SOG S1 Bowie

SOG Knives Collectors’ S1 Bowie Original Review:

The S1 Bowie is the flagship model of SOG Specialty Knives Inc, the first knife design to roll off their production line. It is modelled after the exact knife that the brave men of MACVSOG used while in Vietnam for covert recon operations. This knife is gun-blued to a shiny hue; making it a very pretty knife indeed. Many praise it for its beautiful gun-bluing and the use of high quality SK-5 steel, and is considered to be one of the more collectible Seki Japan SOG Knives. The S1 Bowie is commonly known by some as the “5th Special Forces knife”, but it was actually called the “SOG Bowie” by SOG.

Engraved on the left front of the blade near the cross-guard is the old “square SOG logo”. On the other side of the knife just directly above the guard reads “Seki Japan”. In front of that engraving is the “MACVSOG” Special Forces logo. Further down the blade in the middle of the knife reads “Vietnam 5th Special Forces Group”. The knife features a leather handle and a classic ‘faceted tip’ that is the signature feature of the current SOG Bowie knives made today. Most of the current SOG knives follow the form/design of the S1 Bowie. The modern versions which use different materials include the S1T, Super SOG Bowie and SOG Bowie 2.0.

SKC Note: The SOG S1 Bowie was originally named the ‘SOG Bowie’ by SOG. However, our site and many collectors prefer to refer to it as the ‘S1 Bowie’.

Copyright © Notice: If you plan to use our information (eg. selling your knife on Ebay), please cite our website by saying “Information taken from: http://www.sogknivescollectors.com” or mention our website.

Specifications:

Blade Length: 6.25 in. x .280 in.
Overall length: 10.75 in.
Blade Steel: SK-5 Carbon Steel
Blade hardness: Rc. 57-58
Blade Finish: Gun-blued, Polished
Weight: 12.3 oz.
Edge: Plain
Carry System: Leather sheath w/Sharpening Stone
Handle Material: Epoxied Stacked Leather
Knife Type: Fixed Blade
Country of origin: Japan
Part #: S1

Rarity Details:

Last Known MSRP: $<.>
Production dates: 1986 – 2005
Production numbers: 10,000 – 15,000
Limited run?: First 750 or 1000 knives were serialized
Other things of interest: It’s the first model off the SOG production line.
Rarity index: 8.5/10 (10 being the most rare)

Rarity index scale (1 to 10, 10 being the most rare):
1 – Very common; easily available on ebay, google product search and almost every knife selling website. Spammed with at least 10+ listings on ebay.
3 – Has been around for at least 2 years and are selling reasonably w%ll, with retailers favouring other newer models over this knife.
5 – Knives that are on the borderline of being discontinued or have been discontinued for less than 6 months
6 – Products from 6 onwards are either discontinued or limited edition.
7 – Discontinued knives that pop up once every few months on the “For Sale” part of forums or on ebay. Still can be found at a few online shops though.
8 – Knives that need lots of researching to find. Not available anymore in online knife shops and pop up (if you’re lucky) >4 months for one at a time.
9 – Knives holding this rarity are the shadowy kind. You can’t find any information on them at all (not even from online knife shops that have not taken down that knife%r7s product page). If you see one for sale grab at all cost.
10 – The rarest of all knives. If you hadn’t been here you wouldn’t even have known that it existed. Should you have one of these you better lock it up in a triple-combination safe and treat it like a family heirloom…

Product Description:

Our flagship is a replica of the original knife used by the Vietnam War Eras 5th Special Forces Group known as the Studies and Observation Group (SOG). Secretly developed and used in covert missions, the SOG Bowie was a steadfast companion in one of the harshest environments in the world.

Made in the same factory as the original, the SOG Bowie has become a classic knife for enthusiasts around the world and is unparalleled in authenticity and quality. Like the original, it has a gun-blued carbon steel blade and an exquisite epoxied, stacked leather washer handle. The thick blade, deep hollow grind and faceted reinforced tip make this an appealing field knife to be used for a variety of tough chores and missions. It is also one of the most collected pieces by knife enthusiasts around the world. It carries in a high-quality leather scabbard equipped with a a special sharpening stone and also comes with a classic leather lanyard.