SOG Gov-Tac knife: "Operator Choice" by Nutnfancy

[ItsBenaWhile13]

4 years later. is there something else i should look at or get this? please let me know

[TheGunsmi7h]

the groves on the blade are called bleeder channels. They are there because when you stab some thing the object will begin bleeding immediately because the channels allow the blood or whatever to escape out from arround the blade.

[CascaydAzgard]

G'day Nutnfancy

Which would be the better survival knife out of the SOG Gov-Tac vs Sog Tech Bowie??

[SuperRip7]

The Gov-tac is great, but I support the dagger instead.

[johnandrea1234]

Veri, not usre if you read comments from a vid made years ago, but I just wanted to let you know I just got this knife. thanks to Nutn Archives. Bored one night and had to vids to ctahc up on and then a great deal on the knife came up. Perfect storm to require me to bite the bullet and buy it. Thanks again.

[nutnfancy]

@johnandrea1234 Oo nice! Glad you got a good deal, too!-- Veri

[mysss29]

This is an old review, but I actually really like how they added jimping, which seems to be for use when you choke up on the knife (which nutn seems to ignore or not realize?).

[JacobH12333]

Im lost on which knife to buy...the Gov-Tac or the Sog Seal Pup Elite? What would you recommend? Im mainly using it for personal protection and if i ever get deployed take it with me. Recommendation?

[nutnfancy]

@JacobH12333 I asked Nutn and he said that he prefers the Seal Pup Elite..its lighter and fits on LBE better. -- Veri

[JacobH12333]

@nutnfancy Alright awesome i actually like this answer, and does the seal pup elite have a metal pommel or no? Does it have a glass breaking ability or skull crushing besides the blade? Or is that kraton as the pommel?

[driftworld86]

@nutnfancy i know this is old comment, but how about for camping guy? gov-tac bead blast or seal pup elite in TiNi ?

i love the bowie shape but if the bank can afford, bigger blade the better ....right...?

[ShaggyOtis]

found one for 70! super happy. thanks nutn

[Montblanc1986]

Kraton Shrinks in the cold weather and your pommel will loosen up and could fail/fall off beware!

[Thetacticalinformer]

Nutn, the "jimping" I've found is great for magnesium rods for starting fires.. FYI! I've used my SOG Seal Pup Elite's jimping ( or however you spell it ) for lighting fires very succesfully.

[fuckyoubitch5495]

would this make a good hunting/camp knife?

[aznelite325]

just got my gov-tac today! love it, though it is slightly different than i expected. the handle is longer than i expected, about .5" longer than the handle of the sog tech bowie, making it overall longer than the tech bowie. nice tip strength from the saber grind, it's more of a utility knife when compared to the tech bowie (the bowie being more combat/fighting directed with the thinner, pointier tip). the bead blast finish is non-reflective and my sheath was stiff, still working out the kinks!

[MrRockBluff]

Hey Nutn, did you take this knife out and do any batoning with it? I have the same knife and took it on a camping trip last winter. Did some batoning on some smaller wood and it worked out pretty well. Haven't really thrashed on it yet.

[Nikolas81496]

The only thing about the TiNi finish is if you cut through something with or greater than the consistency of cardboard rub marks will show also. I have the TiNi version it is amazing.

[RdOoOuSgA]

Are there any considerable advantages with going with the titanium nitride? I would assume slightly extended durability etc? Thanks

[daxmeup]

the groves resemble a bayonets blood channel

[Thetacticalinformer]

@daxmeup Those are called blood grooves to be "cool" I guess. Functionally they're to reduce weight.

[selimsucram]

If you found yourself in the amazon jungle alone and you could only have one knife what knife would it be? anyone can respond to this question.

[Kylef7735]

@selimsucram Only one knife.

Prolly an Esee Junglas

[urkingod]

Okey, which one is the BEST ? ( Sog Gov Tac, Sog Seal Pup Elie, ESEE 5, or BKRV Bravo one ?) for survival / Edc / Camping ? 

