SOG Titanium Nitride

[Chako]

SOG is an interesting company. It was founded back in 1986 as primarily a knife company, and much like Bear & Son, expanded into multi-tools. In fact, SOG was in the multi-tool game rather early, with their ToolClip and Micro ToolClip which both came out in 1991. The following year, the ever inventive and unique SOG ParaTool came out. The 1992 introduced ParaTool has a very unique swinging plier head that allows you to use the pliers bent. This Blackie Collins designed tool did not feature however a defining feature of SOG multi-tools...and that is the compound leverage gearing of the pliers. That feature first came into light until years later, when the PowerPlier/PowerLock was introduced.

Today, SOG is known for partnering with a few other companies to come up with some rather unique models, such as the Blacktip (Biggest SOG today and aimed at the deep sea fisherman), and the West Marine Sailing Tool (you guessed it, for the sailors out there)...both exclusives of West Marine. Another partnership is with Paladin Tools. This partnership created 3 other unique SOG multi-tools, the PowerPlay series which consist of the PT 510, PT 525, and PT 540...all geared towards the wire and cable professional. These partnerships do at least create very different tools compared to the mainstream SOG lineup. You can tell they are SOG produced, but have enough different functions to make them unique in their own right.

And I guess if I had to sum up SOG in one word, unique would be a good fit. They were one of the first to come up with easily replaceable folding tools, allowing the end user an easy path to customization. They were one of the first to implement an opening assist knife blade in a multi-tool. They are the only company that employs a gearing mechanism to give you roughly twice the compression at the plier jaws. Like many companies that like to innovate, some of the ideas were not good ones. First to mind was the piano locks that made locking and unlocking SOG multi-tools more difficult than it needed (for a time at least)...not to mention that design didn't really give you any benefits to begin with.

One of the things that I much like however, are the TiN coated SOGs. Titanium Nitride is a surface coating that, according to SOG, gives an RC hardness of 90. TiN coatings are often used to protect and harden cutting and sliding surfaces. This means it keeps edges sharper for longer, and also resist corrosion nicely. The best part of TiN is often what you can't see, however, TiN also has a nice side effect if you will, and that is it is quite often used in costume jewelry because of its golden colour. When applied to a SOG multi-tool, you have a beautiful eye catching piece. Yes, it will definitely garner comments from the people around you.

The reason why I am writing this piece, is I found one in a gun show earlier today. Best yet, it was a missing piece of my collection. I have personally found that the TiN coated SOGs tend to be rather rare. I gather that the coating added around 30 to 40% to the retail price, and as such, not many were sold. Mind you, I am unsure as I couldn't substantiate that fact with any online searching. I am only going on how rare I have seen these to be...well at least around my parts.

So paint me surprised when I stumbled upon a new in box SOG TiN PowerPlier at a local gun show for a nice price. Best part, I didn't have one of those, and it filled a hole in my collection. 

From left to right: SOG TiN Powerlock. SOG TiN PowerPlier, SOG TiN Pocket PowerPlier, SOG TiN CrossCut, and SOG TiN CrossGrip.




Here is a bonus shot of the SOG collection, with the TiN PowerPlier added.

[gregozedobe]

Those TiN SOGs  sure are mighty purty !      

I notice that SOG also did a relabel on their TiN PPP for Penn International (the fishing reel Co.), just as beautiful 

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,19431.msg577408.html#msg577408

[buck]

Not a plier based tool but it is SOG and it's blade is TiN though flat instead of shiny, the SOG Trident.



I bought mine about a year in a local shooting range/gun shop that always has cool knives.  They are probably still available.

[Lynn LeFey]

While I decided to part with my TiNi Crosscut, I still find these tools irresistibly beautiful.

They're just ... so... SHINY!

Beautiful collection, there, Chako.

[Chako]

I am shocked you parted with your Crosscut. 

[Lynn LeFey]

I'm not a collector, and I hav a limited pile of money to find 'the perfect MT'.

Of course, at this point, I'm fairly well convinced that such a thing doesn't exist. So... It's the JOURNEY, man... not the destination.

I was sad to see it go, but honestly, I felt a bit reluctant to use a tool that was so collectable, when all I want is a great USER. I don't know if that makes sense.

[captain spaulding]

I'm not a collector, and I hav a limited pile of money to find 'the perfect MT'.

Of course, at this point, I'm fairly well convinced that such a thing doesn't exist. So... It's the JOURNEY, man... not the destination.

I was sad to see it go, but honestly, I felt a bit reluctant to use a tool that was so collectable, when all I want is a great USER. I don't know if that makes sense.

Makes complete sense.

[Lynn LeFey]

Makes complete sense.

Oh. Good. I was a bit afraid I'd sound like a loon. I mean, about that. I am, in fact, a loon, just not in that particular instance.

[Chako]

Sounds rather logical...so nay on the loon part.