- an already good model that has become lighter
This is a review that may need a brief background description for those who are already knife enthusiasts but do not know everything about SOG. The rest of you can skip it. I say so because SOG or Studies and Observations Group as the acronym reads is a brand that from having a cult following with many classic knives like SOG MAC V Bowie, Scuba, Government and folding knives like Tomcat and Stinger and others fell into oblivion for a while. The reason was that for a long time they devoted themselves to more volume-oriented models of more or less good quality, which meant that their value was devalued among enthusiasts. This mainly applied to the American market and their folding knives should be added.
But that mourning period is now over, it seems, and for some time now they have had a partly new range, and this especially applies to the folding knife segment. Not least, today's review object, Terminus XR LTE, can serve as a good example of reborn SOG.
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| SOG Terminus XR LTE |
One of the knives that showed the way to this come-back even among knife nuts was the model Terminus XR which came in 2018. XR implies that the knife is equipped with SOG's variant of lock built around a transverse locking bolt of the same type found in the more famous Axis lock*. SOG has abandoned their older Arc-lock in favor of this variant and without going into details I can say that I am very pleased with that decision as the older type was troubled with some problems that are now gone.
Terminus XR is available in several versions, one of which is even a slip joint. The basic version has sides in G10 and simpler D2 steel. The knife is also available in an XR version that has sides in a G10 / carbon fiber laminate and in addition, is equipped with S35VN steel to raise the level. On top of that, there is this version!
The addition of "LTE" to the name of the knife is not only to make the designation longer but means that it, like cars with long names, has been tuned a bit. Here it is the materials that have received another upgrade compared to the original model. Which they are I will go into in more detail below.
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| This version of Terminus offers a color combination of black and gold |
Twitter version: SOG Terminus XR LTE is a knife that offers a little bling, a lot of technology, high quality, and excellent performance!
Blade
Terminus XR has a blade with fairly classic dimensions. This means a length of 3 which translated to "real" measurements is 75mm, the height is 25 mm and SOG has chosen to stick to a modest 3 mm stock thickness. I am very grateful for the latter. It is a good foundation for a blade that cuts well.
The blade on Terminus is something of a hybrid between a drop point and a clip point. The tip ends up above the centerline as on a drop point but it has a nice "clipped" false edge which reminds of a clip point. The blade is, besides a flipper tab, also equipped with and a pair of double-sided thumb studs. The spine of the blade has a series of well-made and well-placed grooves for better grip. But what gives this knife its special look is the coating of TiNi. If you do not want quite the same "bling" factor, the knife is also available in a more modest color scheme called "Graphite" which is gray as the name suggests. The coating helps protect the blade from corrosion. Then it can be discussed how necessary it is as this blade steel is rather rust-resistant anyway.
Another thing that SOG has unfortunately made themselves known for is turning their knives into portable billboards. In this case, it has been toned down a bit, even if the presentation side of the blade offers a short story. A large part of that story consists of the printed abbreviation. SOG falters a little from time to time in what they want to be called. In addition to the brand, there is of course model name and in addition, the steel type and hardening method used. The latter feels a bit unnecessary.
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| The clip point blade is coated with TiNi coating which gives the gold-colored surface |
If there is one thing that SOG is known for, it's making knives with exemplary factory edges. They have succeeded even in the cases where they used less advanced steel. Here they offer both a good edge and quality steel. This knife shaved arm hair without resistance and split paper with a faint hiss directly from the box. The edge is also even in height and especially sideways. A non-centered edge is difficult to straighten yourself. To facilitate future sharpening, the blade has a decent but not perfect sharpening choil. There is a small mistake in that the edge has a little "smile" towards the heel, even if it is very tiny. It could have been avoided if the choil had been just a few millimeters longer.
In this version, Terminus comes with a blade of S35VN steel under the gold-colored surface. It is a steel that does not need any further presentation by now as it is used in many quality folding knives. It is typical modern knife steel with balanced properties. There are now "hotter" steels on the market, but they often bring disadvantages such as a higher price or that they are difficult to sharpen.
Then the blade is not only nice to look at, but it also offers good performance. It depends on three good properties where the base consists of good steel with what appears to be good hardening. The next step is the sharp edge and the third factor is the blade geometry itself.