[Bgrazier]

a worthy weapon

[no1livez4evr]

love this knife Nutn but to me, $90 for an AUS-8 blade doesnt express high value

[hdog727]

Hey Nutn I'm not a huge fan of the belt system on the sheath of this knife, is it possible to replace the belt mount with something like a Tek-Lok? Cheers mate.

[JesBlazed1]

what're your perks ?

[MinionOfDeth2112]

@JesBlazed1 - Where is your liver atm?

[JesBlazed1]

@MinionOfDeth2112 i dont understand your question.. please explain.

[MinionOfDeth2112]

@JesBlazed1 - I'd like to know where YOUR LIVER is so I may stab it. COD is fun as hell but it's annoying when people comment about it on a video showcasing an actual weapon. :/

[offroadingmachine007]

The grooves probably reduced the overall weight of the blade.

[strykersigma]

I need a combat knife, with about a 10 inch blade. Do you have any recomendations?

[bobwasftw]

@strykersigma i have one thats juuust shorter i think its 9" or mabye 9 1/2" but here check it out its the SOG Tigershark (there is a 2.0 and an elite) it has knickle gaurd and a pointed pommel (both detachable) its a REALLY nice liiking and preforming blade tell me what you think!

[CamelJockyJack]

how would this knife work as an outdoors/woodsman's survival knife

[jabames]

is this a good hunting knife? u should make a hunting knife recommendation series, what is a good knife other than a kabar? to me it seems too heavy for knife combat n i want something lighter but as effective as any good fighting blade, is this knife a good one thats lighter than a kabar but still good at some chores but not too much for it?

[Kylef7735]

@jabames I wouldnt say this is a hunting knife, but any knife can be used for any task. Weight in a fighting knife is good, it helps your strikes do more damage.

[jabames]

@Kylef7735 yeah them marines didnt complain about it, its a good knife i managed to get it razor sharp soo easy with a kabar, other knives i just make em dull

[Kylef7735]

@jabames Sounds like my sharpening, occasionally ill get one that will shave, but normally they just barely cut.

[kingsblendstrain]

sog means SEA OF GREEN.

[OutdoorSurvivalist1]

@kingsblendstrain it actually stands for Studies and Observation

Group. I think.

[seansean2243]

Aside from rigidness, those are blood grooves. Some other knives have larger ones for that purpose anyways.

[whitethronebooks]

I just ordered one. Will probably use Flitz Polish or Mothers Mag Polish on the bead blasted areas to shine them up a bit (and thus make future scratches less apparent).

[urkingod]

This knife, SOG GOV TAC is MY FAVORITE knife ~!!!!! For both Survival and Tactical / self defense purpose. I love it so much I have three of them, two black, one gray. THE BEST medium size TOUGH good looking knife there is EVER ~!!!! My other back up survival knife is ESEE 5.

[TheShadoKnite]

it does add rigidness because of the suface making a concave curve near the spine. the geometry makes it more rigid, and more rigid probably than knives/swords with the rib in the middle.

[daboypoet]

special operations group....my friend s.o.g not sog theres nothing soggy about us

[studiobtm]

@daboypoet

SOG - Studies and Observation Group - my friend - lol

[mjremington]

thanks nutnfancy i will get the the black one for my son who is in afghanistan he sent my sog tech 1 back he said it was to much of a nice knife to have out there oh well i offered it to him

[mesa401]

It's fine til you get ready to sharpen that stainless steel.

[urkingod]

@urkingod I just got it ~!!! SOG Gov-Tac Silver. Its heavier than I thought, but its my first knife so I guess this is what it should weight.. It's so cool, makes me want to buy more even I was only planning to buy ONE.

[biggin2155]

That looks like a nice fixed blade... I might have to add it to the list! I don't have enough fixed blades as it is....

[hoosierarcher]

those grooves are called "blood grooves" they allow a stabbing weapon to be removed more easily as the wound channel a smooth grooveless blade would allow a vaccuum to form in the wound channel.

