In this very special episode of the Advanced Knife Bro, I treat the viewers to a half assed
review with seasonally appropriate footage, and one where I’d like to talk to you some real
horrors. Like those of procrastination, laziness, indifference, forgettable knives, and for my wife
me carving a pumpkin right on the carpet. Sorry when I said horrors I should have said for review
channels. The pumpkin was below a source of light. I know I could have put newspaper down.
I make Youtube videos, not good in the moment decisions ok? Subscribers always tell me they want
more content, and unfortunately we’re all going to suffer together. I have quite a few unfinished
projects, I’m looking at 20 right here on the old desktop. I shot part of this two Halloweens
ago now, and the project has been staring at me for two years now like an nagging evil eye.
This channel has never been about showing the viewers the latest greatest steaming piles of
steel and G10 like say the Metal Complex or the Nick Shabazz- but here at the channel we’re,
the royal we as in me and the demons inside me, are more about filling out the corners,
and commentary of the EDC and knife lifestyle. The corners are full of cobwebs and dust, Oh and hey
look the Para 3 lightweight. Did I just throw it down here? I forgot I had it. These knives have no
connection other than Pete sent them to me to take a look at because he didn’t want them anymore.
But before we go any further let’s look at some dimensions. First a lightweight-ish fixed blade,
made for food prep or fish guttin’, or forgotten tool boxes. It’d be a good knife for my mom. Or
your mom. Oh thanks for the knife I’d imagine she’d say. Very thoughtful. Now my my mom
fishes a lot, and the fish don’t gut themselves. Cleaning fish is just one of the fun half dozen
things available to do in Northern Arkansas where she lives and I grew up. Also Walmart,
you can work there, shop there, and have a cardiac event there. And now the SOG Terminus
XR. I’ve only owned one other SOG, the Vulcan. I think I gave that to Eddie. Hope he likes it,
also thoughtful gift I tell myself, a knife I didn’t want. I had to look up my old video
about it because I forgot it’s name. That was my favorite SOG at the time- I mean it was my only
SOG, so by default now this is my favorite SOG. So this review is going to be a personal challenge.
Can I find the energy to review two knives, that another knife reviewer didn’t want. A video I know
isn’t gonna get many views and I won’t be spending much time writing it. So if you see this video,
it means I did it guys! I pushed myself to do the bare minimum. Finish a video I started years ago!
Today is October 12th. So two autumns ago, or 10 years, Pete from the Cedric and Ada
channel sent me these. We send each other stuff from time to time, he has
custody of the Espada XL right now. We talk frequently in knife bro group chats. Not about
these knives of course. I assume he sent me these knives for the same reason I’ve been attempting to
review them for 2 years. Maybe best summed up by the following phrase. Huh? Yeah well. Ok? Not bad.
Who can I give these two. And if you’re wondering I’ve had these knives before the void, the GECs,
my Artistan switchblades, the one that got me. So it’s not that, I was a snob before them.
We can do this, let’s look at the Waterway. The Waterway is a hybrid knife like kinda a
thick spined fixed blade that suggests is for whacking, but also reasonably tapered and slicey,
in theory for fish gutting. It has a slightly longer than 4 inch cutting edge sized blade
made from the rust proof LC200N. A specially formulated steel also found in my Spyderco
Carribean made to be not merely stainless, but free of rust entirely. No steel hardware,
just a rust free blade with G10 scales somehow affixed? Glued, welded, willed together?
And the SOG Terminus XR is a compact every day carry folding knife with a fidget able lock and
kind of a decent steel. I think they discontinued the BDZ1 steel version I have and now it’s s35VN.
I’m sure it’s a collectors item for, are there SOG collectors? I have never considered that before.
The blade of the SOG terminus is a drop point, I think it’s a tad larger than say a Delica but
overall think a Shabazed sized knife. Pete I believe has put one of his edges on this,
so it’s pretty sharp. With apparently some rust spots on it from my neglect, not surprising I
guess. I’ll try and clean those before I give it to someone. Product descriptions say a hollow
grind but it almost looks flat to me. Flat like the Waterway. Alright we’ve done blades… uhh…
Ok let’s look at the Terminus action, stick with me folks we can do this. The Terminus XR,
uses an XR lock, don’t know what XR stands for and don’t care. In
theory and practice and to the standard knife asshole it flips and snaps like an Axis lock.
A “well actually” below will explain the nuances of the mechanism, and how it’s nothing like an
axis internally so I won’t have to. You can pull it back and flip it out and flip it back.
Or you have the thumbstuds. Those work pretty well, I prefer the XR flip slightly more than
the thumbstuds, which aren’t too offensive. The flipper tab is heavily jimped and kind of sucks.
It’ll make your tender office thumb meat raw if you’re fidgeting with it that way.
