More 2010 Shot Show SOG stuff

[J-sews]

Most of the 42 new items and variations in the SOG catalog this year were knives, but there were several new tooly items as well.

One is a smart looking hand ax called the SHAX. It is made from 420SS, weighs just over a pound, and is equipped with G10 scales on the handle which really felt nice. Availabilty should be sometime in March.




Another new offering from SOG is this folding saw. The blade locks open - and locks closed - by means of the rocker switch on the spine. I liked the 8-1/4" blade length, which is longer than my Gerber at home, and how easy it was to flick the blade open. (I'm imagining a version with a thumb stud or thumb hole in it to facilitate one-hand opening) Best of all, the new saw should be available next month for just over $20




The new folding entrenching tool on the other hand didn't really catch my fancy. Its built well enough and all, but who uses such a tiny shovel? Maybe somebody does, but not me.  Weight = 24 oz, price = $18.00, available = any day now.




Another line that caught our eye was a series of fixed blade knives called Swedge. I liked the little curved one the best (Swedge I) just because it looked the coolest. We're told these guys were designed by Canadian Special Ops instructor Brent Beshara. Steel is AUS-8, and blade thickness (not counting G10 scales) is about .156" (4mm)






Oh, and one final note: when discussing the new Micro ToolClip (LINK) models with Spencer Frazer, he made mention of other SOG tools currently under development. No details were offered, other than the code name Unicorn Tool. (Okay, now THAT has me wondering!)

Good to see that SOG is not sitting on their heels when it comes to new tool programs.  

[Grant Lamontagne]

Unicorn is a working title that probably (most likely) has nothing to do with the tool itself.  I wouldn't be expecting to see something with one horn and a hoof pick any time soon!

Def

[cliosguy]

me like those Swedges any info about price?

[hawkchucker]

Yup a Second Gerber company in the works.

[Magnus]

ok, correct me if i am wrong, but I always thought that stainless steel axes or machetes were a really, really bad thing?  something about a tendency to shatter.

[hawkchucker]

Well kinda. It all comes to the heat treatment. You want a low rockwell on ax. But stainless isnt really that great.

[Magnus]

It reminds me of this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e77oXjFkIs

[Freudian Frog]

It's possibly fine on a hachet as long as the heat treatment is fine and the design is able to distrubute the shock well.

I'm likin' those Swedges!

But the entrenching tool is totally a poop shovel.

[Anthony]

The shovel isn't great looking or bad looking IMO...just a folding shovel like the one Gerber puts out.  I never liked the triangle handled ones and prefer the straight handled ones like the Glock shovel...better for swinging

[PyroJames]

Oh wow, I like the look of the Swedge line.

EDIT: I just checked SOG's website and here's what they have in terms of MSRP for the Swedge line:

Swedge I - $155 (the bottom one in Bob's pic)
Swedge II - $165 (middle one in Bob's pic)
Swedge III - $175 (the top one in Bob's pic)

[PyroJames]

It reminds me of this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e77oXjFkIs

LOL, that's a classic. 

[peterxyz]

the folding entrenching tool is totally the gateway SOG tool - idea gift for small nephews and nieces along with a castle-shaped plastic bucket !!

[jzmtl]

Oh wow, I like the look of the Swedge line.

EDIT: I just checked SOG's website and here's what they have in terms of MSRP for the Swedge line:

Swedge I - $155 (the bottom one in Bob's pic)
Swedge II - $165 (middle one in Bob's pic)
Swedge III - $175 (the top one in Bob's pic)

I was thinking those are pretty nice till I saw the price. 

[J-sews]

the folding entrenching tool is totally the gateway SOG tool - idea gift for small nephews and nieces along with a castle-shaped plastic bucket !!

 

[Witmen]

Oh wow, I like the look of the Swedge line.

EDIT: I just checked SOG's website and here's what they have in terms of MSRP for the Swedge line:

Swedge I - $155 (the bottom one in Bob's pic)
Swedge II - $165 (middle one in Bob's pic)
Swedge III - $175 (the top one in Bob's pic)

I was thinking those are pretty nice till I saw the price. 

I thought they were nice till I noticed they are AUS 8,  The price wouldn't be horrible if they used a better steel.  Why is almost everything SOG makes made out of AUS 8?