SOG Flash II Mini-Review

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Sep 16, 2007
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After much research and decisions, with help from bladeforum members, I decided to get an SOG Flash II.

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I just recently received my knife from www.thebladeshop.com so I can't take my own pictures or do a full in-depth review yet. I got it for $49 shipped and it arrived in 6 days (counting weekends).


Some facts about the knife:
- 3.5 inch AUS-8 blade
- Zytel handle
- Assisted opening
- 8 inch overall with blade open


The first thing I noticed about the knife was the quality. The quality is very good, and the Zytel handle feels great. The Zytel looks like plastic, but it's much more durable. I let my friend test out the knife and he flicked the blade out so hard that the knife flew out of his hand and slid across my driveway. I thought the handle would be heavily scratched up like normal plastic would be, but it remained unblemished.

As for the blade, it's not as sharp as I expected out of the box, but it's sharp enough for my everyday tasks. With some sharpening, I'm sure it'll have a razor edge. There is some blade play though, but nothing too bothersome. Maybe a 4mm wiggle from side to side. To test the blade lock, I tried pushing the blade while it's open with all my might, and it just won't give. Although it can move vertically about 2mm, it shouldn't fail for everyday tasks.

The assisted opening works flawlessly every time. Just a flick of your thumb and the knife flies open with a moderate force. People have suggested adjusting the knife to balance out the assisted opening and blade play. I'll be sure to experiment with it later.

And lastly, the overall appearance, in my opinion, is very nice. Everyone who I showed loved it. My only complaints are the blade play, sharpness, and the clip. While the blade play and sharpness can be adjusted, or fine-tuned, the clip seems to grip too much. Maybe it's not broken in yet, but the clip is very tight. I clipped it on my pant pocket, and when I tried to pull it off it just wouldn't come off. My solution was to carry it in the "mini pocket", as most pants have. The small pocket on the right side of your pants, right above the main pocket, so I don't have to use the clip. Not only that, but the knife won't open accidentally because the pocket is too tight for the knife to open all the way, versus your normal pocket. All in all, I'm very satisfied and I'd recommend this product to others. Once I have time, I'll do some abuse tests and really put this knife to work, but for now I hope this mini-review was helpful. I'm happy to answer any questions. :D
 
Glad you like it! Mine came very sharp out-of-the-box, so I'm sure you'll find yours will sharpen up well. The clip is pretty tight. I hook my thumb at the lower end and pull up that way. Also, it can be removed and placed on the opposite side -- that means it can also be removed and bent ever so slightly outwards to loosen that iron grip. :)
 
Esav Benyamin said:
Glad you like it! Mine came very sharp out-of-the-box, so I'm sure you'll find yours will sharpen up well. The clip is pretty tight. I hook my thumb at the lower end and pull up that way. Also, it can be removed and placed on the opposite side -- that means it can also be removed and bent ever so slightly outwards to loosen that iron grip. :)
Click to expand...


Ah, taking off the clip and bending it to loosen the death grip! Why didn't I think of that! I tried to bend the clip while it was still screwed onto the knife, and it didn't seem to have any effect. Good call :thumbup:
 
Update:

I fixed the blade play by tightening the hex screw on the pivot by 45 degrees. Now the blade play is very minimal, and it takes a stronger flick to open it, which I prefer.
 
It's a weirdlock. :) It works like the Gerber Bolt Action and the REKAT rolling lock, by sliding back a button on the left side. SOG calls it a piston lock, which probably means it's the bolt action.
 
Yeah the lock is pretty weird. The slide button is a little hard on the thumb though, or maybe it's just me. At least I can trust the lock to handle most work.
 
I have a gerber gator (2000ish) that has some sort of rod based lock. On my gator the slider connects to a rod, that jams the blade open. It have the same type of switch in the same location so I'm wondering if they are similar design. Probably not the same as sog, but that lock on my gator was pretty crappy, I can bend the knife close with my hands, without hitting the spine on anything.
 
I agree with pretty much everything the OP said. I have a Flash II in a partial serrated set up and it's very good. The lock, the opening, blade play are all perfect on mine. The downside is that mine doesn't hold an edge very well, even after a good stroping.

A great feeling knife in the hand. Terrific ergos on this one.
 
Lock: there is a slot cut into the tang of the blade. A rod or "bolt" pulled by a spring lodges in the slot in the tang when the blade is opened. Pull back the "button", and that releases the rod.

Just work the button/lock some and it will free up.:thumbup:
 
Personally, I have the flash II and it's not to my liking. It feels like a toy in my hand and when I use it it feels flimsy.

I would much rather spend a little more and get a solid kershaw or spyderco.

Anyway, my .02

Brett
 
I finally looked at a flash II today and to be completely honest maybe I was expecting too much considering the knife is fairly inexpensive, I was disappointed with it. I tend to like a knife with some heft to it. The Flash II seemed like a toy in my hand and although the blade was fairly sharp it looked thin and (excuse me for saying it) cheap. The safety lever was flimsy and when I attempted to flick the blade open it hung up halfway through it's cycle. My overall opinion of it was not favorable at all. Let me say that I'm not anti S.O.G. as a matter of fact I own a Tomcat III and am very impressed with it's quality. I completely understand that there is a substantial difference in price between the two but I still expected more quaility from a S.O.G. product. I guess I'm spoiled by the higher end knives I collect and carry.
 
I have had one for about 4 year as an edc/beater knife and it's held up fairly well. The lock/opening spring/safety still operate well and the knife was better quality then I expected for the price. That's the good stuff. I bought this knife for it's ambi-clip. The clip design is sub-par, because since it's attachment is ont he top of the knife if the clip catches on say, your seatbelt the clip can become bent or destroyed (mine got bent once and I was able to bend it back. The second time I had to order a new one). The balde play in mine has also become excessive, and it requires re-tightening on a regular basis (every few months).

Overall a fantastic quality knife with a few smallish flaws.
 
Nice review, I just bought a SOG Flash II about 2 weeks ago, and they are a good knife. Mine had a little side to side wiggle when I got it, but a quick tightening of the pivot screw fixed that.

The SOG Flash II is also a very southpaw friendly knife!
 
I've had 3 different Flash IIs. I find that they good knives for the money. I only kept one, & it's the TiNi coated CE drop point with aluminum handle. I find it gives it more "substance" & is actually a pretty good knife to carry around. I especially like the low-ride bayonet clip. I'll admit they were all pretty tight on the pocket, but it was a simple fix to take it off & bend it to my liking.

If it had ATS-34 & similar steel, it'd be an awesome knife, IMHO.
 
I have had my flash II for about a year and I hate it. I took it with me fishing several times and every time any little bit of sand got into it it wouldnt open. Its been in a drawer ever since, can have a knife that doesnt do what its supposed to. crap design for the auto. My 2 cents:thumbdn:
 
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