If it had slightly more real estate like another MM or two and the jimping was taken away it would
probably improve it. Sounds like work though. The handle of the SOG is just about the smallest I
like in a standard tactical folder. Enough room for my average guy sized hands… and the hybrid
carbon fiber and G10 handle has those diagonal palm groves to give it… uhh… sorry nodded off uh
traction. Real fun stuff, black G10 with carbon fiber. Very versatile. Overall the
looks and you know fidget-ability make this a pretty decent knife. The pocket clip is a deep
carry and slides in the pocket nicely. Never let’s you forget and all your buddies its a SOG.
Hell yeah man is that a SOG? The clips is a little flexible, and not a pocket killer. Decent but kind
of forgettable. Advanced Knife Bro, a forgettable but decent channel- put it on my tombstone. (Nerd
voice) I don’t know why you dont have a million subscribers. This video should answer that easily.
Now the Waterways handle? The waterway is a low maintenanceance fixed blade, not too small,
ideally a good, but not cool looking, camp knife. Kind of an odd shape. Where have I heard that
before. You could easily filet with it in a pinch, or throw it in a drawer and forget about it for
months at a time, but it’s a better food prep knife. Back in my fish gutting days I remember
those thin flexible blades, you could get at Walmart for like $15 excelling at cleaning fish,
but the waterway thicker and not flexible. If you want to baton and build a meticulous social
media primitive shelter, and need something to whack buy an esee. The handle is grippy
G10 and seems like its sealed to the full tang of the knife. Black G10 has a very calming
sedative effect on me. Like formaldehyde. When I start holding one or writing about one I start to
doze off. I like screwed on scales, but I get what they’re going for here. From spydercos website
regarding the handle “The scales are attached by a specialized process involving blind pins and
a high-strength industrial adhesive, ensuring a permanent, water-tight bond.” Exhilarating.
The sheath. Spyderco calls it Bolatron, now I don’t know what the fuck that is, but to me it
feels slightly like more of a plastic than a kydex. I dunno, maybe a hybrid? Has a spyderco
G-Clip on it for belts or whatever. Rides a bit high honestly, if you’re gonna put in on your belt
but maybe you have a real specific application for the sheath. I guess you could wear it
horizontally, but with all due respect I’d rather not carry a knife than carry it horizontally.
Let’s do some size comparisons. The SOG Terminus XR next to the Benchmade 940-1.
These are both pretty good comparisons in size and function. The SOG comes in at under $90,
the 940-1 is like nearly 272 nowadays, because you get paid some much more than you did several years
ago. The XR has a slightly smaller blade though, the 940-1 feels nicer in the hand and is smoother.
But almost 200 more smoother? Maybe the SOGs a better choice? Guys do I hate knives? Now the
Spyderco Para 3. I like the looks of the Para 3 better. But like the Para Military 2 sized
knife more. Also a fidgety knife because of the compression lock. Para 3 lightweights are still
over $100, and regular para 3s start at $146. Good knife but if you just need a decent pocket knife
the Terminus. But then why wouldn’t you go with a Rat 2? Or a cheaper civivi. Two suns, those seem
popular. Sorry I sold my Rat 2. Now the Waterway. Waterway, the closest knives
I could compare it to maybe the Esee Laser Strike? Thicker knife on the Laser Strike,
better beat it up knife, and the scales on it are swappable. Now a I dunno a Mora companion.
These are like under $20. Not rust proof, but come in carbon or stainless.
Ok wrapping it up. I find it hard to recommend either of these knives whole heartedly over
anything. There are better cheaper knives, and there are worse more expensive knives.
Knives are getting expensive, and why is a 940-1 a better pocket knife than the SOG?
The Spyderco and Benchmade price creep sucks for mass produced knives Every year same knife
but 10-20 more. Maybe you collect different colors of G10 Para Military 2’s. Is there a
more punchable phrase in knife collecting, than I collect Para Military 2’s! For fun check out the
Wayback machine and go to Blade HQ which rarely deletes product pages. See what all your favorite
Spydercos and Benchmades’s cost 3-5 years ago. Sorry back on track… And the Waterway is a very
nice food prep knife, that I guess gives you a rust free entirely experience.
Neither knife is amazing looking, although the Terminus is one of the better looking SOG knives.
So in summation. Don’t get into knives, and if you do start with knives you like the looks of
that inspire something in you. Ok follow me on Instagram where I’ll be giving away the SOG.
Think about becoming a Patron, unless you feel like putting it off like I put off doing these
reviews I figured no one would watch. Say Happy Halloween to the Patrons, and congratulate them
for sticking around. It isn’t easy. Becoming a patron helps me pay for knives and my new editing
computer and camera. Anyway Teespring has some shirts and stickers, if you like telling people
you watch and support Youtube channels. Oh it’s my favorite knife channel on Youtube.
As they creep away. Anyway. Thanks for watching!