Enter Operation Locate IWB Knife. (original right?)
I knew for a fact I wanted an IWB knife, that was my only requirement when diving into this mission. I wasn't in the position to spend 500+ on a custom otherwise without a doubt that would have been the route I would have taken. To be specific, Teamguy Dom Raso (@domraso) with Dynamis Alliance designed, (@dynamisalliance) Adam Brown inspired, IWB Razorback blade brought to you by the one and only Daniel Winkler (@winklerknives). This hunk of 80CRV2 is in my opinion the best IWB knife you can buy. Clothed in beautiful black and red micarta scales with a total length of 7.25" and a blade length of 3.5". The price point on this bad boy was $549.99 if you wanted the trainer and IWB sheathe. The thing that turned me off the most was the 20 week wait.Yes it is indeed true all good things come with time, however, I wanted something right then and there.
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| Dynamis Blades- On left Dynamis Alliance Blade. On right Razorback Blade |
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| Dynamis Alliance Razorback IWB position |
Another thing that came into play was the uncertainty of how I would fair rocking a IWB blade. So I started browsing around with the bigger companies; Benchmade, Spyderco, Kershaw, ZT and SOG. The problem with me blindly browsing around was I really didn't know what I was looking for. The more I looked the less I could find something I liked. I started to realize through looking at all my options what I wanted in this knife. I wanted a low profile, concealable, self defense blade. It seemed more and more like I should just bite the bullet and get myself a Razorback. Until I came across the Benchmade SOCP dagger (@benchmadeknifecompany), there was hope.
What turned me on to the SOCP dagger was the option of adding a "trainer" blade to my order, much like the Razorback. I buy into the idea of a trainer blade for safer practice; drawing from concealment and practicing different self defense scenarios especially when there is another person involved makes me feel slightly better. Another thing that drew me in was the designer, Greg Thompson. Greg is the creator of the Special Operatives Combative Program (SOCP), which in 2010 became the first officially designated combatives program for all U.S. Army Special Operations Forces. Now SOCP has been adopted by most, if not all, special forces groups along with local and federal law enforcement, ATF, FBI, border patrol and some private contractors. Greg's personal achievements and credentials can alone cover an NYC billboard, from author to inventor Greg has a uncanny skill set. So with that being said I went ahead and ordered the black plain edged dagger with the trainer. This set up can be had on amazon for around the $124 mark (HERE).
When the SOCP dagger arrived, my first impressions were great! My excitement was excessive, I finally found a great EDC IWB knife...but did I really?
The SOCP dagger is crafted from 440C which is a decently hard stainless steel. The overall length of the dagger comes in around 7.25", with 3.22 of those inches dedicated for the blade and 4.03" remaining for the skeletonized handle. On this model both edges are slightly beveled... as in notably SLIGHTLY beveled. You have your classic ring style dagger for quicker deployment and for more of a positive/secure purchase when in use. The ring feature paired with the jimping running along the ring as well as the finger grooves of the handle make for a solid lockup in numerous conditions. The SOCP dagger is coated in a very durable finish which I can attest to. However I don't know the name of the coating because it isn't really listed anywhere. My second favorite feature of the blade is the fact that it weighs a mere 2.20oz. Combined with the sheath, my number one favorite feature, the SOCP dagger totals 3.24oz.
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| Benchmade SOCP Dagger plain edge |
The sheath is made up of an injection molded plastic, mostly likely ABS and is loaded with features. It was primarily designed to be an IWB sheath that rides very low on the waistline with only the ring feature exposed. The clip itself has a rubberized coating on it that meets with a serrated portion of plastic on the sheath itself to aid in gripping any clothing article it is attached to. The sheath also presents multiple lanyard tie in areas and is molle compatible.
Alright so I've been rambling about the specs and gave an primarily unbiased overview of the features of the SOCP dagger. So now its time to get into my actual thoughts and opinions of this dagger after carrying it and training with it for the last couple of months. I'm going to break it down into segments to make it easier for me.. and you sorta.
