I consider a good knife to be an indispensable piece of kit for nearly any situation. The SOG Terminus XR ($69.95) is designed to be a pocketknife – in a class that some refer to as an “Everyday Carry” or EDC. That, to me, means it should be up to a variety of everyday-type tasks. Honestly, I am very hard to please when it comes to knives, so the SOG Terminus XR had a lot of work to do to live up to my expectations.
That said, I found it to be a worthy contender and very capable at that task. I was surprised by how much I grew to like it.
The value of any knife is entirely dependent on the purpose for which it is meant. The wise among us would not try to filet a trout with a giant meat cleaver, nor would we look to fell a tree with a paring knife. A 10-inch chef’s knife would be miserable to carry around all day. I think you get the point – comparing the SOG Terminus XR to something like a Jens Anso blade would be a fool’s errand. So please bear in mind that my observations will reflect the price range and intended use of this blade.
What I Liked
Weight. At 3.2 ounces the SOG Terminus XR is in what I consider to be the sweet spot for an EDC knife. It virtually disappears into my pocket but, when needed, it has enough presence to feel capable in my hand. There are knives that get down to almost a single ounce – far too light to inspire my confidence. With a three-inch blade length and 7.2-inch overall length, it is just right. It travels very discreetly due to the deep-carry style, reversible pocket clip. (I had my partner take a look at it as well because she has smaller hands than I do. She reported that she liked it a lot. I have not seen it since.)
Materials. Where the rubber meets the road for any blade is how well the edge survives the rigors of daily use. We have all probably heard that, “A dull knife is a dangerous knife.” This is where D2 steel shines. The D2 alloy was created for making the dies that stamped out metal parts for World War II aircraft. This means it is tough and very resistant to abrading – even against other metals. I used the knife to cut everything I could get my hands on from cardboard to leather to white ash hardwood, and it took a long time to dull it even slightly. A word about maintenance: D2 steel is referred to as “semi-stainless.” This is because the amount of chromium in the alloy is slightly lower than 12%. This is probably not a big deal and nothing I had a problem with – but it is a good idea to try to keep the knife clean and dry and remember to apply a drop of oil periodically.
The scales (or grips) are made of G10 – what computer circuit boards were once made from. It is a composite material made by embedding a glass fiber fabric with an epoxy and curing it under pressure and heat. That gives it the qualities of being very strong, stable, resistant to moisture, which makes it an excellent material for this use. Plus, I find it quite attractive. That said, the SOG Terminus XR has less texture on the grip than I would prefer. This means that the scales may become a bit slippery if there if moisture like sweat on it. (Note: It appears that SOG heard the feedback about this and the newer model has scales that are much more textured. I have yet to have held one, so be sure to check that out before purchasing one.)
Sharpness. The knife came reasonably sharp, but I put on a fresh edge using water stones. Not surprisingly, it was one of the most difficult knives to sharpen that I have ever come across. Some folks suggest that the edge needs to be sharpened to a low grit so the edge remains slightly toothed. That was just fine with me as going at it with any stones higher than 1000 grit was not an option! Normally I work up to 8000 grit and strop, but I skipped right to the stropping after the 1000 grit. The edge was still sharp enough to shave with and, though it lost a bit of that initial keenness quickly, the SOG Terminus XR G10 kept its edge very well. I would strongly recommend to a friend that, unless they were good and patient at putting on an edge, handing this puppy over for a professional sharpening by a local knife grinder would be a wise decision. (You do have a relationship with a knife grinder, right?)
Operation. Any folding knife I use absolutely must be designed to a high standard. The inherent danger with this style of knife is that my fingers normally sit precisely in the path of the blade when it closes. As may be gleaned from the preceding paragraph, I maintain my knives and keep them razor sharp. So, if the locking system is poorly designed, the chance of a severe injury becomes too high to be reasonable. I am pleased to report that the “XR” locking system is superb – as good as any other I have used. No matter how I tried, it would not budge. Very impressive. I am unaware of any tests of this exact system, but similar systems from competitors will literally deform the metal of the blade before the lock even gets close to breaking. So, the good news is that I still cannot bend steel like a superhero (no spider bites today either), therefore I feel comfortable that the lock is very unlikely to fail. The blade rotates on a pair of bearings and opens very smoothly. The jimping (the ridges on the blade) on the kick assist is rather sharp and tended to irritate my fingertip. Fortunately, there are two other ways to open the blade. One is by using the thumb stud, and the other by actuating the XR locking mechanism and whipping the blade out. (Note: I do not recommend whipping knives about by anyone other than knife whipping experts.)
What Could be Better
The G10 scales need more texture. I would be uncomfortable using the SOG Terminus XR if it was wet. This unfortunately means that, if I am outdoors, it will likely be sitting on my desk.
The pocket clip has a cutout that says “SOG” on it. While I have yet to have a problem with it, I suspect that a pocket that is even slightly frayed might catch on it. Plus, I really dislike advertising that I have a knife in my pocket, much less proclaiming the brand.
D2 steel is great for a pocketknife and holds an edge admirably, but the difficulty I encountered sharpening it means that it is only useful for EDC. I would not take it to the field as anything other than a backup.
Final Thoughts
I really like this knife. Despite some minor quibbles, it is an excellent choice for EDC. Let’s be honest – SOG has a reputation for producing knives that…well, make strangers gasp and hide their children when they see them. It is nice to see that they are refining some of their lineup to be a little less Rambo-ish. The SOG Terminus XR is worthy of my regular rotation and would likely remain there (if she ever gives it back) until I win the lottery and put Jens Anso on retainer.
