 can be yours for a mere £205.72p.

Specifications

An exact 11” in length of which 6¼” are formed by the hollow ground, TiNi coated AUSA stainless steel hollow ground Bowie pattern blade, the 2.0 tips the scales at a superbly balanced 11.2 ounces, the steel not from Japan but now sourced from Taiwan due to the outstanding quality of the country’s metal manufacturing. Featuring the familiar false edge and faceted tip, the cutting edge stands out against the blade’s grey coloured protective coating, the edge finishing at the choil or slightly elongated cutout just forward of the blade’s shoulder.

Continuing the knife’s user friendly profile the sculpted cross-guard offers both protection and a firm surface for the user’s thumb and forefinger to rest and push against whilst stacked epoxied leather washers and two white spacers form the handle around the full length tang, the washers squared off and cut away to form the finger grooves. A ½” deep pommel forms the end of the tang with a neatly drilled hole for the fitment of a lanyard.

Sheath

Maintaining the 2.0 Bowie’s replication of the original knife, the belt loop carry sheath has been manufactured from five layers quality leather complete with heavy duty stitching, rivets and press stud fasteners. A thick retaining strap folds diagonally over the upper cross-guard, clicking into place just below the lower guard whilst a similar fastener holds the 3” long sharpening stone tightly in the outer pocket, both knife and stone held safe and protected when on the user’s belt or rig.

Design

The 2.0 itself is one of those tools that has been conceived and designed with the user in mind. The balance and heft are excellent whilst the general contours of the handle ensure that the user is able to keep both a secure grip and full orientation of the knife in relation to its position within the hand.

Likewise the gentle curvature of the guard’s upper surface means the fingers automatically locate the edges and naturally butt up against these extensions. The slight bias of the mass centred on the handle makes the knife remain ‘fluid’ and malleable whilst rotating and inverting easily for perfect one-handed deployment.

Hunting and Utility

As a general outdoor utility, expedition or hunting knife, the SOG Bowie 2.0 will quickly become a versatile companion. Whilst military knives have progressed in both design and the materials used, SOG’s Bowie 2.0 still stacks up against them and transcends most of them over fifty years after it was first conceived. Whilst originally envisaged as a tool for the jungles of Vietnam, as the years have passed by its continued to prove itself on a global basis irrespective of conditions or the tasks asked of it.

Like all SOG’s specialty knives the Bowie 2.0 comes complete with a lifetime warranty to guard against any form of defect in workmanship and the materials used. However please note that this guarantee becomes void should the knife be subjected to misuse, abuse, improper maintenance or general wear and tear. For more details on the Bowie 2.0 and all SOG’s products contact UK importers Highland Outdoors on 0845 0990252 or visit www.highlandoutdoors.co.uk