Review and Comparison of the Microtech Socom Bravo with the Socom Elite. There is a clear winner!! 

Oooo, nice ! Thanks Wayne 🙏, for the fine content & keep on truckin good sir !

I just received a brand new Socom Bravo from Microtech (s/n 2254, 11/2022 with standard blade). It has a detent that is quite strong. I can’t shake the closed blade loose like you were able to do no matter how hard I try. Perhaps Microtech is quietly making incremental improvements to the Bravo. Now if they could just do something about the excessively stiff pocket clip!

I think you were thinking of Tuya. Tuya does amazing work, but the Bravo was done by Rike. And the MT/Rike Bravo is a second generation of the Marfione Bravo, which is a custom counterpart (essentially) to a SOCOM Delta.

Elite is tip down. And as someone else commented, it's made by Rike, not Tuya. Off your game today Wayne. Having the elite, I don't have a burning need for the bravo. I don't have a problem with Chinese knives, but Microtech's rep is built on made in USA.

The detent is intentional, I love the light detent.

Like the Bravo’s looks, if I decided to buy one version probably would go with the Elite. Thanks for the video Wayne!

I just got mine. 11/2022 brand new Tanto and detent is the same. I think it is intended to be super smooth. I agree though that I would have preferred it a bit stronger. Still a keeper for me.

Very cool! Great review 👍

Got a Socom bravo dated 9/2023, the detent is so strong it is impossible to roll the blade out with the thumb. It can be thumb flicked if you wedge your thumb between the thumb stud and the scale, but to roll the blade out is not doable. All of this is with no pressure on the frame lock bar. Closing is no issue, it has slight delay on the close so you don’t guillotine your digits. I prefer the close like this. I don’t know if this will break in or if it should be returned with regards to rolling out the blade.

MT uses a Begg Ball clip on some of their knives. That would make my Bravo near perfect. Both of them.

The Socom Bravo is made by Rike, not Tuya.

This knife straddles two market segments - consumer and LE/Military and 'contractor'. As such the knife may fall outside the usual consumer usage profiles. The clip on this is heavy duty because it may not see much carry in jeans pockets and looks suited for carry in molle, side pockets in pants or tucked into plate carriers or any number of specialized applications. While sharp it may be designed more for cutting webbing, straps, rope or 'other' uses than typical EDC tasks. Finally found one in stock and grabbed it the last day of 2022.

I do like the look of the blade and CF.

The Socom is my Grail Knife. I heard they're heat threat is poor, but I want to try how it is.

Made by Rike. They knocked it out of the park.

I really, really, REALLY wanted the elite but I didn't grab it in time and now its impossible to find. However after seeing the gorgeous aesthetics of the Bravo I must say it may have been a good thing. The detent is a minor annoyance but by no means a deal breaker for me. The only Microtech folder I own is the LUDT but after seeing this beauty up close I'm definitely grabbing this while I can. Living in Socal its almost impossible to find places that sell these knives so I'm fully reliant on online vendors. Great review.

I own two Bravo's, the detent is shit. It's a design flaw, they all come like that. Great video Wayne, someday I'll find an elite worthy of my money.

Thinking of returning mine, 7/22 is the date is was made, any slightest bit of pressure on the frame lock makes it so difficult to open… frustrating after paying almost 380. Are they all like this?

I'm currently bidding for a Socom Elite never carried ebay at $300. I will probably go to 350 because mostly I see auto's for sale. Thanks for the review Peace, Keith

How are you I agree on all you said The clip sucks I wear some Ben Davis Or Filson pants (my pants aren’t made of tissue paper or fine linen)and I can’t get it in or out without some effort I’m not feeble but man. !!!! What is the spine material made of ? The gimping for the thumb seems plastic and when I put pressure on thumb gimping it seems like it buckled or moves s little And also

I have a Bravo. The detent on mine is ridiculously strong. So maybe the real issues is classic Chinese manufacturing; QC isn't great.

Interesting.

Just got my bravo in dlc and the detent is strong I can't shake it open

hi! mine the tanto: 0 retencion/detent

I’m just getting into the knife game and given that the socom elites are going btwn $330-350+ IF you can find one (which I can’t) I’m leaning more towards the Bravo simple due to its aesthetics. I’ve watched the Microtech socom Bravo torture test so I’ll take them at their word but now if given the choice to spend basically the same amount of money, I’d prob go for the bravo. Not to mention, yes the parts are made in China by Rike but… Microtech does all the assembly and blade sharpening stateside at their own facilities which makes the “China” pill a little easier to swallow. Besides, to get this level of detail and construction but fully US made, the msrp would easily 2x maybe 2.5x what it is currently in my estimation.

My Bravo has a good detent... after I voided the warranty and fixed it myself 🤣

I wish they had a glass breaker on the new style

I've watched other reviews saying the same thing about the detente. It really disappoints me. I have kicked myself for years for trading my socom elite and haven't found another one yet. When I saw these released, I was super excited. Soo much potential wasted. I could buy one and fix the detente but I really don't want to spend $350 on something I'm going to have to fix before I can carry it.

The Rike logo is on the fucking knife for fucks sake.

Did you mean “Rike” knives (in China)? That’s who collaborated with Microtech on the SOCOM Bravo. Maybe you knew this, and were referring to something else.😉

Not in love with it. Wish I had the original. Hopefully they make an updated version or something

It's not a fuller for looks it's a tactical/fighter and the fuller matters if you actually stabbed someone with it that's why combat knives have bloodgroves

My detent is better. It has one of the smoothest /cleanest actions of almost any of my knives.

Socoms need better scales both of them

Try knowing who makes the knives you are reviewing