Access to Power -SOG 30-day Challenge! Starting June 1st! Access & Access Deluxe

[Nix]

OK, I've been a bit negative about the SOG PAD recently, so I thought I'd share one feature that I think is very cool:

The PAD can be 'flicked' open with a sharp snap of the wrist.

The momentum of one handle swings the pliers open, add a little rotation, and the pliers are in hand, ready to use. Nice! Especially handy when one is fishing. Hey, that reminds me, I need to go fishing.......

[Nix]

Day 10 (continued):

Cap lifter works pretty well. 

[gerleatherberman]

Doesn't a Rebar have tool clumping? All three of mine do. Two tools (saw and file ) are awful to open as well on my Rebars. I usually chew up a fingernail if I'm not careful. The PAD does have clumping, but I find that necessary to get to some of the implements (such as the 1/4" drive and LG. Flat driver). I have used the nail ramps near the tangs, but the tools clump that way anyhow, so I skip the metaphorical middle-man and just grab at the easier tools (blades on one side and file/saw on the other) and select the one I need. The PAD spring system is quite smooth and makes it easy for me. Was the PAD supposed to be advertised as non-clumping?

Yes, indeed. One of my criticisms of the Rebar to be sure. Once I handled the Vic Spirit I was spoiled.    It doesn't matter that the PAD wasn't advertised as being a tool-clumper or not a tool-clumper. It's an annoying trait. It's annoying in the Rebar, and it's annoying in the PAD. Note that this isn't much of an issue with true OHT's like the Wave or Charge or Surge.

Cannot argue with that. So true!
It amazes me that Leatherman backslid on the clumping. The Fuse, Blast, and Core had minimal clumping compared to the Rebar and ST300. This is an entirely different conversation and one I think we would agree on. Cheers!

An absolute thinker goes to a restaurant and gets a bad meal. They just leave and never go back again. That is called passing the buck. The next people who go there will have wasted their money in a vicious cycle of buck passing. Only when everyone who would have ever eaten there or heard about it had decided not to go back will the restaurant know something is terribly wrong.  The responsible approach would entail, the first person who got a bad meal, going to the manager and telling them why it was bad.. That allows the restaurant to possibly fix the original problem, lessening the likelyhood others will waste their time/money there.
In short, saying "I'll never again" is kind of an easy way out and to pass the Buck.

This would seem to be it's own form of absolute thinking. If I eat at a restaurant and don't like the meal I may offer some feedback ("It was a bit bland.") or I may say nothing and just not return. I may also pass on my negative impressions to other potential dinners. There are many factors in how I approach the situation. I don't think this is 'passing the buck'. There may be some people who do like the food or service. But, I know that if enough people do not return to a restaurant, and word gets out that the food is bad, or a restaurant is not recommended, that that restaurant will fail. Restaurants fail everyday. If, in any business, you develop a bad reputation, you will have a hard time succeeding. Many companies elicit feedback for that very reason. Has SOG sent you a questionnaire asking for feedback? Me neither. 

As far as SOG goes, why would I risk buying another bad product when I have had a good experience with 7 Leatherman's and 1 Victorinox? (Gerber, not so much, but right now, if I had to chose between Gerber and SOG, I'd probably go with Gerber.) Why would I do SOG the favor of spending my time providing feedback directly to them? What? They sell me a defective tool and then expect me to do the QC and testing they should have done in the first place? I guess that's one way to save money--use your market for R&D and testing. That will only work though if the market sticks around. The burden is on SOG to provide a quality tool that builds customer loyalty, not on the consumer to help SOG do their work properly. And SOG can always visit this excellent forum and gather up customer impressions if they are actually interested.

Do I have an obligation to the public to provide feedback to SOG and not 'pass the buck'? That's an interesting question. Perhaps it would be more responsible of me to do as you say. However, I am providing frank and honest opinions here. These are only my opinions and do not constitute an absolute truth, but are open to anyone who cares to search for them. Do YouTube reviewers have an obligation to provide feedback to the manufacturers of the products they review? I don't know.

For me, some of this comes down to my perception of the company's attitude. I have avoided buying a Vic SAK with a mag lens because I do have reservations about their optics and the durability of the magnifier. But, my perception is that Vic does strive to make a quality tool. Their commitment to quality comes through with almost every knife and tool. SOG on the other hand has a reputation for mutlitools of a lower quality. They don't seem to be concerned with refining or improving the quality of their tools or their reputation. That this PAD is the newest in their line only reinforces that perception and is a real missed opportunity in my opinion. My impression, and it's just my impression, is that SOG is focused on marketing a cheaply made tool with gimmicks like compound leverage. They developed an interesting idea and are hoping that the novelty will carry their sales. I don't think the quality will. Since my perception is that the company doesn't actually care about their products, I find it hard to care about the company and I'm not inclined to provide feedback to them. With Victorinox, my perception is the opposite, I have taken the trouble to provide feedback and make recommendations.

