The SOG X-Ray Vision XV-71 is a folding Tanto knife. Using VG-10 steel, a liner in its Zytel handles and incorporating the SOG Arc-Lock, it all sounds pretty good. Click the picture below for a walk-through of the knife, more info and, of course, lots more pictures.
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We recently had a chance to spend some time with the guys from SOG, and aside from getting told about cool upcoming projects that we can't talk about yet, we were able to get a few items to play around with. One of the things that makes the military and police different from many knife customers is that we use our knives in ways that others don't. Prying, cutting, chopping, forcing locks, throwing, eating, digging, scraping and other uses that blade designers would cringe at are a matter of daily use for us. I talked to John Belniak about this, and it put a smile on his face. Evidently John likes to see equipment get used, and the concept of intentional abuse didn't faze him in the least.
John asked if I would be interested in checking out the SOG X-Ray Vision XV-71, and wanted to make sure it would get used as a daily carry and duty knife. I've got no problem with that, especially as the blade I've been using was due for retirement.
First impressions of the SOG X-Ray Vision were good, in the below picture you can see the fully opened knife. While looks are subjective, it's got clean lines and isn't something you would be embarrassed to be seen with.
Starting with the front of the blade, the most obvious thing we see is that it is a Tanto-style blade. The tip is for puncturing, and comes to a wonderfully sharp point that is nicely reinforced.
Moving down the blade the serrations are obvious. Serrations seem pretty straight forward, but I've used plenty of knives that had small serrations that seemed to clog and were unimpressive in their cutting ability. No problems here: These are spaced nicely and went through climbing rope like it was nothing. I know there are guys who dislike serrations because they are harder to get sharpened. I don't mind sharpening serrations; all it takes is a triangular stone. But these are currently sharp enough to make the hair pop off my arm, so breaking out stones won't be something I need to worry about for awhile with this one.
The full bead blasted blade is shown here. The blade steel is VG-10, which gives an excellent overall blade. Durability, corrosion resistance, ability to both take and hold an edge are all good to go with VG-10. For guys who care about the actual make up, VG-10 is an upper-end stainless steel mixed with Vandium.
The handle is glass-reinforced black Zytel and is textured. From a personal point of view, I would like to see a heavier texture, but I understand that a more aggressive texture would make it more difficult to draw from a pocket, so there is a balancing point in texture that SOG seems to have reached. The handle has a lanyard hole, which is nice for guys who have lost their knives out in the field. I have large hands, and the handle feels good to me. Other guys with smaller hands have had no complaints either. The slim profile works well, and a larger configuration would also increase issues with it while sitting in your front pocket.
This knife uses the SOG ARC-LOCK. SOG states the ARC-LOCK is ambidextrous and gives enhanced strength and speed. While I have no way to test the strength of the ARC-LOCK, it locks into place securely and keeps the blade nice and tight when in an open position. I am able to test the speed of opening against several other blades. For a non-assist blade, this is rocket fast. One hand opening and closing is effortless. The ARC-LOCK works very well, and without a steep learning curve.
The reversible clip is a nice touch, especially if you are left handed. The SOG clip allows the knife to sit low in the pocket so you don't end up with a chunk of knife sticking up for everyone to see. While its not an issue for duty use, there are places where you might not want a blade to be overly visible. SOG states very clearly on their website that they have an "Unconditional Pocket Clip Warranty". I've broken clips before, as have other guys I know. It's a little peace of mind to know that if your SOG gets broken, that they will take care of you.
The SOG X-Ray Vision XV-71 is a well-built knife with solid features, and a good blade. I'll be carrying this as my primary duty knife, which is about as good as a recommendation as I can give for an item. Check out the SOG website for more information. You can also click on any of the images for larger pictures.
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