[TheAaronGreen]

@hoosierarcher thats actually an urban myth.....there actually called fullers.....they make the blade lighter and add i bit of rigidness to the blade in that area....if you don't believe me...ask anyone who knows something about knives....or look it up.

[hoosierarcher]

@TAG, that is what they called it in the Marine Corps and what they told us it was for. Having actual first hand knowledge of stabbing a living being, a wild boar, My KaBar, with blood groove worked as advertised.

oh Blood grooves also exsist on blades to give them lower cross sectional mass which is supposed to felicitate penetration. No Urban myths invovled.

[TheAaronGreen]

@hoosierarcher Actually it is used to make the blade stiffer and lighter. When it comes to stabbing someone the fuller doest make a vacuum. And thats not what they tell you in the marine corps. and if you have stabbed someone and says it works as advertised, how do you know it wouldn't work without the groove. you shouldn't comment on something you actually know nothing about.

[TheAaronGreen]

@hoosierarcher Nutnfancy even says it in one of his videos, and you can pretty much find it on any knife webiste.

[no1livez4evr]

those gray spacers on the handle are now red and white, still looks cool though

[danreid56]

Great knife & review!

[reefification]

Ok to all you knife lovers out there, is there a knife company that allows you to choose what kind of knife you want? such as blade material, handle material, pommel no pommel etc.?? if there is please let me know. any info will be appreciated

[amanamuse]

Any custom knife shop will make a knife for you per your specifications. Try using google to search for something like "custom knife shop". This guy, nutnfancy, has a video of his tour of his local knife shop near Salt Lake City. I'm sure you can call them, as the video has their contact info within it.

[StickInc1]

hey what i do to kinda keep my retenchen strap out of the way is when i put the knife away i button the strap around the back of the sheath just to manipulate the material a bit to automaticly get out of the way

[tanerofies]

Rub marks, sap stains, etc will come out fairly easily with honing compound, like the ubiquitous green or black. Of course it polishes a bit, and lessens the gray finish as well.

[mustangtyson]

Great vid nutn, the lines in the blade are blood lines, i dont think they are for strength,, so if you can retract the blade from what you stab with it, It prevents the suction when you stab an animal.

[GreatestCreation909]

lol, no that is not the purpose of those lines. In essence, it is the same as the line/groove/divet in Katanas.

The purpose of those "lines" are to increase the stifness/strength of the blade. That is the purpose of them.

Nothing to do with blood. It sounds cool if your into that sort of thing though. lol

[dhs012]

Is this knife better than the sog seal team elite? If you already have one, could you also review the seal elite?

[d2eux]

yea I agree, a good comparison would be nice

[lordbreakdown]

I bought a sog gov agent when I was in high school. its got a satin blade.. I've never seen one since.. was that a rare configuration? or just an older version.. they all seem to be bead blast

[spudnutsncoffee]

What sort of tang is used here? Full or narrow?

[CubworksLL]

I am fairly sure it is full.

[27dcx]

the jimping is probably meant to scrape a firesteel

[logitechstanton]

using knives to point out parts of other knives! knifetastic.

[Toastthe3rd]

The grooves, or fullers, are not designed to add rigidity to a blade, but are instead designed to attempt to retain rigidity while decreasing weight. It does not seem like those would decrease the weight very much so are likely mostly aesthetic. The government is one of my all time favorite designs. AUS 6 should be tougher and more stain/chemical resistant. Supposed to be the equivelent of 440A vs 440C.

[r6v2man]

i think the ridges are to eliminate suction when cutting or stabbing a person so it is easier to pull out

[XDneondonkey]

where in the name of all that is holy do i get one of these in the uk....

[UJS8X]

Find a friend overseas and have them mail it to you maybe?

[iMagUdspEllr]

Do you mean the knives aren't sharp? I am thinking about purchasing one of those knives. Do tell.

[tanerofies]

Well, no telling exactly how sharp they'll come, time will tell. However, every tool needs maintenance hence the sharpener. I suspect they'll come brawler sharp but I'm hoping to get them to contender sharp.

