Microtech Socom Manual - a blade for the fancy wars

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[@eachday9538]

Either I just had a mini stroke, or you forgot to put in the size comparison footage

[@s.h.v.c2865]

think he put it at 4:20

[@eachday9538]

@@s.h.v.c2865 Never! Pete leaves a second of silence and blank screen at 4:20 in all his videos as a personal call to the pursuit of upstanding citizenry!

[@s.h.v.c2865]

How remiss of me of course lol

[@tonycanniffe2360]

That’s not the only size comparison Pete handles with such alacrity 🙃

[@marrenmiller]

The lockbar has a steel insert on it which is ground to fit each knife. They probably ground that one poorly, as it's not the first one I've heard of with slight vertical play. I've had close to a dozen different Socoms and none of mine had the issue, but it definitely happens with this model on occasion. Thankfully their warranty has gotten a lot better as well over the years. They supposedly formed a dedicated warranty group and their service is now easily in line with Benchmade and KAI in my experience with those services.

[@DavidM-lj5yv]

I just bought my 3rd Socom Elite last week. Have been on a Microtech binge past 6 mos. 6 Mos ago I owned zero Microtechs, now I own 18. Collecting Microtechs has become my new hobby. Only one of those 18 is a Marfione Custom-- my Marfione Blued Damascus blade Combat Troodon-- that thing is a beauty. My EDC is always a Socom Elite these days.

[@Kraakesolv]

I like tip down in a tactical knife, tip up has lead to some accidents when attached to my plate carrier on duty. Edit: To elaborate, my pocket is more often than not blocked by a holster, pouches, some other thingimajig or just out of reach in a vehicle for instance. Therefore I like to clip the knife to my chest instead, directly onto the PALS webbing. Tip up it can more easily open if the thumb stud is caught on a sling or just some debris whilst prone.

[@jdmbeaner182]

Wouldn't a fixed blade make more sense on a chest rig?

[@matthealey8]

@@jdmbeaner182 You would think so - and in some fixed blades do make more sense - but in reality most guys I know including myself tend to gravitate towards folders for a few reasons. First, they don't require precious molle space for a sheath, they can just be clipped onto any pocket/pouch/strap that's most convenient. And if take my pc off but I still want my knife on me, all I have to do is clip it somewhere else, no molle weaving needed to unattach/reatach a sheath. Second, folders tend to be lighter and smaller, this is nice because we have enough crap to carry already so anything helps. Third, while fixed blades are generally stronger, many folders have become so good that they can handle most anything without a problem, even a fair bit of abuse. If I was breaking folders left and right then maybe I would switch, but that just hasn't been the case. Fourth (this one is biggest for me personally), I spend a lot of time riding around in tracked vehicles which are bumpy as shit and often times I need to use my knife while inside. I have found that I have a much easier time closing a folder or retracting an otf than I do trying to re-sheath a fixed blade. I don't have to look down and I don't have to face the blade towards myself while bouncing around trying to slide it into the sheath. If I was a uBeR tAcTiCoOl NaVy SeAl stabbing terrorists like crazy and chopping down trees left and right then I would definitely opt for a fixed blade. But for most of us, reality is much more mundane and folders just fit the bill better.

[@Kraakesolv]

@@matthealey8 What you said! I've tried fixed blades but in the end they aren't as convenient for every day use for the reasons you listed.

[@dougbulldog9947]

Kraakesolv Agreed Spyderco Military tip down is fine by me

[@robinpohl2702]

Yeah I can totally see that happening outside of a pocket, options never hurt

[@BenoJ3000]

LOL, Pete's face after the water bottle "mercy" strike. Watched it 3 times

[@abc456f]

The deployment action on the socom is one of the best. Zero wrist needed. Flies open with a simple flick of the thumb. I have the black handle and m390 steel, heavy stonewashed blade. You need to push the clip all the way down, it carries very deep. Similar clip style to crk, one of the best.

[@birdlaw1019]

The look on your face during your "existential tip down crisis" was priceless!

