Sog Switchpliers

[navihawk]

How popular is this tool to sog collectors? I don't think they make it anymore. Looks like Stanley has the pattern now.Maybe Sog makes them for Stanley.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Stanley makes them out of tin foil in China.  The Stanley copy falls apart with use and is not recommended.

Def

[navihawk]

They ripped off the Patent?

[Grant Lamontagne]

Often times the patent only applies to a certain mechanism rather than the whole design.  It's possible that the company that manufactures the Stanley design uses another mechanism to achieve similar results.  In addition to that, a US patent only pertains to items manufactured or imported to the US, and is based on a complaint system.  And, even with a legitimate complaint, the only thing that allows the patent holder to do is to bring a lawsuit against the offender, which is very difficult to do with a foreign company as US law oddly enough doesn't mean anything outside of the US.

Admittedly the Stanley tool is pretty blatant, so my guess is there's a difference that allows it to be manufactured, or they purchased the rights to it from SOG when SOG discontinued the design.

Def

[J-sews]

I agree with Def, they probably purchased the design rights after SOG was done with it. The mechanism on the two tools is identical. The Stanley is more of a small keychain tool, about half the size of a SwitchPlier.

And like Def says, the Stanley is built from extremely low-strength steel. (At least mine was) 

[navihawk]

My Sog is definately nice quality stuff.I don't think it would stand up like their other pliers.So they are discontinued then.I saw a few at a couple of different sites going for about $72.00, so there's still some around.

[J-sews]

They are fun to play with, don't you agree? 

[17Chap]

This thread needs a picture!   

Chap

[Grant Lamontagne]

Couple of pictures here:

http://www.multitool.org/sog-tools/medium-tools/sog-switchplier.html

Def

[navihawk]

Couple of pictures here:

http://www.multitool.org/sog-tools/medium-tools/sog-switchplier.html

Def

Strange, mine has a 1/4 drive bit holder instead of the phillips. If mine had the phhillips I would like it much better.
I'l post up some pics tomorrow. It's still in the box, although the box is crunched from opening  my drawer and getting it stuck.

[Viper]

The SP is my latest mult interest. This means that I have to get it before I get any other tools.

[665ae]

[navihawk]

Mine also has a straight edge and 1/4  drive instead of the phillips. #SWPL76 on the box.

[Leatherman123]

I think those switch pliers are going to be worth a lot of money! I don't even think they make them anymore, and if I am correct they made fewer of them.

[navihawk]

No doubt about it. The sites that you google have them from $69-$79.25% already.

[Leatherman123]

Yes indeed, I have one somewhere. I know it is in the box unused!