SOG's Official Response

[PG5768]

Right, the lack of response from Spyderco, etc on a public forum means nothing. Further, I'm sure SOG's legal department covered their asses just enough to avoid any legal issues. Legal or not, that doesn't change what happened.

Maybe you could start here to get an idea of Sal's response:

This is a sensitive subject, so I would appreciate your patience and understanding.

The hostility that seems to appear on the forum makes it an uncomfortable place to be. This is opposite the intention.

Much of the hostility seems to be centered around the "round hole issue".

After listening to comments, discussion and much thought (which requires time becausae I'm sometimes slow), I have a request.

I am asking you to pull any tag lines or comments that could be percerived as hostile or antagonistic to other companies in the knife industry, while on our forums.

I realize that to many, it is an important issue, and I will admit to being sensitive myself, but a negative approach is not good for the industry or Spyderco in the industry.

Intelligent, civil communication is more valuable.

We have always tried to "leave shiny footprints" where ever we go. I personally have tried to avoid negative comments towards other companies. (No, I'm not perfect either ) I think it serves to keep thoughts about Spyderco and other companies more positive than negative.

If you would like to be closely associated with Spyderco, which we greatly appreciate, it would be our wish that you consider leaving shiny footprints rather than hostile feelings, whjere Spyderco is concerened.

thanx much for your cooperation and kind understanding.

sal

 

[nyefmaker]

SOG can copy all they want, but they will never come close to the Originals. You see alot of knock-offs with cheap $2 flea market specials when they try to copy a quality design. Never thought a well known company would stoop this low. I have had several SOG's over the years, but havent liked any of their new stuff. Maybe they should go back to the drawing board and come up with something Original !!! I am sure it will be too little too late for some customers.

 

[Bushman5]

if one doesn;t like them they dont have to buy them. No one is putting a gun to your head forcing you to buy one!

 

[Kaizen1]

Maybe you could start here to get an idea of Sal's response:

I'm familiar with that response. There was far more conjecture in that particular issue. I'm merely responding to Esav's posts to me.

 

[retzius]

Wow, that really was a piss poor response by SOG.

I'll paraphrase:

"Well we might have copied but then again everyone copies and we are doing our best to make sure no one copies us even if we may have copied them."

WTF, is this what passes for American ingenuity these days? No wonder most of our staple industries are getting hammered by the competition.

I see these designs as a very lazy and half hearted attempt to bring out a large 2010 product line. Unfortunately for SOG, I won't spend my hard earned dollar on half-ass.

It seems that much of this happened after SOG was picked up by a new capital investment corporation. I wonder how much of this is really Spencer Frazier, and how much of this is the leadership telling him how things are gonna be?

Time will tell, but I think the writing may be on the wall for this company.

 

[hoopster]

Wow, that really was a piss poor response by SOG.


Time will tell, but I think the writing may be on the wall for this company.

Just my opinion and for their employee's sake I hope I'm wrong, but I think they'll milk the name for as long as profits allow and let the company go under like so many other reputable American companies have done.

 

[missin_hobo]

Originally Posted by Sal Glesser
This is a sensitive subject, so I would appreciate your patience and understanding.

The hostility that seems to appear on the forum makes it an uncomfortable place to be. This is opposite the intention.

Much of the hostility seems to be centered around the "round hole issue".

After listening to comments, discussion and much thought (which requires time becausae I'm sometimes slow), I have a request.

I am asking you to pull any tag lines or comments that could be percerived as hostile or antagonistic to other companies in the knife industry, while on our forums.

I realize that to many, it is an important issue, and I will admit to being sensitive myself, but a negative approach is not good for the industry or Spyderco in the industry.

Intelligent, civil communication is more valuable.

We have always tried to "leave shiny footprints" where ever we go. I personally have tried to avoid negative comments towards other companies. (No, I'm not perfect either ) I think it serves to keep thoughts about Spyderco and other companies more positive than negative.

If you would like to be closely associated with Spyderco, which we greatly appreciate, it would be our wish that you consider leaving shiny footprints rather than hostile feelings, whjere Spyderco is concerened.

thanx much for your cooperation and kind understanding.

sal

Gee, I forgot all about that. I actually feel a bit foolish. Whether or not it applies to this instance, Sal makes a good point; deriding a company like we're doing, rightfully or not, is the easy way and not necessarily the right way. If we have objections to what has been done (and I know I do), I wonder if there's a better or nicer or just more thoughtful way to go about it. These threads are fun, god knows, but I've never seen them accomplish anything positive. Look at that thread in the CRK forum that's been a stalemate for seven bloody pages now.

Besides, it's not like Spyderco needs our help or anything; their work speaks for itself. On top of that, there are good people at SOG, and good people using SOGs - quite satisfactorily, I'm sure - that we may be wounding unnecessarily. I've read a few of Chris' posts, and he doesn't seem like a bad guy.

I think I'm going to do what I did with the CRK thread, and bow out before this continues going nowhere. I don't mean to make an ethical statement or anything, it's just not fun anymore.

 

[symphonyincminor]

 

[vjb.knife]

SOG has sucked for a long time. I was a big fan in the 1980's and into the early 90's but they have been spiraling downward ever since. This crap is not the only issue I have with them - quality, source of manufacture, materials, poor customer service and ridiculous designs have been coming out of SOG for way over 10 years.