[@krustysurfer]

I've never seen a potato train a human being so well 😂

[@Herne0011]

Had the Socom and a ton of other Microtechs. Sold em all except for the Whaleshark. I am surprised the community is still interested in their offerings. Alot of other knives out there these days in similar materials and designs without the stupid screws and overbloated price/warranty issues. Extra points to anyone who remembers the Matrix/ZT 777 fiasco.

[@ogenmatic]

6:21 - “Very excellent stain retention...” Ha! Had to play that twice to be sure. Sorry, Pete but I couldn’t resist noting that. Just ordered one of these. Was hung up for the longest time on that tip-down clip but I suspect I’ll get over it.

[@ilikeknafs9563]

The tip-down make absolutely zero difference to me, never understood the big deal

[@robertm8401]

That will be my second Microtech.

[@Alexander210]

I loved the Deckard Cain reference.

[@murrayannandale]

Well I enjoy mine. Not for 'tactical' use. Just think its damn well made and big enough to cut anything. I do cut webbing straps, cable ties, shrink wrap at work. Time to time I use for other things, heck I even use it on my food here and there.

[@matthealey8]

The socom is my favorite knife. It has ergos, looks, action, strength, cutting ability, just everything. In practical usage I would actually put its durability above most triad knives. That is because on a well built knife the lock is never what fails first, usually the blade snaps. This has been demonstrated by nero knives, super steel steve, and a few others. And the socom has a ridiculously thick blade (the lock is no slouch either, but it's not a triad). If that's not convincing enough, search for some of the torture tests of this knife that are out there. Its namesake isn't just marketing, this folder has some serious capability. As far as the cutting performance goes, I understand that there has been some inconsistency in the grinds of some of these knives (qc issue), which is disappointing considering the $300 price tag. That being said, all 4 of mine are ground to .010" behind the edge at the heel, thickening to .015"-.020" at the tip, and that seems to be the majority of them. This completely blew my mind the first time I used a socom, I couldn't believe that the .19" thick blade out cut all of my spydercos with such ease. It is truly something that has to be experienced, and it's probably my favorite aspect of the knife. Too bad Pete's sample did not perform this way. If anyone is considering one, especially for duty use, I cannot recommend the socom enough. It's a spectacular knife because of how thin the edge is, and it's a spectacular multitool because of how durable it is. You won't regret getting one.

[@kawikadee9670]

I love it, I feel it's one of the best knives out there.

[@Surago]

Pete, peter, mr. Peterson, I just got into shaving with a straight razor. You've got to get a naniwa 12k stone and or a 15k stone. Under a jeweler's loop, it gets the best mirror polish I've ever seen.

[@kevinAuman1]

Hey it is Halloween season you could have gone with the Pete Peter pumpkin eater name hahaha

[@active4delta]

Brian should send it in to Microtech. This knife shouldn’t develop blade play from normal use. I beat the hell out of mine, and it still locks up solid. It is an awesome knife, but yea it is pricey. My wife got it for me as a Father’s Day gift, so I don’t feel bad about owning it and using the shit out of it. I did notice that the edge wasn’t staying sharp for very long at first, but after a few sharpenings the steel is finally starting to perform even at the same factory geometry. Mine is the 204P variant. I wonder what your example would have done after a fresh edge!!

[@misterbaker9728]

Michael Duran isn’t microtech warranty total garbage

[@active4delta]

Matt Baker I’ve heard mixed reports, but I have never had to use them before so I don’t know first hand. I recently heard that their warranty service has gotten better, but can’t say for sure. Their knives carry a lifetime warranty, but I think the issue would likely be with their turnaround times. Most people that have a Microtech have more than one knife, so I don’t think it would be such a big deal to wait a while to get your knife back... just my two cents.

[@marrenmiller]

@@misterbaker9728 I've used it twice recently. It's in line with or better than KAI or Benchmade in my personal experience.

[@kevinAuman1]

For a fraction of the cost you can get yourself a KERSHAW KNOCKOUT in M390 blade steel with aluminum handle scales and it too has speed safe lightning fast opening... the Knockout may not be a tactical style design but man o' man is it ever a slicey dicey cutting son of a gun! Lol

[@Mojo-fg7ps]

Its absolutely a great edc knife and will always be!!!