The Blade - This knife is meant for one thing and one thing only, self defense. In this set up, it is fundamentally a tool to stab with. That is literally the only use out of the box, and that is completely fine because that is what it is advertised for. That is exactly why Benchmade can get away with 440c, yes not the worse steel in the world, but it is definitely not on my top 10. There is a company by the name of Spartan Blades who make a SOCP-esque dagger out of 154CM dubbed the CQB Tool. The dimensions are a tiny bit different but at first glance it is the same knife. The notable difference is going to be the sheath, Spartan Blades makes a kydex sheath exclusively for a molle configuration. Two other minute differences are the CQB Tool's edges, they are saber ground and are actually sharp in contrast to the SOCP dagger which is beveled but would have a hard time cutting out of a wet paper bag. Which is completely fine because it's only purpose in life is to be "pointy". The last difference being the coating on the blade, Spartan Blades uses their own in house PVD coating called the SpartaCoat.
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| Spartan Blades CQB Tool |
Okay, there is a reason I brought up Spartan Blades CQB Tool, they use 154cm. Now wouldn't that have been sweet if Benchmade used an 154cm for their SOCP dagger and took 20 more seconds on each bevel to put an edge on the dagger? Maybe, maybe not. The Benchmade dagger fits a certain bill in the industry being strictly a self defense tool. However with that being said, I feel like Benchmade could increase the overall value of the dagger by putting a functional edge on the knife. Since I was talking about the Razorback before I will use that for comparison. The Razorback was designed to be a self defense tool however it is still very functional as a utilitarian blade which makes it an outstanding EDC option. There has been many times where I have been without a folding knife and have went to grab for my SOCP dagger just to be disappointed when I couldn't cut through packing tape. After a couple months I went ahead and put a functional edge on my dagger and that is where my wish of better steel comes in. But its hard for me to argue that point when I know the blade was strictly designed for not cutting tape but punching threw layers of clothing and skin!
Overall I would say I am happy with the blade, is it what I had in mind when I was originally searching for an IWB knife? Not really. But it was advertised for one purpose only and it indeed excels at that. One of the most overlooked features of this knife is the ring feature, not only does it make for a quick and secure deployment but it always you to draw your firearm while having the SOCP dagger deployed. In other cases you would have to drop your knife or switch your knife out of your primary hand to draw your firearm which takes time. This allows you to first clear space with your SOCP dagger if confronted extremely close and then draw when you're able to without worrying about the knife in your hand.
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| Demonstrating the ease of use of the SOCP Dagger and firearm |
So thumbs up for the blade!
The Sheath- My absolute favorite part of this knife! The sheath for the SOCP dagger is extremely versatile and has numerous capabilities that increase the knifes overall potential. You can run this knife on a molle rig or you can use the multiple lanyard holes to rig something up. A popular orientation is in the pockets of your pants, I personally am not a huge fan of this but if do run this configuration its in a rear pocket. My favorite way to carry this is at the one o'clock position IWB. I've clipped the dagger onto sweatpants, athletic shorts, dress pants and jeans. Not once have I ever had an issue with the sheath coming out with the knife when being deployed; this was pretty surprising especially on super thin athletic shorts. I've worked out with the knife in this position, done farm work and drove a couple hundred miles at a time and had a positive experience doing so, with the occasional nut pinch from being in the one o clock position.
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| SOCP Dagger being ran on a molle mag pouch |
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| SOCP Dagger in horizontal position on belt loops |
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| SOCP Dagger IWB carry one o'clock |
There are pros and cons of this dagger riding so low on the waistline, the cons being the dagger is riding low on your waist line...so you have 6 inches of injection molded plastic in your pants but only 1 inch above the waist. The pro of this is that you can bend over without getting poked in the stomach but when you go to sit down if you're not oriented right, that six inches can do some damage to the boys downstairs. But that's all relative on how you carry and your body's build.
The Overall- I have put this knife to use and trained with it quite a bit, it is outstanding for the lone purpose of self protection. With that being said, would I buy it again? My answer is undecided, I really want to say yes, but I feel like it just wasn't what I was looking for. The more I think about it the more I'm convinced the Razorback is the way I want to go. I would buy it over the Spartan Blades CQB tool just for the sheath alone. I also really enjoy the lightweight nature of the SOCP Dagger, that is definitely something that will be gravely missed when hopefully carrying the Razorback!
Well if you've made it this far through my rambling I do appreciate it and hopefully it helped someone out there interested in this dagger! Check out @maplevalleyhunt and @maplevalleyaxeworks on instagram to get updates on what's going on in the MVH world.
-Cheers
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