Supratentorial recently did a giveaway for a basically new in box SOG S60 and blessed me with it. It arrived today, and all I can say is WHAT A GENEROUS GUY!:thumbup:
So, this thread will be used my review of this fine multi-tool. I don't have pictures yet, but I will start off by giving you some first impressions.
The box has been roughed up a little, but other than that, you'd never know that this was previously owned by it's looks. The sheath is a dark, dare I say, handsome leather baring the SOG name and logo. A total of six rivets hold it tightly together--no worries about this thing falling apart any time soon.
I picked it up and was surprised by the heftiness. I've never owned a true multi-tool before...other than my SAK Ranger...and can honestly say that the 9.5 oz of the SOG were both impressive and daunting. That's a lot more on the belt than I normally carry! Not sure if this would be EDC or not. We'll have to wait and see how that part works out. I don't want to lose my pants, but the versatility of this PowerLock may be worth the risk!!
The snap is a larger one, obviously heavy-duty, and it resisted opening just enough for me to know that my SOG would be safe in it's care. A firm push later and the resounding snap confirmed that the leather flap was secure once more. Oh, and evidence of it's previous owner wafted up to my daughter's sensitive nose. "That sheath smells like cigarette smoke!" And so it did. Ha, kids say the funniest things. I'll get it smelling like knife oil soon enough.
As I slid the shiny beast of a multi-tool out of it's pouch, the weight of it again struck me. This is no micro-tool! It's a full-size hunk of well-machined steel right about four and a half inches long and maybe 5/8 inch thick. All the edges are rounded and the whole thing has a very nice satiny feel to it. If it wasn't such a handful, you'd almost swear that you needed to be careful not to let it slip away. But it is a handful, so no worries.
Spinning the handles around to reveal the plier head was such a pleasant experience, I had to do it a couple times. You can ever so slightly make out the gears clicking as the handles pivot around. Can you say smooth? Not smooth like slick, either, but smooth like finely crafted and expertly assembled. And the pliers start off closed, open halfway during the middle of the opening operation, and then meet up in the finale of this perfectly executed little dance to disclose the hidden tool that previously lay at its heart. Nice!
So, let's stop right there a second and take a look around. The finely-tuned gears had almost belied their strength. They are the source of the compound leverage that make SOG pliers super strong. Well, I can't speak for other SOG pliers, but this one is tough. I borrowed a coin from the above-mentioned daughter and easily cut a line from the edge inward. I literally didn't feel like I had done anything. The magic of compound leverage was effortlessly multiplying my meager force into a copper cutting bite.
And this is where I have to add a confession and a warning about compound leverage. First, nobody mentioned that it's slightly addicting to be able to cut coins. And second, nobody mentioned...but, I digress. I was so intrigued by the ease of making that tiny cut in the coin that I spun the coin with the intent of completing my triangular bite. This time, I put the coin deep into the pliers and slowly ramped up my hand pressure...not realizing that I had instinctively put up my left hand to protect my 3 year old who was sticking his head in front of mine to get a gander at Daddy's new toy. Yes, you guessed it, the copper suddenly let go and the pliers snapped closed on the inside crease of my left thumb! "Son Of a Gun!" (That's SOG for you that aren't paying attention.)
A blood blister quickly developed and got all over everything, including the sides of the well-meaning S60. Dipped in blood, this multi-tool is now mine forever!!
(to be continued..)
So, this thread will be used my review of this fine multi-tool. I don't have pictures yet, but I will start off by giving you some first impressions.
The box has been roughed up a little, but other than that, you'd never know that this was previously owned by it's looks. The sheath is a dark, dare I say, handsome leather baring the SOG name and logo. A total of six rivets hold it tightly together--no worries about this thing falling apart any time soon.
I picked it up and was surprised by the heftiness. I've never owned a true multi-tool before...other than my SAK Ranger...and can honestly say that the 9.5 oz of the SOG were both impressive and daunting. That's a lot more on the belt than I normally carry! Not sure if this would be EDC or not. We'll have to wait and see how that part works out. I don't want to lose my pants, but the versatility of this PowerLock may be worth the risk!!
The snap is a larger one, obviously heavy-duty, and it resisted opening just enough for me to know that my SOG would be safe in it's care. A firm push later and the resounding snap confirmed that the leather flap was secure once more. Oh, and evidence of it's previous owner wafted up to my daughter's sensitive nose. "That sheath smells like cigarette smoke!" And so it did. Ha, kids say the funniest things. I'll get it smelling like knife oil soon enough.
As I slid the shiny beast of a multi-tool out of it's pouch, the weight of it again struck me. This is no micro-tool! It's a full-size hunk of well-machined steel right about four and a half inches long and maybe 5/8 inch thick. All the edges are rounded and the whole thing has a very nice satiny feel to it. If it wasn't such a handful, you'd almost swear that you needed to be careful not to let it slip away. But it is a handful, so no worries.
Spinning the handles around to reveal the plier head was such a pleasant experience, I had to do it a couple times. You can ever so slightly make out the gears clicking as the handles pivot around. Can you say smooth? Not smooth like slick, either, but smooth like finely crafted and expertly assembled. And the pliers start off closed, open halfway during the middle of the opening operation, and then meet up in the finale of this perfectly executed little dance to disclose the hidden tool that previously lay at its heart. Nice!
So, let's stop right there a second and take a look around. The finely-tuned gears had almost belied their strength. They are the source of the compound leverage that make SOG pliers super strong. Well, I can't speak for other SOG pliers, but this one is tough. I borrowed a coin from the above-mentioned daughter and easily cut a line from the edge inward. I literally didn't feel like I had done anything. The magic of compound leverage was effortlessly multiplying my meager force into a copper cutting bite.
And this is where I have to add a confession and a warning about compound leverage. First, nobody mentioned that it's slightly addicting to be able to cut coins. And second, nobody mentioned...but, I digress. I was so intrigued by the ease of making that tiny cut in the coin that I spun the coin with the intent of completing my triangular bite. This time, I put the coin deep into the pliers and slowly ramped up my hand pressure...not realizing that I had instinctively put up my left hand to protect my 3 year old who was sticking his head in front of mine to get a gander at Daddy's new toy. Yes, you guessed it, the copper suddenly let go and the pliers snapped closed on the inside crease of my left thumb! "Son Of a Gun!" (That's SOG for you that aren't paying attention.)
A blood blister quickly developed and got all over everything, including the sides of the well-meaning S60. Dipped in blood, this multi-tool is now mine forever!!(to be continued..)