[@aurelianobuendia5360]

For the city guy who open cardboard boxes from time to time, it is good edc but not ideal solution.

[@lewisward4359]

I have the black with coated black blade 204P..Love it

[@cz1always608]

Thanks, just ordered one , still up in the air tanto or Drop point … went with drop point . Tanto me be tempted to pry more . Who knows, thanks

[@profesorEDC]

Hey Pete what's up mate? Hope everything is ok with you. It kinda seems you went through some stuff about a month ago or so. Hope I'm wrong and you are doing alright. Waiting for your next vid man. Godspeed.

[@TravelingDan20]

Ive had 3 and the lock ups were all bank vault🤷🏻‍♂️ love the knife cant wait for the mini tho👌🏻👌🏻

[@krustysurfer]

Reminds me of the TRM Atom you were fancying

[@_BLANK_BLANK]

Lmao. 8 strikes of "mercy"

[@rong.2457]

😂😂 nice Diablo reference….subbed just because of that. Btw, your video showed up in my feed due to the Microtech Socom Bravo that I’ll be receiving in the next couple of days….I’ve been watching videos on it.

[@rtdc5662]

You do realize the knife is tip down when it's in your hand. Tip up carry requires you to flip the knife around before you start using it. Tip down you just pull it out and use it. I guess that would be to easy and un- scientific though, lol

[@ogenmatic]

I’m still mid-deploying my first tip-down knife. I’ve had it three weeks now. Just barely cleared the top of my pocket.

[@mistersmith3986]

I would love to have this knife, but then I wouldn't want to scuff it up. The Cold Steel Recon 1 Spear Point is a better price per performance knife for hard use. Thanks for the video my Bladed Brother ⚔️

[@sharpwhits0167]

As far as tip up vs. tip down, a guy I work with is a veteran of the US Army and says that the army requires you carry tip down. I take what he says with a grain of salt because he's generally full of crap. Maybe other veterans could chime in on that. Love the videos, Pete. I learn something every time I watch one of your videos. Thank you for what you do.

[@ScottieG59]

During my active duty years, my only tip up carry knife was a fixed blade dagger strapped to by LBE (Load Bearing Equipment). It was not issued by the Army. My issued knives were bayonets, multi-tools (Gerber) and the one in my mess kit.

[@49giants3]

Hey Pete according to Nero knives , the Socom is around.15 thousandths behind the edge near the heel, and .20 thousandths near the tip. Thanks for another awesome video my friend

[@scottb.0185]

By ‘putting my thumb fat’ into the torx head. Priceless!👍🍺

[@chaydengriffin7573]

Thank you for your videos Pete! We all appreciate them!!!!

[@thomaslanders6244]

I have 2 M390 manual SE’s.You only had one knife but that ‘clicky clicky’ is friggin ugly ugly. I’ve heard on the internet (where half the people lie and other half aren’t wearing pants) that MT runs the HT soft. I believe an M390 blade tested at 58. Hopefully both are just a fluke.

[@kaizoebara]

Tip-down works best when the knife is worn in the backpocket. Just grab the top of the handle, pull forward, and let the knife pivot right into your hand while it slides along the edge of the pocket.

[@mistersmith3986]

Merciful Pommeling👍⚔️

[@mealex303]

The doc imo is best

[@jojojaykay]

Wanted to love mine. But the finger cut out for your index finger ALWAYS gave me a blister from the sharp corners/shape of the cutout. Shame because it’s an insane, but well built knife.

[@lonestardude6283]

Okay, I'm back with my Michelada! What did I miss?

[@brendanenon864]

I liked this approach to size comparisons, cheers Pete you da man.

[@knoxknifemods]

Glad to see you back Pete! I’ve been eyeballing one of these for a minute, I’m kind of stuck between this and the first affordable Strider I come across. After watching some of Nero’s stuff I have a new appreciation for knives with thumb studs that double as stop pins. Great vid and great choice on the music for this one!

[@Ryndel]

Staying a while, and listening You rock man

[@LoveLife-xy9ir]

1st thing I notice now is if there is a good enough flat area to clamp/utilise to do the sharpening with a lansky sharpener

[@hyssean12]

The slight tick noise is because the lockbar is all the way over. It needs to be bent in more.