I don't think it's fair of you to fault me for turning my back on SOG at this point. This is my reaction and I own it. I'm not saying it is right or that it makes me a good person (you sure seem like a good and kind person and an excellent role model.). Perhaps I'm letting my disappointment get the better of me, but at this point, I just don't care about SOG enough to be motivated to be better than I am.

From my perspective, the opposing absolute to “never coming back” would be to “keep coming back, regardless of the terrible meals.” I feel like saying something to the manager and giving them a chance to make it right is more in the gray area of the metaphor. The metaphor, in hindsight, could be debated until the end of time. But, in a more focused sense, the metaphor was my attempt to simplify my stance and the discussion. I am doing all of this by typing on my phone. A laborious undertaking to say the least.
I like to conduct my interactions on a  case-by-case basis, so I generally struggle with accepting the fact that many people and businesses fail. If it seemed like I was foisting my opinion onto you, I apologize for that. My approach to things is definitely arduous at best and I am often left disappointed. But, with that said, I have never been able to watch someone(or the metaphorical restaurant) fall and not help them get back up to brush off their pants(I know this is not my responsibility, but I get an overwhelming feeling to help). I know, the metaphors are somewhat laborious to follow in the light that this entire discussion is about a multitool. Haha
Thank you for entertaining this discussion, Nix. Not many people would bother and your retorts are appreciated. You seem like a very pragmatic and reasonable person. I appreciate that, even if I tend to think that approach lacks a significant sense of empathy(I am not saying you are apathetic. I believe you’re a generally decent man, based on our interactions and your actions towards members here at mt.o). I kind of enjoy hearing and seeing things I don’t agree with. I guess that is what keeps life interesting.
The point we both agree on is that SOG should be paying close attention to this. Their longevity as a company is at stake and they don’t seem to be taking it as seriously as they should.
Too bad a lot of people(in the US and China) would ultimately suffer(lose jobs and income) if SOG doesn’t pay attention. In my opinion, SOG should consider this site(and this challenge in particular) as a free Beta-test and review the results and conclusions very carefully. And, if they learn from it, we won’t have to “beta-test” anymore tools(if they learn from this, they could create a spectacular tool).

No, you absolutely are not required to be responsible, if you choose not to take part. I can respect that, even when I would take a different path on the decision. Please do not my take the rambling in my previous post as saying your choice is ‘wrong’. It is just not the choice I would make. Like I said, I am overburdened with an unhealthy sense of empathy. A pragmatic person might say I’m a sucker, if they were to overlook my reasoning towards the issues. Like I said, I am not out there buying snake oil.

Moving on, I think we should not discount the company as a whole,  but we should discount the particular tool (or the qc issues with it).

Fair enough. I did have a SOG Seal Pup knife that I liked. It was a good knife. At the same time, I have to question the commitment of SOG to quality if they let a tool like this carry on their previous mistakes. "One bad apple......"  There are many good knife makers out there, I don't need to choose a SOG. And now, I probably won't.

When a new MT enthusiast reads an absolute statement about a brand as a whole, then they may not understand that is was one file on one tool and a can opener that made you disown the company as a whole.
With that logic, I should never buy another Vic product, because of W's bent corkscrew or my mag lenses popping out.
We both know it isn't that simple.
Your comments about never trying SOG again will forever be in the search results for SOG tools. People who don't know better may never try a good SOG product, because of your one bad file and our lame can openers.

Well, we are seeing a trend here, not just one odd corkscrew that made it passed a usually rigorous QC process. And my list of concerns is longer than yours:

I am going to transition here to quoting and replying to Nix in a way that helps me address each concern.

1. The sheath is poorly designed. It gives the impression that no one ever bother to put the knife in the sheath to see if it worked. While the sheath technically MOLLE compatible, it actually provides only one point of attachment and that is a bit sketchy. I think Wspeed has noted that his velcro is wearing out. Mine hasn't been used as much but the velcro feels a bit weak already.

I have been using the sheath as outlined by SOG, on my belt with bits, for over two weeks. The velcro is shoddy at best. However, with that being said, Leatherman and Victorinox sell sheaths with their brands on them that are poorly made(in different ways) as well.
The only reason I don’t worry about the tool falling out is that they did make the sheath deep enough and the long flap is heavy enough to stay down by gravity. But, I think you are right, we cannot recommend the sheath alone.

