SOGTerminus XR G10 Daily Carry Rugged EDC Ambidextrous Pocket Folding Knives | G10 Handle | Wear-Resistant D2 Steel Blade

The SOG Termius XR is so far as I can tell the best knife for the money if you want an "axis lock" style blade. I have a benchmade bugout and comparing to that this knife does really well for the price. Sure the benchmade is better in every way but the compromises are not bad on the SOG and the feature set is robust. Sure the XR lock is not as smooth as the Benchmade. The spring is stronger on the SOG so it takes more pressure to unlock it. Sure the scales are not as polished. Sure the D2 is not as good as S30V. Sure there is no lanyard hole on the SOG. But... do you use a lanyard hole? For my use the upgrades are not really a good use of my dollars. The scale finish isnt bad its just not as smooth. The XR lock works fine and can be flicked open and closed with ease. The pocketclip (since SOG updated it) is peachy keen. The SOG also has a flicker giving you one more way to open it than a bugout. The CIVIVI praxis has similar steel/scales but no crossbar lock, the kershaw heist would be the best direct competition to this knife but at the time of writing is $10 more and doesnt have a flicker tab on the back (though the heist has a lanyard hole). So my opinion, this is a sweet knife for the money, it drops effortlessly through paper out of the box, has all the features (though less polished) of a knife that costs $120 more, its hard not to like it.

UPDATE:.I completely disassembled the knife. It's a little tricky as the body screws screw into keyed, hollow, threaded cylinders/spacers, which are loose-fitting. Remove the screw on one scale and the opposite screw, still threaded into the spacer will slide and drop out the other side! Note that the pivot screw has a T6 hole on both ends, but the through "nut" (opposite side to the pocket clip) is keyed into the steel liners and doesn't rotate..There was no grease around the Omega spring, where it rubs. I saw the white deposit of the Teflon dry lube I'd applied. I cleaned all the parts and used small quantities of 3-in-1 oil this time, and some silicone grease around the spring area. Through trial and error, I found that the best way to reassemble this knife is to fit the Omega spring on the one side of the steel liner with the crossbar in place, place the plastic thumb knob over the crossbar end (noting that there's a cut-out in the underside to clear the spring it sits over), fit the G10 scale. Then stack the washer, bearing, knife blade and other bearing set with the pivot "nut" in place, lubing as you go. Position the back spacer and place the top liner on the stack, clip in the other Omega spring, grease that, and fit the thumb knob. Then fit the G10 scale, and while holding everything together, tighten the middle position body screw. After that it's easy to fit and adjust the pivot screw, tighten the remaining body screws, and refit the pocket clip..The action was only slightly, but noticeably, smoother. The friction of the sprung-loaded crossbar against the blade cut-out profile is something you can't reduce without weaker springs. They are quite strong.The blade is polished where they rub during opening for reduced friction. With the crossbar pulled back, the blade swings very freely with no free play. The blade was still centered nicely..I like this SOG even more having rebuilt it!.Original Review:.I bought this knife primarily for EDC where I could have a four-finger grip. I already have a three-finger grip, 2.5” knife and it’s a little small, but legal in certain states. I really appreciate long-lasting D2 edge retention, flippers and the XR, Axis-type lock has some unique appeal, especially for this price. I did have concerns about smooth operation and the quality of the flipper, as mentioned by other reviewers..The packaging really should be upgraded from a cheap-looking, blister pack to a simple box. The knife is worthy of better initial presentation and, at $50, it’s not a crappy $15 blister pack item..Out of the box, the knife looked good; centered blade, no free play, yet a very free-moving blade with the lock fully retracted. The flipper was sharp though on the edges, especially at the rear and over the jimping. However, a quick rub on some 200 Grit sandpaper addressed that concern.Where I was slightly disappointed was the amount of friction caused by the pressure of the XR locking crossbar against the blade rear profile. This makes flipping problematic. Firstly, the action is not the usual flick back on the flipper tab. The action is more of a press down, perpendicular to the jimping. Once you get the hang of that, the friction against the Omega-sprung crossbar can sometimes result in the blade not fully opening and locking in place. It ends up hanging at 30 degrees or so from fully open. You really have to press hard, and fast, to overcome the stiffness from the spring action. You can get used to it but I still get 1 out of 10 flips hanging. Spring assistance would be nice to resolve this issue, or a reduced spring force. Flicking the knife after initially releasing the blade from closed with the XR lock works better. I applied some lubricant (Dry Teflon (initially liquid) lube) but that didn’t actually help. If anything, it made it slightly stiffer. I’ll have to strip and oil at some time to see if that works any better. The pivot screw is a tiny T6 but turns without difficulty with a screwdriver bit..Thumb studs are never my favorite means of deployment and these SOG studs are worse than most. The studs are very close to the G10 chamfer and don’t sit very proud. I therefore can’t get a good purchase on them. The friction also means I can never get full deployment, and invariably, my thumb catches the sharp edge on the bottom of the blade. However, that’s typical for me on most studs..The G10 has some subtle texturing but it seems good enough for typical use cases. It also doesn’t hinder the pocket extraction with the friction between the pocket and the G10 texture, though a smooth area just under the swan neck of the pocket clip would be better. I am not quite four-fingers in grip. It’s more like 3 ¾ fingers with my XL hands. It works though..The blade is exceedingly sharp ex-factory, and I know from experience that the edge retention is superb with D2 and I’ll only need some occasional stropping to retain an edge, long before sharpening is necessary. You do have to be careful with rust on D2 (wipe it dry immediately). D2 will break if you try and pry hard with the blade. The point is very sharp, as my finger knows too well!.I see that there are third-party Omega springs available (22mm), which, with a little modification for the post diameter, will keep this knife working well into the future. I don’t believe SOG offers spares! Omega springs are typically a potential weak point..Overall, I do like this knife. It does have minor flaws though. Hence only 4 Stars.- The out-of-the-blister-pack quality is pretty good.- The XR lock is the star of the show and makes the operation a non-stop fidget magnet - a great feature at just $50.- The opening action does take some getting used to, with the friction from the Omega sprung-loaded XR crossbar being a potential negative.- The crimson color of the G10 handle looks cool and makes finding a dropped knife easy.- This knife is very pocketable and reasonably comfortable to use, though I could do with a few more millimeters of handle length, to be honest.- SOG should run the flipper over some sandpaper to remove the sharp edges!.An EDC knife well worthy of your consideration.