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| On the presentation side, you will find quite a lot of text and here you can also see that the coating is worn |
First, it can be said that the blade type itself is extremely versatile. It can perform all types of cuts and penetrates well. Then SOG has chosen to start from three millimeters stock thickness and in addition provide the knife with a high primary bevel. Behind the edge, Terminus measures about 0.6 mm, which is decent. Someone claimed that it is a hollow grind, but no matter how close I look at it, it's still flat.
No doubt Terminus is a really good EDC knife. That was something I noticed already the first days I wore and used it. As usual, my test periods are quite long. More often than not a couple of months. I think it's a bit, I'm not going to say dishonestly but almost, to unbox a knife and review it ten minutes later on Youtube. But obviously, I "compress" the use. I cut more often and in more materials than I need to just to see how the knife behaves and how it wears.
Terminus is a knife that can handle almost any task. The neutral handle provides good support even when cutting harder materials such as dry wood. Something that this knife is actually not bad at. The blade bites as it should and it is easy to control. The edge is relatively thin but the blade is still so strong that you can put some force behind the cuts if needed. The same goes for the tip. It is sharp and penetrates as it should without being weak. It is also possible to pry it loose from a piece of wood if you do not overdo it. Since the blade is not that thick and the edge good, it is pleasant to shred cardboard with this blade. Also, soft materials such as foam plastic and fabric are easy to handle with Terminus. When stuck in, for example, thicker plastic cans, it feels safe with triple safety. The flipper tab acts as a finger guard, the thumb is held in place by the grooves on the blade spine and the rear end of the handle rests against inside the hand.
After a while, the edge loses its initial sharpness. But that was after I cut a piece of plastic carpet that was leftover from the kitchen renovation and cut off cable ties and some nylon rope. It responds easily to a strop or sharpening rod though. Even my toughest test went well with Terminus XR, cutting off an old dry reinforced garden hose.
Handle
Terminus XR LTE measures just over ten centimeters folded. The height of the handle is 23 mm at the grip itself and the width is 11.5 mm. It is enough to fill the hand fairly well given the size of the knife while contributing to the extremely low weight.
Now it is not only the dimensions that keep the weight down but the fact that it is a very advanced construction we have in front of us. The entire handle is constructed of solid carbon fiber. Although it was a truth with modification since what corresponds to omega springs to handle the lock are hidden in the handle sides. In them are also found spacers in steel for the ball bearings to slide against. So more precisely, Terminus LTE has a carbon fiber frame and on the outside, there are sides that are also made of carbon fiber. This construction is said to make it about 30% lighter than the original. I actually do not think I have come across any knife before that is built around a frame in this material. I'm not sure I understand why SOG chose this technique instead of making two solid pieces of carbon fiber which then are milled out on the inside.
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| The handle shape is simple and straight and offers good ergonomics |
But they obviously did not think that carbon fiber was light enough anyway, so beyond that, the frame has been further lightened. The sides have then been rounded with a wide bevel. In fact, so much so that the sides look almost 3-d milled even though they are not. The carbon fiber has for the most part been left bare, but to provide much-needed traction, the surface has been provided with grooves. They are excellently made and provide exactly the friction that would otherwise be lacking. A small mistake is found in the fact that the insides are not rounded enough. In both the top and bottom they feel a little sharp. A few minutes of work with sandpaper took care of that detail on my knife.
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| Here is a glimpse of the unusual double carbon fiber construction. Inside a lightened frame and on the outside, sides in the same material |
The sides of this knife are attached with three rather small screws with T6 heads. The same size is found in the pivot, which is good in that only one driver is needed to disassemble the knife. However, I had not minded a couple of sizes larger screw heads in the front. They tend to last better in the long run. The small screws are pulled into a backspacer which is also made of carbon fiber. No extra weight there either in other words. The bracket for the clip is also found here.
Then it probably escapes no one that SOG has chosen to match the blade by having the same gold-colored TiNi coating also on screws and clips. A very tasteful choice. However, it turned out after a while that the coating there was worn in the same way as on the blade.
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| Being a lightweight EDC, this knife is really ergonomic. All grips work well |
Held in hand, SOG Terminus is very comfortable. The fairly simple and straight handle does not cause any problems no matter how the knife is held. Possibly, the clip, like many of this type, can be felt a bit when you slide back on the handle in a saber grip with your thumb on top of the blade. In hammer grip, on the other hand, it more or less disappears. The knife is also very well balanced and it is therefore easy to switch between different grips. It is in my opinion a big plus with everyday knives as I often use them for small jobs. That is, to take out a skewer, open a package, etc. Then I like to hold the knife in the pinch or with a forefinger on top of the blade for better control. Overall, I must say that this is a very good handle.