2. The "Chisel" isn't a chisel. It isn't sharp. It may prove to be an adequate large flat driver or pry tool. I haven't tried it yet.

It works great as a screwdriver, as you have since found out, but why they called it a “chisel” is a mystery to me. It is a glaring mistake that cannot be discounted. It works great as a driver, and they should label it is a screwdriver. Chisels on multitools are not really useful, well, to me anyway.

3. The file is just crap. Cutting aluminum is nice, but that is not a practical use for me for a file.

Again, and I cannot stress this enough, it seems you have a truly faulty file and should contact SOG about a replacement file before condemning the file altogether. That is my position on the matter. If you want to discredit a tool for its’ file, then please do so with a file example that is representative of what the rest of us have demonstrated.
Would you do a review on a SAK with a bent corkscrew and write about the bent corkscrew as a common fault? I don’t think you would, but I can’t answer that for you.
Please refrain from using the aluminum as the ONLY example of what the PAD file can be used on. It seems you keep going in circles about that singular experiment by Wspeed. I used mine on moderately hard hinge steel(with video proof) and it worked. All three surfaces to boot. It did not work well, but it would be fine in a pinch. I am not keen on using files that small though(except for needle files and mini diamond files), so I think most MT files are a bit gimmicky. I would think my PAD file is more akin to the intended execution of the file that SOG had in mind.

4. The can opener works, but is terrible. Poorly designed and poorly made.

I haven’t used mine yet, but I can extrapolate the outcome of my PAD can opener to be of a similar nature to others who have demonstrated it.

5. The serrations on the serrated blade will be problematic to sharpen. The blade has worked fine, so far, but I foresee difficulty in resharpening it.

I take for granted that I can sharpen those kinds of serrations. So, I will grant you that most people could not easily touch up that blade.

6. The medium driver on my cap lifter is rounded off. I have successfully used it, but I think this will be prone to slipping with heavier use. A nice squared off drive is just safer and more effective.

The driver on the can opener is(from the photos and looking at both of my Accesses) is run-of-the-mill.  It is, however, better than the rounded/over-polished driver on the SAK can openers I have. I am not sure this should be a complaint to be honest. Seems beyond nit-picky.

7. The saw works, but it is short for the space in the handle. It looks to me like they could have given me a saw that is 5-6mm longer, and therefore more effective

I have to agree wholeheartedly on this. But, I need to say, SOG has a strange opposition to making saws a bit longer. Since the PowerPlier(same saw as the paratool), the SOG saws have been too short(except the powerplay file. It is longer). This criticism isn’t unique to the PAD is all I want people to know. If they buy a PowerLock(I recommend the PL to anyone), they need to know that the saw is too short in it as well.

8. The Jeweler's driver on mine had a poor grind with a burr. I used a diamond stone to clean it up and I think it's a bit better now.

Seems like you have some kind of pre-production dud of a PAD. The “jeweler drivers” on my PA, PAD, PowerPint, and PowerPlay have been consistently excellent. Non of them needed to be cleaned up.

9. The springs that activate the locks appear to be flimsy and fragile (I thought I read that someone had their lock springs break already. I might be wrong.). This is a chief point of concern for me, and one of the reasons I question the tool's durability.

Wspeed had a spring failure. SOG took it in and had it examined(promptly sent a new PAD to him and then sent a PA to him for covering the customs fees). The judgment was a failed spring-portion heat treat. Nobody else here has experienced this issue yet, that I know of.

Some of these observations are either unfounded or are of a nit-picking nature. But they start to add up to a very negative impression overall, especially when we have a record of a few MTo'ers returning their PADs within a few days of receiving them.

This has been a great discussion, and, even if you haven't persuaded me to be nicer to SOG, I do like the way you think and your fundamental consideration. I promise to stay open minded as we continue the challenge.  [/color]

As far as I know, only powernoodle returned his for a refund. He only had his around a week I think.

My thumbs hate me. Typing on this phone is tedious at best. I vehemently apologize for the numerous typos in my writing.

Thank you again for your responses, Nix! You’re a good man.

[gerleatherberman]

OK, I've been a bit negative about the SOG PAD recently, so I thought I'd share one feature that I think is very cool:

The PAD can be 'flicked' open with a sharp snap of the wrist.

The momentum of one handle swings the pliers open, add a little rotation, and the pliers are in hand, ready to use. Nice! Especially handy when one is fishing. Hey, that reminds me, I need to go fishing.......

