SOG booth, 2010 Shot Show

[J-sews]

The folks at SOG have not spent the previous year resting on their laurels. On the contrary, they have a host of new items across their entire product range to show off this year - 42 specific new items counting all variations - including knives, lights, axes, tools, etc. And while we'll report more later about their "new" knives...


SOGZILLA


...and their "new" light...


LT-01


...the most interesting thing by far (to me) was SOG's "new" multitool:




Actually this tool is entirely new, despite the fact that it shares its name with a previous SOG tool released nearly twenty years ago. The new Micro ToolClip resembles its ancestor only superficially, mainly in that both of them are the same size, and share the same fixed-handle style layout. (original Micro ToolClip shown below on top, new Micro ToolClip on bottom)




The new MicroToolClip uses a carabiner style gate to lend spring action to the pliers (the original Micro was unsprung) while employing an ambidextrous cross pin to lock the pliers closed when not in use.




Plier jaws are about the same size. The wire cutter area is slightly smaller on the New model, and it comes equipped with a hard wire notch which the original did not have.




Blade layout differences can be seen in the picture below. Also note differences in the pocket clip, as well as the phillips (versus straight screwdriver/pry bar previously) added to the tip of the plier handle.




At an MSRP of only $20, the new Micro ToolClip is bound to appeal to nearly everyone's budget. The big question in everyone's mind however will no doubt relate to quality. We can't say at this time, as the examples shown above were unfinished prototypes. Hopefully the final versions due out this March will be built at least as good as the originals.

SOG Micro ToolClip
Availability......March 2010
Variations......black, green, blue, pink
MSRP.........$20

[Freudian Frog]

Don't care... I want one of each flavor.

[MultiMat]

I love the Kwaka Green one  .
Probably end up with a couple of them , not sure about the pink one 

[Medic82]

I am getting all 4!

[Santos]

Gah! 

Still non-locking blades i assume?

They are pretty and they are cheap... Great gift idea to the multitool challenged
At that price i am guessing production will be offshore?

in Either case sog should go that extra bit and make the tools compatible with their tool customation swap-a-bility.

Then the user can add saw/blade/canopener/whatever to make it suit their needs


oooh and they definately need orange.

[SlackOne]

They took out the serrated blade...for a freaking bottle opener?!?!

gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah~!

Still like the green one though.  Safety orange *would* be even better though.  And the new jaw shape actually looks to be a bit better at ply-ing than the old head thanks to the shorter wire snip area.  And the spring return is actually rather inspired.  Hopefully the tool makes an intimidating "snap" sound when the safety release is opened

Just so tired of every tool ending up with a bottle opener :/  Will probably still get one, just because I don't have a SOG of any kind at this time.

[cliosguy]

I am getting all 4!

+1

[gafftapegreenia]

Oh I'm so getting the green one.

[Benner]

I was never keen on the original.  These look more appealing though. 

[Magnus]

Just so tired of every tool ending up with a bottle opener :/  Will probably still get one, just because I don't have a SOG of any kind at this time.

what is it with that, every bloody multi tool seems to have one.

[Benner]

Because we are all pi$$heads. 

I like tools with bottle openers, so I'm happy at least.

[WhichDawg]

I agree Ben, many of us have dedicated blades on us anyway and an opener really comes in handy when you need it!

Very nice SOG Orange Please! (hint hint)

[Witmen]

I would much rather see the tool have a can opener instead of a bottle opener.  A can opener can feed you a bottle opener only comes in handy if your buddy drinks Corona.   It would be awesome if these were customizable.

Either way I still love them.  I honestly think these are the best things SOG as a company has done in the last few years. Also from what I can tell they only have "SOG" on them in one spot.  I might forget who made it.  lol

I can't wait to see what the real price for these things will be.  Powerlocks can be had for less then half what they go for on the SOG website,  So just think of picking these things up for 10 bucks each.  The quality would have to be utter garbage to make that a bad deal.  Something I highly doubt will happen.

I know 5 people that have never owned or used a multi tool that will be getting one of these as unasked for gifts.  I see these as perfect and cheap ways to spread the multi tool sickness.  


Thank you SOG.   

[zepla]

Can that phillips head handle come out more so it can used as a T-handle, if you know what I mean? Otherwise it seems a bit akward to use the phillips 

[Medic82]

A can opener would have been better, you can open a bottle with almost every implement on a MT and I don't want to use my blade to open a can...............But I am still getting 4

[Benner]

A can opener would have been better, you can open a bottle with almost every implement on a MT and I don't want to use my blade to open a can...............But I am still getting 4

I'm the opposite.  A can opener is no use to me at all.

[Freudian Frog]

A can opener would have been better, you can open a bottle with almost every implement on a MT and I don't want to use my blade to open a can...............But I am still getting 4

I do believe it's more of a metro than outdoors tool. As such the bottle opener is fitting.

That being said I will carry it as one of my one-tool metro solutions.

[AHB]

Thanks to SOG for bringing them back to life..  
I'll take all three..  


But we need a yellow..  

[MultiMat]

Thanks to SOG for bringing them back to life..  
I'll take all three..  


But we need a yellow..  

What you do not like pink 

[AHB]

Thanks to SOG for bringing them back to life..  
I'll take all three..  


But we need a yellow..  

What you do not like pink 

Since I don't have the original green anymore, All colors are welcome..  

[Woz]

I´ll get all 4. Still, I´d love to see a serrated blade on it!

[Viking]

I'd like to know more about that flashlight.

[hawkchucker]

I for one Like Ben have absolutely no use for a can opener. Bottle opener yes!!!

However I got to ask where are these made. Not trying to start anything, but I  am just interested.

[AHB]

Thanks to SOG for bringing them back to life..  
I'll take all three..  
But we need a yellow..  

What you do not like pink  

I did completely overlook that there's a Pink too...
Still I would like to see the actual color before adding it to the wishlist with the other three..  

[Santos]

In regards to the bottlke opener you guys are really missing the point.

Real MT users would know how to open a bottle with blunt nose pliers 

[Grant Lamontagne]

Real Multitool.org members would chew through the bottle....

Def

[Sean]

I have both the old versions and the only real complaint (if you can call it that) I have is with the
clip and on the new versions it looks to be corrected.  They look like they will sit deeper in pocket
and the other way around (plier head down).  Especially on the micro it rides way high and makes
me nervous pocket carrying by the clip, afraid I will lose it.

[J-sews]

I for one Like Ben have absolutely no use for a can opener. Bottle opener yes!!!

However I got to ask where are these made. Not trying to start anything, but I  am just interested.

The new Micro ToolClips are made in China. And as we all know by now, there is plenty of good stuff made in China, but a lot more of it is bad.

I for one am truly hoping that this will be one of the good ones!

[J-sews]

Can that phillips head handle come out more so it can used as a T-handle, if you know what I mean? Otherwise it seems a bit akward to use the phillips  

Great question!


We went back and visited the SOG booth today specifically to check this out. As it happens, the handle does not fold out much farther than what you see in this photo here:

(Image removed from quote.)

Which would indeed limit the usefulness of the phillips driver if the screw you were trying to access was in the middle of a large flat surface. However, if the screw were on a smaller item it would not be an issue, as Chris@SOG demonstrates for us here:




And before you ask, we already looked - due to the way pliers (ALL pliers) are constructed, there really isn't a good way to get the handle to swing out farther, without seriously weakening the plier pivot.

[zepla]

Thanks for checking that out   

Alright, it is more of an "in-case-of-an-emergency-and-having-nothing-else-at-hand" kind of screwdriver I gues. But I like it anyway and perhaps could be my first SOG