Opening and Lock
SOG has succeeded with something that Benchmade never did, to manufacture a lock that is based on the same principle but which also forms a good basis for a flipper knife. A large part of the explanation is found in how SOG has chosen to shape the base of the blade. Namely, it is the lock itself that constitutes the detent that holds the blade in place in the closed position. Here, they have succeeded in creating an angle that first offers resistance, which helps to build up the pressure against the flipper tab and then distinctly release before it finally locks in the extended position. Between the endpoints, the blade swings freely when the locking bolt is retracted. It provides a very well-functioning flipper. That feeling is of course substantiated by the fact that the blade runs on ceramic ball bearings.
In addition, the flipper tab is very well designed. The finger does not slip and the function is very safe regardless of how you place the finger and at what angle the knife is held. Then it can only be activated in one way, but the form itself guides the user to the correct angle. The speed achieved is good, especially considering the lock construction. Not the fastest, but still very good.
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| The flipper tab is well designed and the opening method works surprisingly well for sitting on a knife with this type of lock. |
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| The thumb studs work at least as well as the flipper and so does the method of using the lock to open the knife. |
Then Terminus belongs to those knives that have several opening methods. In addition to the flipper tab, there is of course a set of thumb studs that in my opinion work well. It may be objected that they are too close to the handle and are a bit on the sharp side. But the latter compensates for the former and makes it easy to both open the blade slowly and to flick it out if desired.
Terminus can of course also be opened with the help of the lock like all knives of this type. That is, you pull back the lock bolt and open the knife with a wrist flick. Since the blade runs on bearings, it requires a little timing in the outer position so that the blade does not bounce back. It is easier in the other direction, to close the knife. By the way, that particular detail is exemplary on this knife. Both opening and closing are also completely independent of side, so all left-handed and ambidextrous people are welcome.
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| Here is the lock bolt on the XR lock |
Speaking of closing the knife with the help of the lock, SOG has succeeded very well with that part of this knife. Not only is the XR in my opinion a better lock than the ARC, but it's also in this version even better than the Benchmade original. They never managed, as I said, despite twenty years of practice, to combine their lock with a fully functioning flipper-opened knife. SOG has done that here! The lock function itself is excellent as the blade is held in place without play. Not even that little bit of up-and-down play that usually can be detected on this category of locks. A small golf clap to SOG for that effort.
Then the lock is easy to access when you want to disengage it because of the stepped ramp similar to the ones found on many OTF-knives. Not just screw heads as on an Axis lock. These are easier to locate and get a good grip around as they are larger and prevent you from slipping off.
To Carry
Overall, this knife is a joy to carry. Outer dimensions are mostly great combined with very low weight. I wrote "mostly" because it is a bit fat across the neck for the size. It is always a balancing act as it makes the knife thicker in a pocket but in return also much more comfortable in use. Incidentally, the scale stays at a paltry 63 grams. If it is to be a lightweight knife, so be it.
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| The knife comes with deep carry, loop over-clip which is very good, and above all the SOG logo is not punched in it |
The grooved sides give a little friction against the fabric in a pocket, but in this case, it is almost only good. It helps to keep the treasure in the pocket when it should be there. Smooth carbon fiber surfaces are otherwise very slippery. In this case, it gives some little resistance when the knife is pulled or put away but nothing that is experienced negatively. On the contrary, this knife is really good in a pocket. And as I use to say, that is, after all, where a pocket knife spends most of its time.
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| A pretty discreet clip apart from the color |
This clip is not the same as on the simpler models, thank goodness! They have a punched SOG logo over the entire surface. This clip has only a simple and rather discreet text in black on gold. Something that does not hurt the eye at all.
And even better, the function is phenomenal. It is a loop over-clip, ie it is attached to the rear edge of the handle, which means that no screw heads are in the way and that the knife is riding deep in the pocket. In addition, the tension is good, and not least, the lip/ramp is correctly designed. This means that it is NOT angled outwards, which is a mortal sin in my eyes and it is also high enough to be carried over even a little thicker fabric. Overall, this is a very good clip.