 

[3Guardsmen]

Moved from another thread so as to avoid having yet another thread dealing with the same topic.

As far as the SOG folding fielder, the model that looks a lot like a Bob Lum design, goes, I found a Boker/Magnum knife, the Gentleman's Harpoon, that looks even more identical to the SOG knife. Below are the pictures of the three knives. So, did Boker copy Lum, and then SOG copied Boker, or did Boker copy SOG, who copied Lum?

The Boker/Magnum "Gentleman's Harpoon":

http://www.coutellerie-tourangelle.com/boker-gentlemens-harpoon-xml-180-7613.html

The SOG "Fielder":

http://sogknives.com/store/FF-30.html

The Bob Lum custom "Sabertip":

http://www.boblumknives.com/folder.html

 

[enderwiggin]

That handle seems more derivative of a Spyderco Byrd to me...

Aren't the Byrd knives also branded under the whole "prehistoric / dinosaur" concept?

Funny considering SOG then says "Dual directional prehistoric armor plate."

As a matter of fact, the Byrd knives I've bought have all come in boxes or blister packs with an Archaeopteryx on the box. I wish I could remember the ad copy from the boxes, it sounds very similar.

 

[Jason B.]

Yep, SOG really cleared it up with that response....... weather its PC or not its still a low blow on sog's part.

 

[Knife Outlet]

Guys. I hate to tell you. Everything has been done before. There have been hundreds of thousands of minor variations on the basic knife blade. You can't launch a new product without it looking like something that came before. Relax. Be glad that there are new models coming to market.

 

[SSonnentag]

Guys. I hate to tell you. Everything has been done before. There have been hundreds of thousands of minor variations on the basic knife blade. You can't launch a new product without it looking like something that came before. Relax. Be glad that there are new models coming to market.

Everything that can be painted has been painted already as well. But when a famous Italian painter paints an original painting...

...and then someone comes along and paints a similar one...

...it becomes quite clear that one is a copy of the other. It is just as apparent that SOG is blatantly copying a few of their productions directly from their competitors. Sure, SOG may have slightly different flora in the background, but lets face it, they are copying an already successful product as closely as they legally dare in the hopes of taking away market share. This practice turns me off to the company even if they do make a great product.


"Everything that can be invented has been invented."
-- Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. patent office, 1899 (attributed)

 

[LUW]

It is just as apparent that SOG is blatantly copying a few of their productions directly from their competitors. Sure, SOG may have slightly different flora in the background, but lets face it, they are copying an already successful product as closely as they legally dare in the hopes of taking away market share.

That's how I see it too .
That won't refrain me from buying original SOG products, but the brand sure did not grow in my eyes.
On the contrary .

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Just my opinion and for their employee's sake I hope I'm wrong, but I think they'll milk the name for as long as profits allow and let the company go under like so many other reputable American companies have done.

The way I see it they've done themselves a big injury--because by doing this and not even acknowledging the designers they so closely copied...they're alienating designers that would be able to pull them out of this rut. If you were a major knife designer, would you want to work for SOG after this whole business? I know I wouldn't. And yet that's just what the company needs--new talent.

 

[miro44]

This is really bad. Especially SOGs response. All it basically says is that the new knives have found inspiration in other knives and that that is completely normal. But he didn' t comment on the fact that these knives are a blatant copy of Spydercos, Lums etc...

 

[FTO_dude]

its kinda making me think of these guys
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Asylum
they make horrible rip-offs of films and release them around the same time to try and cash in on the larger films release

oh my, that does seem overly negative.
I have never held a SOG product, but thus far, i have held them in high regard.
and until i do get my hands on one and can judge for myself i wont comment on their products

 

[UpChUcK]

I'm saying "BS" on the official response. Not only will I not buy another SOG product including multi-tools, I will steer everyone I know away from them. Many people ask my opinion of which knife to buy because I am known around my circle of friends as the "knife guy". So SOG possibly just lost 10+ sales.

How can SOG defend themselves against 'blatant and obvious'? They cant!

 

[DD1]

I have owned several SOG blades and like them very much. They are not my favorite by no means but still have interesting designs. I believe this situation is sticky to say the least. The internet's leading Knife community are up in arms over this whole situation, so this may effect SOG's rep. and business within the large innercircle of "KnifeNuts" around the world. BUT, lets consider this, if Spyderco and the others that SOG has been accused of copying are forgiving, OR IF THEY EVEN CONSIDER THIS TO BE A PROBLEM AT ALL, then I guess we should be forgiving as well. Sal and the others are professional enough to realize when they have been ripped off, if they see these designs and see no copyright issues, then THIS ENTIRE KNIFE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO BURY THIS ISSUE AND MOVE ON.. Of course we all will maintain our personal opinions about this issue and thats fine, deal with SOG from a personal stand-point by not buying their products or however you see fit. But this negative image that is being built up by a forum that takes it's place in the highest of ranks among the online knife community can and will effect SOG's rep. in some way(maybe little or maybe big). I personally don't want to be apart of company bashing "IF" it is not truely deserved, and I believe the only ones that can make that call are the companys that have been copied, if any at all.. Of course if SOG has been convicted of this kind of serious crime, then any company that commits such acts should be banned from BF and any where else. But lets not pull the trigger on SOG until we see if the professionals really see "bad blood" building between them over this issue.. If Sal isn't offended, I'm not offended... This is just my opinion..