Yeah man. The SOG flick is one of the most enjoyable MT plier deployments....ever. 

[Wspeed]

Day 16

This morning I put the kettle on
For my second coffee and the kettle stopped working
So the first thing I checked was the fuse
And as it needed something to lift the fuse cover
I found the chisel to be perfect for the job 

Tested the kettle with a new fuse but no go
So already been to the shops to buy a new kettle 

[Nix]

Seems odd to have a fuse in the kettle plug. Probably a good idea, but I've never seen that before. Do all English appliances have fused plugs?

Good work with the chisel, sorry you need a new kettle! 

[Wspeed]

Seems odd to have a fuse in the kettle plug. Probably a good idea, but I've never seen that before. Do all English appliances have fused plugs?

Good work with the chisel, sorry you need a new kettle! 

Yes all UK plugs have a fuse
I think it’s a great idea 

[Nix]

Again, and I cannot stress this enough, it seems you have a truly faulty file and should contact SOG about a replacement file before condemning the file altogether. That is my position on the matter. If you want to discredit a tool for its’ file, then please do so with a file example that is representative of what the rest of us have demonstrated.

Would you do a review on a SAK with a bent corkscrew and write about the bent corkscrew as a common fault?

G-man,

 

I have acquiesced to your wishes and contacted SOG through their on-line email function @ their website. I have requested a replacement file blade.

Let me point out that not one person in this challenge has stated that his or her file is a good and useful file. Not one of us has been able to say "hey, I love this file feature on the PAD." I know you and Wspeed were able to get the files to work to some degree. So, this is not a one-time flaw, e.g. a bent corkscrew. This smurfy file seems to be, indeed, a "common flaw". Since Powernoodle and I are both appalled by the lame files, and everyone else seems to be at least concerned by the lame files, that would give us somewhere around a 100% dissatisfaction rate with the SOG file (I trust you guys will correct my math if I've misrepresented anyone's views on the file).

Now, if SOG gets back to me and sends me a working file, I will clearly state that I got a random dud and that the file performs at a better level than I had previously experienced. I have no problem admitting that I am wrong; I've had lots of practice.         It will remain to be seen if such an improved file, should it exist, converts me from dissatisfied customer to satisfied customer.

Part of the reason I decided to see if SOG can fix this issue (one of several issues for me), is that I realized that if it weren't for the challenges, I would probably just leave this mutlitool in a drawer or give it away (or perhaps just throw it away, I don't like to give away knives or tools that I don't like myself, that would indeed be 'passing the buck'.). So, before going to such extremes, it seems reasonable to see if SOG can amend this issue. In all candor, I doubt it, because it does seem like an inherent design issue.

Let's see what SOG says. 

[ThePeacent]

Day 10:


Now, this took a long time to achieve and I don't think I could actually get good edge with this tool, but it did do something, which is more than I expected. Perhaps with enough time it might serve the purpose.

this reminds me of

“If I had five minutes to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first three sharpening my axe.”

- Abraham Lincoln   

OK, I've been a bit negative about the SOG PAD recently, so I thought I'd share one feature that I think is very cool:

The PAD can be 'flicked' open with a sharp snap of the wrist.

The momentum of one handle swings the pliers open, add a little rotation, and the pliers are in hand, ready to use. Nice! Especially handy when one is fishing. Hey, that reminds me, I need to go fishing.......

wait until you wrist flick it too enthusiastically and use our knuckles as a stop point    then tell mw that aggain 
The PAD might be too small and light enough to just cause discomfort, but I can tell from experience that a fully loaded Powerlock or Blacktip can leave a nasty cut and evn make you drop the tool 

how can you not be conscious of the force applied?  Well, if you have many SOG tools with different smoothness in opening and forget how smooth the one in your hand was 

Gerber has the Mr.Pinchy's pinching, SOGs has the Power--- smashing 

[Wspeed]

It will be interesting to see what SOG
Are going to do about the file Nix

[Dutch_Tooler]

Yup, that would interest me too...

Meanwhile, on Day 16, I'm afraid I haven't used the PAD for anything else than below, highly important, but
not very innovative operation. At least the cap lifter works well

[Nix]

Critical task completion! 

[gerleatherberman]

  Nix.
I do have to agree with you, in a close regard, Nix. The file is of sub-par quality and usefulness, relative to its' competition. It would only be "good", at least in my opinion, if it were of the same quality as the lower-end of its' competition(gerger for example). As it stands, while still useful to an extent(at least a few of them), it is at the bottom of the totem pole(sp?).
I hope SOG treats you as they should and sends you a proper replacement.

