A good folding blade is an absolute necessity in life. Sure many people get by without one, but not gracefully. There are many folding knives on the market today. For most people a cheap folding knife may suffice. For those of us who require more of their knives, or who want one which will last, the search for a good folding knife is a never-ending pursuit. Enter the SOG Kiku.
I’ve not been overly impressed with SOG in the past. Some of their knives were good, others mediocre in quality. When I received the SOG Kiku to review I was sure I would be getting a mediocre folding knife. How wrong I was. The SOG Kiku came in attractive boxing and was packaged well. Once opened I was surprised at once with the weight, grip and blade itself. The SOG Kiku was designed by both SOG and one of the most famous Japanese blade grinder’s around Kiku Matsuda. The SOG Kiku is a 4.6 inch assisted opening folding blade which features a micarta handle.
One thing that immediately struck me about the SOG Kiku was the blade steel. The heart of the SOG Kiku is VG10 stainless steel. VG10 is an excellent stainless steel that is incredibly hard, which makes it easy to give the blade a razor-thin edge. The knife has a tanto point which depending on what you do either works or doesn’t. I personally don’t mind them for field work. And find that the tip doesn’t break as often compared to some other knife points.
The assisted opening mechanism is welcome, and makes opening the blade in awkward positions simple. The one gripe I have with this knife is the safety. On my particular model the safety is loose and can easily be moved with the slightest nudge. As a result sometimes the safety flicks one way or another during stressful work and can make opening the blade somewhat of a pain. Besides that the safety is in a good location to manipulate. I just wish that it was a bit stiffer to move. The belt clip on the knife is robust and has survived some demanding training without ever giving way or getting lost. The micarta handles are angled and engraved and make gripping the blade simple even in adverse conditions. Plus, in my humble opinion, they look cool as hell.
Overall the knife is superb and is my current go to EDC knife. It’s a bit on the larger side for some but for my particular line of work it fits well. The blade thickness, blade steel, assisted opening, and micarta handles makes for a simple, robust do anything knife for your everyday carry needs. I wouldn’t hesitate recommending this blade from my 2 months of using it so far. As I get more time on the knife I will write an updated review. The knife retails for around 102 bucks.