[RaymondSeguin]

The tubelur ridges are used for strangth if it is machined pressed. For ie: if watch car fixing shows they will use it to strangthen weak metal like aluminum or thin gauge metal .But i don't know about the ridges being dug in , it might give strangth.

[Firearm101]

Hey nutnfancy, what do you think of the Gerber LMF II Survival Knife?

[TheOpenSight]

although I don't use my knives as heavily as he does, I have a few gerber knives and I love them all, but for some reason nutnfancy never reviews them, I like my Gerbers better then my Kershaws that's for sure and he has a few Kershaw reviews...

[klasco1991]

@Nutnfancy

shouldn't the Ka-Bar be in the playlist as well?

[Johnson2985]

I have had one since 2006, i have used it on every backpacking trip since i bought it (usually about 5-6 trips per year including winter time) and i absolutely love it. It has done everything from cutting steak to chopping 6 inch diameter trees. I have the ti-nit coating and it still shows no signs of wear. Excellent blade.

[bfelts1ak]

grooves are meant to be blood grooves. fighting knifes have traditionally had them because it stops the suction you get when you penetrate the body that sometimes supposedly stops the blade from being pulled out rapidly.

[bfelts1ak]

should add i have never had to stab anyone so this is theory. and yes i understand the physics and increased rigidity and how that may be the higher purpose.

[MRdrPROkeithSR]

it also keeps the weight down

[Deke101]

No. The term blood groove is a misnomer. The actual term is a fuller. The groove is part of the phisiology of the blade which improves the overall strength of the blade. The groove is not there to cause more severe bleeding or to make it easier to remove from a stabbed body.

[Stonyman65]

Its also used to reduce the weight of the blade. Kind of like what a fluted barrel does on a firearm.

[Deke101]

Agreed.

[bfelts1ak]

maybe you didnt fully read what i had written down. i never said anything about letting out more blood or doing more damage. i stated that i was designed to help in blade removal. also i put that this is a supposedly theory and i have no experience in this arena. try rereading what i put down before you give me negative feedback next time.

[Deke101]

(Sigh) I did read your comment. Where was the negative feedback? I simply corrected your misunderstanding as well as the common misunderstanding about the 'blood groove.' In this comment section it is easy to seem like you are being a tool when you aren't trying to.

[maltieskitten]

whats youre favorite knife?

[Deke101]

My favorite knife and the one I have used the most is the SOG SEAL Team 2000.

I have used it since 1998 and it is still going strong.

[maltieskitten]

ive never owned a sog. i like full sized bowies but lately there just hasnt been anything to revolutionary to catch my eye. thats why i asked cause ive got to start collecting new styles now before boredom kills me. lol

[Frambosie]

Too bad these are made in Taiwan...

[BuffaloWarrior7]

quality control is good though dosnt bother me coming from SOG

[pizzaman2177]

cool knife

[pizzaman2177]

nice knife ☺

[knife1me0]

have a gov-tac myself, i've had it for a little over a year now and absolutely love it. In personal opinion it is the best small/medium fixed blade for the price.

[goldenflake7]

From one of your other knife reviews today I learned about the SOG (Statisics and Observations Group), so I went to wikipedia and there was nothing in Wiki about SOG. Naturally I thought, who better to write an article about SOG than nutnfancy.

[septahedra]

When you put your index finger on the choil and thumb on the jimping, you have better control for fine tasks, like sharpening a stick to make an arrow. Another good design feature.

[didytom]

You have a great collection of blades. Wow!

[lugnut77]

Price?

[nutnfancy]

"Price?" About $80 I think

[haha48]

was 120 were i got it.. thats with tax though..

[lugnut77]

Thanks!

Love your videos.

Thank you for taking the time...very helpful!!

[Guyisaritelegend]

Around £120 in the uk ($200)

[MRdrPROkeithSR]

that just sucks, sorry for you guys. a guy at a gun show tried to sell me one for like 50 bucks

[Bgrazier]

@lugnut77

$140 on sogknives site

[TASigs]

Hey Nutnfancy

yet again another great vid, i'm very much considering getting a SOG for going on tour thanks to this good review.