The D2 steel blade is super sharp. The blade flips open quickly with the stud or the thumb catch, and locks positively. The XR lock releases the blade and lets it close safely. The G10 handle is shaped and surface-textured to feel really great in my hand. The whole package is operable by one hand and cuts really well. Great value for just around $50.

Love this knife, its a mid price range knife but feels well above its price point. The weight is just right for me and the locking mechanism is excellent and fun to play with. I've been flicking it open and closed hundreds of times daily just out of habit and have felt no issues with integrity. Makes a great gift for knife lovers or just a amazing knife for under $100.

Best simple multi use knife,ive got 2,black and crimsom,perfect and simple

I like: the shape, swedge, and coarse stone wash finish of the blade, the lockup, lack of blade play, firm detent, and blade centering. It feels solid and durable.The handle finishing and ergos are just ok. The frame is heavy. The XR lock switch is plastic and has in and out play - making a popping noise. The XR lock spring is strong, using it takes 2 strong fingers and it's harsh on your fingertips. You need to brace the end of the handle against your palm to get enough leverage. The red g-10 definitely looks and feels a bit cheap, , the g-10 edges are disappointingly sharp. My old Flash II's FRN looks and feels better. The flipper deployment is the best option, using the XR lock to deploy takes an strong, practiced wrist flick. The detent is strong, so the thumbstuds are difficult to use.When I first got it, I could not deploy the blade with the XR lock alone and it did not drop shut, stopping at the detent point. After wiping off the contact points, fidgeting for a day, and tuf-glide it has gotten better. I can drop shut now. It's definitely still gritty, but hopefully will improve.Overall the knife has some good points, but the ergos, look and feel of the handle detract from the whole package. It also came in an awful blister pack. IMO it's got enough negatives that I wouldn't recommend it unless you really want an XR cross bar style lock knife but only have $50.I'd probably spend $75 and go for a CIVIVI button lock (altus, conspirator) instead. Or get a sencut / civivi framelock (Snap, Honoris, Praxis, Elementum) if you want a nice flipper and want it under $50.~~~ After a few days of working the lock mechanism, the knife action has improved. It drops shot and overall is good for a $45 knife.