[@jtucci5711]

I really enjoy your videos and analysis, it is obvious you put a lot of thought into them so Kudos! Point well made I really do find the tip up/down boring as hell, sometimes we get caught up in the minutia don't we?

[@d4mdcykey]

Aesthetically, I do really like the look of this knife, but for that price point it does not quite make it for me when you factor in poor warranty, edge retention, and a couple issues with the handle ergo. I'm hoping in the future they will release this again with a few changes and then I would be very interested.

[@conductorcammon]

I've wanted one for ages. Have a mini socom auto, well built I have to say. Not sure I want an auto full size though.

[@mrblauer1]

Coconut! The tastiest knife tip test :)

[@ii1825]

The pivot bolt/screw is a T20.

[@TravelingDan20]

Pete the Wii sports knife athlete legend hall of famer!

[@thesho0ter1911]

Would love to see you test a David Boye Cobalt folder. Curious as to how it stacks up!

[@meee175]

Damn things are impossible to find now.

[@patricksmatrick6193]

I'm surprised how well the aluminum holds up to the blades-stops. That said, my Microtech UTX-85 finish, which I'm sure is the same is very impressive how abrasion resistant it is.

[@BradGryphonn]

1:50 That copper/bronze colour adds to the Steampunk vibe. 7:20 Definitely Righty only hey? At 12:30 Does that bump on the handle interfere much with the clip when you're pocketing it? Oh, wait at 13:25 I can see that it isn't as high as the shadowing suggests. And it tapers down toward the clip, probably helping with getting it into the pocket. 15:50 I've been driving professionally (trucks and buses) for near on 35 years. I have always feared being first on scene at a car/truck crash, but, my job means it's happened a few times. No fun at all. Finally, it seems Basil is the Alpha, or just a food whore like one of my dogs.

[@richardcameronlewis]

Another fabulous life style accessory by Microtech. As expected, the tip up vs. tip down debate never fails to coalesce into an adroit and nuanced discourse of each position's merits.

[@thechugdude]

Sweet.

[@kevinfitz3721]

I really been wanting one of these although I would prefer the mini version

[@misterbaker9728]

Was gonna get one until I heard about their warranty service. For that much money the knife should be backed up.

[@matthealey8]

What have you heard about their warranty service? I've heard only very positive things, at least in the last decade. I know in their early days they were not great about warranty.

[@jdmbeaner182]

The owners an asshole but microtech does stand behind their products.

[@Rickndanger84]

Service at microtech is stellar, I know this from experience

[@kevin6030]

They have excellent customer service. Those days are long gone.

[@freakdaddy7041]

Awesome knife, awesome review!

[@toddburdick1]

Great review! Thank you. I've been wanting one of these until now. Now I'm thinking that its not really my cup of tea.

[@Armchair_Angler]

What kind of blade steel do you think Griswold is using in Sanctuary? 🤣😈

[@MightyRude]

I don't know if it's true but I was told that tip down clips are belt clips and tip up clips are pocket clips

[@Surago]

I dont know if that's true but I dont think it is. The original clip was designed by spyderco and was intended for pockets. I dont think they intended one clip one way or the other.

[@richardbryant7961]

It has a lock bar insert

[@aradoran]

Hi Pete have you considered putting Kershaws Damascus (or other brand) in the knife lab? Would be interesring to see maybe

[@drameday]

Mine is great. Well built, no blade play, good action, etc... But when I want to carry something this big I more often grab my AD10 or Adamas. Not sure why tbh. I just do.

[@Youtube-Censorship-Police]

because they feel more sturdy and have stronger locks..and they are less expensive;-)

[@juan-carlostome7127]

Good, I have a auto

[@13irishsailors]

Hey Pete hope you are doing well. Seems like you arent doing much online lately which is fine if you just arent feeling it as long as everyone's happy and healthy! Hope to here from you soon.