I have an observation to make regarding the grooves on the knife; on our bayonets we have the same sort of grooves called 'blood channels' which relieves the pressure when the knife goes in and allows the blood to escape. I'm no expert by anymeans as I'm only 19 but I think they might be blood channels

anyw, keep up the good work dude

you rock!

[scrateshooter]

zip ties or 550 cord work fine.

[Montblanc1986]

hows that a good jungle blade? Its not much for a survival knife and its not the best fighting knife... its not THAT great at anything IMO...

[piotrbentley]

Who are you talking to?

[88RF88]

the point of the knife is easily broken.surprising for a relative thick point like that.

[Rasenkrieger]

I´ll second your dislike of AUS6 Steel in some knives- the AUS 6 blade in my CRKT M16KZ knive blows- very poor edge retention

[spektek9]

Great vid but how thick is the tang and is is full tang welded with a retaining pin, for added robustness. wish the gov tac had clip point but nice grooves.

[roy993]

Hey Nutnfancy ,great videos!

I come Europe-Slovenia, and I have a question if I may, about EXTREMA RATIO KNIFES. I like to buy a E.R. model DOBERMAN 3, but I newer hat it my hands before. The knife is quite expensive and hard to get, so I think it is risky to buy it, before haveing a grip on it. Can you give me some advice about that knife?

Thanks!

[ODGLK17SHOOTER]

Will soon be recieving one of my own partially due to this vid thank you for the info. Just curious about how other have found prices I was suprised to find great prices of around 75$ on various sites in the bead blasted finish, but for the black versions prices were increased on average around 25$ just my own findings.

[FeelFree3]

I think these knifes are better than folded blade for self defence.

[GCRU486]

I like SOG, they make good original designed products and stand behind them. Good Vid.

[FacelessHunter93]

Nice video. Do you think you'll be able to do a review on Cold Steel's Black Talon?

[bladerespect]

hey nutnfancy love your vids you might want to try the black jack grunt good knife for the price

[delsusername]

Do some columbia river knive and tool reviews...

[daddad77]

both of these knives suck. AUS-8 (not "aws" 8, pronounced "ay-yoo-ess" its not a word its an abbr.) was bad, the -6 is worse. all wax, no wick here. the best thing sog has ever done is to bring the SEAL and SEAL pups out in that Elite series. Damn nice blades. i stripped the coating off my pup Elite and differentially tempered the edge w/a torch quenched in warm brine, does fine now not as quick to dull as the factory heat-treat. but...Buy Scrapyard, RAT, TOPS, Extrema Ratio,... cont'd above..^

[WongKonPow]

he clearly doesn't care about saying out the letters of abbreviations, because he just says sog, instead of S-O-G. Not a big deal, we all know what AUS 8 is.

[Kevitivity]

Everyone - see the wikipedia page for fuller. It's only there to reduce the blade weight.

[nickynwong]

Its also used to stiffen long blades on swords - less flex.

[jeepnicc]

Awesome review Nutn! Looks like a very nice, well executed design. As far as the "blood grooves" go, you guys need to go buy a chunk of beef brisket, and start stabbing different blades into it. No more speculation, your questions will be answered. Thanks again Nutn, Great job!!!

[thedonqwet]

damn man you are poping out the vids now! keep em commin.

[Lexman1]

Another Killer review and on the topic of a new playlist....Sure, sounds great!

[SPT6767]

I thought SOG uses AUS 8A for their knives? That's what their web site says

[hogielove]

They do use AUS8 now but they used to use the cheaper AUS6.

[grapple69]

love your vids!

[rthomas491]

Great review of the Gov-Tac knife. It does have a classic blade design as it is similar to fighting knives from WW2 that were marketed to soldiers. One thing I would mention is the grooves you pointed out on the blade are called blood groves. What I have been told about them is that the groves allow the immediate escape of blood from around the blade thereby starting the enemy bleeding before the blade is removed. My grandfather, who served in ww2, was the the source of information on this.

