SOG Pillar Fixed Blade Knife- Full Tang 5 Inch S35VN Steel Blade Survival Knife, w/ Linen Micarta Handle and Kydex Sheath, Made in the USA (UF1001-BX)

This knife came sharp looking good. The knife has a good weighted feel to it with good edge retention. Softer metals barely make a scratch on it while the size is not too big and not too small, perfect in between.

A fine addition for my collection.

Nothing not to like about about this knife. Feels perfect in the hand; very nice and sturdy clip point blade; top quality all around.Not “inexpensive” by any means, but considering the above I consider it quite worth it. Others may argue that there are other products that are comparable or better for the same or less money, and I am no expert, neither will I argue or debate that. I too considered some others, but at the end of a couple of days of looking, reading reviews, etc. I decided on this one and am happy with that in every way.Naturally it is rather large, and as such probably not the best suited for EDC unless your line of work lends well towards that. I used to do tree work, and it is just the ticket for that, but now I’m a software engineer and showing up at the office with this on my belt might raise a few eyebrows…LOL. I do own several other top quality smaller knives (both fixed blade and folding) that are better suited for discreet and/or (mostly) concealed EDC.To be honest I cook a lot and got this one mostly for kitchen food preparation use as I didn’t have a good cooks knife and my chef’s knife is kinda large for many everyday kitchen tasks. This one is absolutely perfect for that, and God forbid there should be a home invasion while I’m making salad, well, you know..;o)I found the belt clip to sheath mounting arrangement to be somewhat puzzling what with it designed to use only 2 screws and mounting points. It would have been nice if they included some instructions towards optimal mounting for standard blade down vertical belt carry. It’s a little weird as there are only 2 screws and in any case the mount winds up off center with respect to the sheath. (I had expected 4 screws/mounting points and centered alignment). For others convenience I have attached a photo depicting the “optimal” attachment for that carry option. (Well, “optimal” according to the folks at SOG, as I harvested the photo from their own product release YouTube video…

It’s hard to know where to begin. I have been eyeballing this knife for several weeks due to its perfect size(5 inch blade), its CPM S35VN steel, and attractive blade design. As you might have guessed, I am a knife lover and avid collector, though I tend to shy away from the super pricey ones due to the fact that I would become homeless rather quickly if I purchased all the ones I want. When the price of this one dropped by nearly $40, I was willing to gamble on it since there was no guarantee that the price would remain that low for long.The arrival of the blade was much anticipated and I quickly opened the box upon arrival. I was quite apprehensive about the color of the micarta handle since the product description showed it to be black but several reviews mentioned the coloring to be grey. I was happy to see that for the most part it was black with only a little bit of grey mixed in. The handle feels solid and comfortable, although I have felt better on some less pricey knives. The blade steel is excellent, with a mixture of stonewashed and satin finishing, the look is awesome. The S35VN steel is razor sharp and high quality. As far as the knife itself goes, it’s 5 stars.The sheath, on the other hand, left something to be desired. Despite the fact that it comes with adjustable fittings to accommodate a variety of carrying options, the knife doesn’t snap in place or even sit firmly when sheathed. I found that it wobbled and would probably fall out if carried sideways or blade up. At this price point of a knife normally near $200, I would expect a better quality sheath to match the excellence of the blade. I have included in the provided pictures some of the other knives and sheaths that are of similar size that I have purchased for comparison. None of those blades cost me more than $50.I am still giving this knife a five star rating because the blade is good enough to make up for the shortcomings of the sheath, and it’s easier to find a better sheath at a reasonable price than it is to find such an excellent knife and quality sheath together for a cheaper price.If you’re on the fence about this one, the knife itself is worth it. Just be prepared to find a quality sheath or use the one provided in tip down configuration only as you will not want to drop or lose a knife in this price range.

Carried this guy for about a year in the Marines. Overall fantastic knife, holds an edge, doesn’t rust too bad, great balance and feel, awesome edge geometry, and it’s very light so it won’t pull on your belt or anything. Comes in a thin compact package so you can fit it on your gear without taking up a lot of space. Great blade I highly recommend for your utility, camping, or tactical rig if you can swing the price.I do have 3 minor complaints, one is the bolts in the grip strip very easily. I needed to get under there because I got salt water on it and noticed it starting to rust under the grips but the bolts immediately stripped so be aware of that. Second quirk is this knife won’t throw sparks on a striker rod due to the stonewash finish you you can imagine my disappointment when I needed to start a fire in the field and it wouldn’t throw (I used the edge to start it though I don’t recommend that), you can rub the finish off the spine to fix this by the way but still cmon SOG they should have thought of that. Third is the sheath, I’ve had it fall out when mounted horizontally or upside down, I would like the assurance of a strap around the grip or a locking mechanism you know, and it does start to rattle over time but it’s not bad.