SOG Seal Pup Elite

Shortly after providing a new design to Arkansas blacksmith James Black, Jim Bowie didn't waste any time using the now famous "Bowie Knife." Upon returning to Texas, Bowie was attacked by three would be assasins who quickly learned of the dangers of messing with the legendary figure. Legend has it that one man was nearly decapitated and the other two suffered similarly gruesome fates.

We always had dozens of guns and more than a few knives around our house growing up - but I was always more attracted to the knives. Whether it is the image of Osceola plunging a dagger into the treaty with the United States, or Rambo inflicting his carnage in the forests of the Northwest back country, there is a raw, primitive satisfaction that comes from holding a really good knife.

For decades, as I traveled around the world I would bring a knife, sword or machete back to my son. I remember the time I brought a particularly large machete with handmade sheath from Central America. His eyes lit up as the boy held up the weapon half the size of his body.

All of these thoughts caused me to ask the question, "If I could only have one knife, what would it be?" That journey began with hours of research online and finally narrowing my search down to a few really good options. What I settled on was the SOG Seal Pup Elite.

The product is a fixed blade knife that was originally designed for Navy Seals. When I first saw the knife I wasn't overly impressed by its appearance. It didn't have a flashy handle, but the more I tested it, the more impressed I became. The nylon handle is durable, is great for gripping and weather resistant. The blade is 4.85 inches long and .185 inches wide and is partially serated on the top and bottom.

The blade is the strongest, most durable and well designed of any knife I have ever held. In independent tests it held up to being stuck in a tree, twisted back and forth and the blade used in axe-like fashion without any signs of dulling.

The SOG Seal Pup Elite performs beyond expectations. The knife is listed at retail for $120.00, but can be purchased on Amazon or through discounters for about $70.00.

So, if you could own only one knife - what would it be?