[shootingman99]

Nutnfancy, will you ever do a review of the SOG daggert(1 or 2). Very similar to the gov tac

[Jsimp0487]

7:44 I take it that those would be used as "blood gutters". You know, when you pierce fleash, a blade can get stuck. Old swords had these gutters down the middle. Perhaps that's their purpose.

[FreedomBunker]

The gutters or grooves on swords were there to make the blades lighter.

[Jsimp0487]

ahh... Yeah, i did some research and you're right. It's a huge misconception, regarding the Fuller. It was given the name "Blood Gutter" and thought to reduce suction. But it is just to reduce weight... Well you learn somthing new every day.

[wolfinside]

Another great review. Thanks!

[0646045]

That tenacious left a nice mark! lol

Great review, keep em coming.

[bighitter42]

While he jams I tend to think that Jim Bowie would roll over in his grave if David Bowie was carrying his namesake.

[gift3rs]

I'm not a fan of the "Peace Out" it just sounds a little funny... but otherwise like usual, love the review

[jwood299]

Lol that's funny

[askAlanNow]

6:26 "cough" Jeff "cough"

[holdenccc]

good one

[CUBuff10]

Kick ass review as always!

[condensedmic]

Great review as always!

[sogsailor]

OK,great review,what happen to reviewing MK3 US Navy Seal knife? Perhaps comparing with a Ka-Bar or comparable, as we discussed in the past. Sorry to harp on this but I am very curious as how you view them, and it would be very interesting to observe various reactions on the subject. Would you agree?

[sc00ny]

The (double) fuller in the blade is a shock absorbing feature. The theory is, the shape works like a tuning fork. Force travels from the edge to the spine and it absorbs the impact.

This is only really nessesary on long/thick, blades and is ultra effective when the blade's spine is tempered softer, like a spring. Katanas are a good example.

I don't think this feature serves much purpose on a blade this size.

Some literature to suggests that fullers were used to lighten blades also.

[nutnfancy]

Excellent info, thanks.

[smithjacusmc]

try a little armorall(for sythetics) on the krayton and kydex, and give it a day and wipe em down. good to go.

[xspecialops]

hey do you tink you could do a cutting test on the buck 119 spesacial. i know you dont have much time and all i really just want to see a vid of it in the futre. thank you for your time. great review

[CDNHottie69]

Ridges along the blade do multiple things.

1. Reduce Weight. 2. Add a rigid feature to longer blades. 3. Some designs were there to help the blade enter the body more silent. ie. Sentry Removal. The SOG early designs had that Hammer Handle where it could be used to strike, hit nerve and vital spots.

[JEC18159]

Love your no b.s. reviews. Keep em coming bro! Thanks!

[0n3m4n4rm33]

you've got a really good gig and I love the reviews you do.

[DeliriumSC]

Very cool knife :) I wondered when you'd get around to the gov-tac ^^

[Kershawknifelover]

Awsome review, this made me wanna get it....it's gonna happen now. this video was a homerun 5/5

[hogielove]

I think knives look better when they get some wear on them.

[ransuru]

Hi nutnfancy,

Thank you for the review. I had one of the old gov agent long ago and broke it in a funny way. Just a comment, the lock is fine on a hard surface like a plate carrier but will not be comfortable and solid on a belt.

Regards, Sharon

Systema Israel.

[nutnfancy]

Interesting, thanks a lot Sharon.

[oTHEBLESSEDHELLRIDEo]

That is one sweet a_s knife.Along with another kick butt video.Thanks man keep up the great work.

[kaziklu79]

SOG have stoped making the Tigershark also.Quite disappointing!May be making a last review of it will be good?

[tabler1010]

how much

[hogielove]

Around $100.

[itseasyforyou]

70-80 on the bay. Maybe a little less if you're a good bidder. 100 bucks for this knife is too much.

[TESTEDBESTPRODUCTS]

$79.99 at TESTED BEST PRODUCTS on the net. Additional discounts for Military & First Responders. Hard to keep em in stock at this price. Hope this helps.