If they can get these issues under control, they may be able to create a stupendous multitool. If they can do it with the PAD is questionable.
We'll have to wait and see I guess.

[Nix]

Yes, I think you are right. There is a lot of potential here with the PAD.   

[gerleatherberman]

I was feeling a little brave with the PAD and tried a medium prying task with the "chisel"(uhmm huh). I have been using it as a mid-large flat blade driver. I was surprised it didn't twist or anything under torsion. I twisted the board up with the blade after prying it up a bit. I was more worried in the end that it may break a pivot screw. But, everything went well. Lifted the oak board free of its' bond (nails holding it down). 
I probably won't push that particular implement that far again, but was happy to see the tool steel is pretty good.
And an extra pic of the PAD during a break.

[Nix]

Nice!   

[Nix]

Day 11:

A cold and rainy day. Sounds miserable, but here in the dry, dry state of Montana, we'll take it!

Might have been a good day for Walleye fishing, but I chose to make mushroom soup instead. PAD got pressed into service to slice mushrooms. It did a great job with this task! 




In addition to Button, smurfake, Crimini, and Black Trumpet mushrooms, I decided to throw in a can of organic mushrooms (Button variant, I think). Sure enough, the ring pull snapped off........




SOG PAD to the rescue!




The can opener both cut the lid and separated the lid at the designed score. Worked well to salvage a tricky situation.    

This is why manual can openers will never be obsolete (in my lifetime  ).

[Nix]

Soup is up!

[gerleatherberman]

Looks delicious! It's a bit hot down here in AL for most soups, but mushroom soup is always enjoyable.

On a side note: I almost fell oit of my chair when I read where you mentioned shii-take(hyphenated to avoid curse filter) mushrooms. Smurfake.

[Nix]

Ha ha ha. I missed that. 

Too funny. C'mon! It's a mushroom! 

[Dutch_Tooler]

Looks delicious! It's a bit hot down here in AL for most soups, but mushroom soup is always enjoyable.

On a side note: I almost fell oit of my chair when I read where you mentioned shii-take(hyphenated to avoid curse filter) mushrooms. Smurfake.

+1 to the delicious - looks yummy! Smurfake is a magic ingredient  out of a class of ingredients some of my countrymen use to amplify their mental activities  

[Dutch_Tooler]

oops... double

[Don Pablo]

Seems odd to have a fuse in the kettle plug. Probably a good idea, but I've never seen that before. Do all English appliances have fused plugs?

Good work with the chisel, sorry you need a new kettle! 

Yes all UK plugs have a fuse
I think it’s a great idea 

Same with Ireland, it allows for building houses with cheaper ring circuits instead of radial circuits. 

[Don Pablo]

OK, I've been a bit negative about the SOG PAD recently, so I thought I'd share one feature that I think is very cool:

The PAD can be 'flicked' open with a sharp snap of the wrist.

The momentum of one handle swings the pliers open, add a little rotation, and the pliers are in hand, ready to use. Nice! Especially handy when one is fishing. Hey, that reminds me, I need to go fishing.......

FYI, it should be possible to loosen and tighten the pivot screws to adjust the degree of flicky-ness. 
Just in case anyone has a too loose or too tight PAD.

[Wspeed]

Excellent looking mushroom soup Nix

[Wspeed]

Day 17

Today I am removing my old bike battery
As over the winter the battery stopped working completely
So I used the 1/4 inch driver with the adapter
and the largest cross head screw driver from the bit kit

No problems undoing the battery terminals
I really lik the PADs 1/4 inch driver and bits set
And it looks a nice quality tool

Now I am waiting for the new battery to fully charge
Before I can fit it to the bike 

[Nix]

Great use, Wspeed.

I had a bike's battery die on me whilst I was on a road trip. I was in a remote area and it was quite a bit of work to get back to a town where I could order a new battery. I was sure glad to havve a few tools with me that day!

Once a bike's battery gives up the will to spark, there is no bringing it back. 

[Wspeed]

Great use, Wspeed.

I had a bike's battery die on me whilst I was on a road trip. I was in a remote area and it was quite a bit of work to get back to a town where I could order a new battery. I was sure glad to havve a few tools with me that day!

Once a bike's battery gives up the will to spark, there is no bringing it back. 

I am glad my bike was in the workshop
when the battery stopped working 
More money spent this month 
I would not be happy if that happened when out on the bike 
Lucky that you could order a new battery Nix 

[gerleatherberman]

It looks as if we are padding the results here.

O.k. I'll go back to my padded cell now.

[Wspeed]

It looks as if we are padding the results here.

O.k. I'll go back to my padded cell now.