SOG Mini Pentagon, The Perfect Pack Knife
Kevin Felts 03.26.18
When it comes to fixed blade knives, there is one knife I keep going back to over and over again, and that is the SOG Mini Pentagon.
One of the issues facing campers, hunters, and hikers is finding a well rounded knife that will work in a variety of situations. For example, while a serrated edge is wonderful for cutting rope and cord, the serrated edge makes for a poor skinning knife. Rather than making a clean slice, the serrations tear and will fill with chunks of meat.
Having been camping since the 1970s, and hunting since my dad was able to get my brother and I into the woods (around 1974 when I was 6 years old), there are some pocket knives I keep going back to. Examples of these include the classic Case line of pocket knives, and the Swiss Army knife.
When it comes to fixed blade knives, the one I keep going back to is the SOG Mini Pentagon.
SOG Mini Pentagon
My first Mini Pentagon was bought around 2003. That knife was stolen out of my truck, so I bought another one.
Specifications from my personal Mini Pentagon:
- Weight: 4.65 ounces, with sheath.
- Overall length: 7 7/8 inches.
- Handle length:4 1/4 inches.
- Blade length: 3 5/ 8 inches.
- Sheath: Kydex.
- Blade Steel: AUS-8.
- Finish: Powder coated.
- Blade: One side partially serrated, other side plain edge.
The SOG Mini Pentagon is strictly business. When it comes out of the sheath it is ready for a variety of situations.
Need to cut a rope? Use the serrated edge.
Want to skin an animal? Use the plain edge.
While the sheath has a boot knife design with a clip, I drilled a couple of small holes so the sheath can be zip-tied to the outside of a pack. Want to make sure the knife does not go anywhere? Put some 550 cord through the lanyard hole and attach the lanyard to a snap ring.
Weight
One of the important factors is the weight. When hiking, there is no need to carry and excessively heavy “survival” type knife. There is an old saying, “Ounces equals pounds, and pounds equals pain.”
All weights are with sheath.
- SOG Mini Pentagon: 4.65 ounces.
- Gerber Big Rock: 7.80 ounces.
- Cold Steel Survival Edge: 5.45 ounces.
- Gerber Profile: 8.05 ounces
- Gerber Strongarm: 10.9 ounces
- Cold Steel GI Tanto: 13.35 ounces.
- Cold Steel Recon Scout: 1 pound 2.25 ounces.
- Schrade SCHF9: 1 pound, 4.95 ounces.
The SOG Mini Pentagon offers the benefit of two different types of edges, while weighing the least of the other knives.
Final Thoughts
If there was one thing I wish SOG would address with the Mini Pentagon, design a better sheath. This knife should have a MOLLE sheath option available for the customer. Give the end user a way to mount this knife to a patrol pack, three day assault pack, medium MOLLE.
As stated earlier, I drilled holes in the sheath, then used zip ties to secure it to the outside of a backpack. The drawback, the zip ties had to be cut to move the knife to another pack.
Overall, the SOG Mini Pentagon is an excellent knife that comes in at a very affordable price.