[@CedricAda]

hello mate, all happy and healthy, ive just hit a bit of a wall with youtube and knives at the minute. not exactly sure why, a few lifestyle changes have happened too giving a little less time for the level of production I undertake. Nothing bad going on behind the scenes or anything, just a far more boring bunch of small reasons I think!

[@13irishsailors]

@@CedricAda good to here my friend well no worries just come back when/if you are ready :) I have been binge watching your videos lately and if your are looking for ideas I personally would enjoy some more test along the lines of rust and different use testing like how many times you can open and close omega springs on benchmade. I guess I havent put enough thought into it but if it gives your body a break from cutting tests that would probably be good Haha. I also wouldnt mind more budget knife tests like ganzo and sanrenmu type knives.

[@Rickndanger84]

I think these tests are funny. Realistically the most I will be doing is slicing some apples maybe a string or 2. The chaves C.H.U.B. Does my dirty work. That way I can switch razors and not sharpen as often

[@mattis1600]

Soo...now you have tried the Microtech. How about trying Extrema Ratio folders? If you can get your hands on a BF2cd, that could be an interesting testvideo. But be careful, ER knives are highly addictive.

[@J85909266]

I love you, Pete.

[@runrin_]

hope everythings ok pete.

[@mealex303]

That size comparison was short 😂

[@carlstanland5333]

Don’t sharpen it and void the warranty. 😐

[@Greg_Chock]

Another blood sacrifice to the knife gods (all bow down)

[@antimatter4733]

Glass breakers are such a weird concept, If you're ever in an emergency where you'd be willing to risk cutting up your hand to break some glass why not just use the blade? Much more reach so less risky to you and if its such a serious situation I dont think anyone is really gonna mind ruining their edge

[@RileySantiago]

Tempered glass, like a car door window, can be very hard.... they could actually de-tip your knife without breaking. Real glass breakers are usually made with tungsten carbide, which can break the glass without a lot of pressure.

[@antimatter4733]

@@RileySantiago most glass breakers I've seen aren't that sharp (they can't be because they stick out of the handle of the knife. With modern tool steel you shouldn't have a problem breaking through glass, especially if you do it correctly

[@appalachianadvrider]

I just received a manual Socom and after filming and posting the unboxing, I sliced my finger on the closed knife. Apparently the knife doesn't recess all the way down and hits the internal blade stop too soon. I messaged Microtech and they requested I pay to have it shipped to them and in 2 months they will get it back to me! WTF???? I haven't even used the knife yet and now I have to pay additional money to make it safe, assuming I don't mind waiting for months. This company reputation of poor customer service and quality control is apparently spot on.

[@RileySantiago]

Whats the point of the lanyard hole when its tip down?

[@LarryB99]

I didn't even know we could own a microtech in Australia

[@kawikadee9670]

I abuse my socom elite and it's still solid.

[@zxcbfadbnatrn]

personal Question: what's your preferit folder knife.?

[@TheOneAndOnlySame]

6:22 very excellent stain retention AT LAST! for years.. no... decades! the knife business was all about edge retention and stain resistance .. and now, finally , a knife that favorites STAIN RETENTION ! I've been dreaming of it! :'D 8:34 wait, the liner lock is Ti ..? Why do that? Steel would be much better 12:08 OH YOU.... ! ok you were leading us on.. I was starting to think that you were really speaking in bad faith here and with all the tea pot BS I was starting to feel a growing distance between us, it seems obvious that tip up or down doesn't make a big difference at all ..

[@SuperSteelSteve]

Strength to weight ratio is my guess for the Ti . A steel liner of that dimension would be about 60% heavier.

[@TheOneAndOnlySame]

@@SuperSteelSteve ok. But was it really pertinent to sacrifice actual longevity of much harder steel only to save 2 grams ? In my opinion it isn't. In my experience , Ti liners are bad design in terms of mechanics .. I have had two knives suffer from what I can only call premature wear of the locking face on Ti liners ... One a benchmade mini Stryker from 1998 that traveled all the way to the other scale and started to lock roll in a few weeks fidgeting and light use , the other an ol buck-strider Collab with pretty much the same issue .... There's a reason those two knives are decades old : nobody makes plain Ti liner locks anymore because they're "no good " IMO except Microtech here, charging 300 bucks for a knife that starts to actup after one hour of use '^^ You know what: the manual SOCOM was one of my grail knives , because of its super cool OPERATOR OPERATOR vibe , its allure , size.. now that I've seen that it has a titanium liner... I will buy a Chinese clone with a steel liner ..for 1/3rd the price (1 turd the price? Lol I hope not )