To Conclude
Not everything that glitters is gold. But here SOG offers some gold color in a knife that can certainly be used in forests out searching for the golden metal, even if that's not where I think Terminus XR LTE mainly shines. However, this is a really good EDC knife. SOG has succeeded in taking a good platform in the Terminus model and improving it. The basic Terminus XR is well built with quality steel and carbon fiber laminate handle. But this one, the LTE, is a bit better as it has been further lightened by constructing a knife with only carbon fiber in the handle. Building a frame in that material is not commonplace but is an exciting and not bad idea.
Then the "bling factor" of this particular version can be a bit polarizing I guess. The golden tone on the blade, clip, and hardware on this knife is not for everyone. Personally, I normally tend to be more moderate so I challenged myself and thought "what the heck, it' an Olympic year, go for gold".
But to be honest it turned out fairly immediately that when the knife is used, the TiNi coating is not very durable. The blade quickly became stained and at first, I thought it was corrosion despite the extra protection and stainless steel. But when the same kind of spots also appeared on the clip and the pivot screw head on the clip side, I realized that it was just worn. If you do not like traces of use, you should probably choose another version. Although the term patina is very popular among knife enthusiasts these days and here you get it fast. I think it should hold a little better.
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| Everything that glitters is not gold, it can be either copper or TiNi coating |
Another area where SOG has been criticized for quite some time is all the "branding" on their products. At times, they have generously sprinkled with logos and information on their knives. It can be found here as well but is significantly toned down compared to before. You will find a lot of text on the blade but it does not irritate me even though I now have new glasses and therefore can read them. Forgiving is that the text is very small. Then it says SOG on the clip as well, but it is quite discreet and it isn't mirrored on the handle, which they often did before. SOG has listened to their customers in this regard, even though the clip on the simpler models is butt ugly in my opinion. There, they have chosen to skeletonize the entire clip with a giant logo. It is not only hideous but also makes the clip too weak.
Overall, I think Terminus is an attractive knife. The proportions are balanced and it is nice that the blade color reappears in screws and clips. Then gold and black go well together. But apart from the look, this knife offers much more. It is comfortable to carry around as it is barely felt at all. At the same time, it is sympathetic to hold in hand and work with. Yes, as long as you stay away from the really heavy tasks then, but not many other knives in this size can handle it either, so I don't hold that against Terminus.
Then, there is the blade. It is also worth big praise. Nice to look at, although I probably think that the grind lines are highlighted better on the versions without coating. But above all, it is practical. You get a capable tip, a piece of a belly to work with, and also a piece of straight edge. In addition, the thumb studs are not in the way, the blade has a fairly well-executed sharpening choil and you get close to the edge for better control. The foundation is good steel in S35VN that got proper heat treatment from what I can tell. The edge was sharp when the knife came and it keeps the sharpness well. It has neither rolled nor chipped as long as I had the knife.
SOG has managed to balance several factors that at first glance seem difficult to reconcile. An XR lock and a flipper opening combined with thumb studs. But they have succeeded. This is how you get one of the few knives on the market with this type of lock that actually flips well! As icing on the cake, several opening methods are offered. The lock is also sturdy and easy to use with both hands. Simply, a really good lock.
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| Terminus XR LTE is an EDC knife with potential. It can handle most things! |
Terminus XR LTE is a knife that I therefore without a doubt recommend. Sure, the coating could be more durable but otherwise, I do not have any objections. In my opinion, Terminus in this edition is among the best in its class of EDC knives and is fully comparable with other "heavyweights" such as Benchmade Bugout and Spyderco Para 3. This is where I want to place it. As a lightweight EDC with the potential to do even a little more than that.
Then, as I said, Terminus is available in several versions and the latest is that it also comes with sides in walnut or even copper. But the latter case spoils the lightweight argument even though it is said to be very light for that material. For the same reason, the prices vary a lot but you will find it in Europe from about 70 € up to 170 € for this version. If you want the same performance but at a slightly lower price, choose the version without the "LTE" attached to the name.
Specifications:
Length Open: 182 mm
Length Folded: 106 mm
Weight: 63 g
Blade Length: 75 mm
Blade Thickness: 3 mm
Blade Steel: S35VN
Handle: carbon fiber
Lock: XR lock
Produced by: SOG, made in China
/ J
* Which too often is said to be a lock copied by others which is only partially true as Collins' "Bolt lock" is based on the same principle although not with identical construction. That lock came much earlier. In other respects, BM's patents on the lock construction have expired at the same time as they still own the rights to the name itself.
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