[@SuperSteelSteve]

@@TheOneAndOnlySame well, the Socom has a steel insert. Secondly, the Ti locks that have "premature " wear, are obviously either not Heat treated or low grade Ti.The benefits of using 6al4v Ti (which is industry standard) is its ability to be Heat treated giving it incredible strength as well as toughness, and corrosion resistance. I own a CRK that's 8 years old and doesn't even have a wear pattern on the Ti lockface, conversely I own a Strider SMF that is 5 years old and has an incredible amount of wear on the Ti lockface, so much so I've had to retention the lockbar 2x to get rid if the lock rock. That's the difference between a well done Ti lockface (CRK) and a shitty done Ti lockface (Strider) That being said, another reason for Ti on the lockbar for the Socom is Corrosion resistance. This knife is designed to be carried in any situation 20cv steel Aluminum frame Ti lockbar Ceramic detent and ceramic ball bearings These all give the entire knife extreme resistance to corrosion.

[@TheOneAndOnlySame]

@@SuperSteelSteve hmm fair arguments . And I didn't know the knife had a steel insert! So my whole ent is now moot and I guess the lock rock the knife developed is because of a bad grind on the blade tang and just a coincidence that 2 of my plain Ti liner knives suffered the same fate

[@dmw3086]

I had blade play with a socom and sent it back to microtech and got it back and blade play was gone

[@Elslemmo]

I might carry it in the upcoming Ant Wars 2.0.. Tip sideways.. Just because

[@WastelandArmorer]

It looks very steam punk.

[@rmarques82]

Now what with Victorinox Outdoor Master Mic L???? 🤔

[@hantusmostert]

Try also Pro-tech

[@CSGraves]

Thousands of dollars worth of knives... maybe $20 worth of plastic cutting boards...SHAME, Pete! Poor Lemon at the end. :-(

[@craze77]

Don’t know what you’re on about re the clip, the knife slides all the way in the pocket (past the retention bump in the middle of the clip) and rides deep, like real deep

[@Dirtyknives007]

Yea Pete, you gotta push it all the way in, that's what Tri said.

[@abc456f]

Exactly. One of the better clips out there.

[@craze77]

Also it isn’t titanium against steel, there’s a steel insert screwed into the titanium liner, and my blade is really thin behind the edge, are you sure the one you have isn’t? The overall quality of this knife is top notch, people saying it’s over priced at $290 USD are in la la land

[@abc456f]

@@craze77 You are correct, steel insert. Also think $290 is a fair price for what you're getting. Knife is a heavy duty powerhouse with amazing action. If you get s chance to pick up a Chaves ultramar 229, it's another super solid piece. $350 and worth every penny.

[@mountaindont34ify]

Your knuckle is str8 bleeding at 7:00 mate

[@tonycanniffe2360]

Looks a bit Sanremnu ish. Bit steam pink too.

[@brianf9619]

Under 200 cuts ?? So if the steel was S35VN , that blade would only cut about 50 times ?? Recon 1 for about $80.00 and save the rest for X-Mas ....

[@o0FranklySpeaking0o]

Assisted

[@antimatter4733]

Never liked the concept of titanium frame locks for this exact reason, that blade movement is more likely due to the lock bar being bent very slightly since a loose pivot would only produce lateral movment

[@Steve_G88]

Looks like 3-CPO's knife

[@dr3wbyyy]

I wish there was a leftie one

[@knifenerd8783]

Da Du Dah Da Du Duuh

[@kevin6030]

Pivot it T20

[@hyssean12]

204p.not 20cv

[@astrazenica7783]

"Cool Cool" nod to the philosopher Nutnfancy perhaps? His 1st & 2nd class of cool theorum?

[@mickkeim4142]

Yes, it’s a buggy...biggy.