SOG 2015 releases - wtf happened to this company?

retzius

retzius

Joined
Sep 17, 2009
Messages
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I was checking out the SOG 2015 releases:

http://www.sogknives.com/new.html

I don't even know what to think... they all look like gimmicky mall-ninja weapons or toys.

The Seal Strike is just a mess. Its got a metal wrapped handle (?) , a stabby harpoon tip, a sheath with a click open line cutter, a call of duty skull logo, a tiny built in sharpener and firesteel, and a jimped thump ramp that frankly looks uselessly uncomfortable.

I have a Seal pup elite that I really like but this thing has just become a teenage boy call of duty fantasy toy.

They also have a bunch of tacti-cool looking pockets knifes, tomahawks, and I kid you not a switchblade pliers...

SOG - get back to making great knives!!!
 
I gotta say I agree. Almost nothing here appeals to me. I watched the BladHQ video of them at Shot Show and felt the same way. Come on SOG. Get back to making quality classic fixed blades! Or even more quality Seki folders!

One thing that I will be getting that's new is the SwitchPlier 2.0. That looks neat and innovative to me. I believe Chris said street price would be $30-$40. Also maybe the Steel cup and the pint glass.

But again, none of the things I like in the new products are actually knives. Very disappointing. Especially when you consider what some other brands are coming out with this year. Cold steel especially is moving in the right direction. Kershaw/ZT have some exciting new stuff. Hell, even CRKT has a knife I am interested in as long as the street price is right. SOG, not so much....
 
LOL. I can't even tell the difference between SOG's new 2015 models and the
non-existent counterfeit SOGs on ebay. The knives are exactly what the OP
said, gimicky mall-ninja toys with logo splashed all over. I really have to wonder
who is in charge these days.
 
I like the push button pliers just for the convenience it's nice to be able to open pliers on a multi tool with one hand.
 
BenLong1018 said:
I like the push button pliers just for the convenience it's nice to be able to open pliers on a multi tool with one hand.
Click to expand...

Yeah, they do look functional. In the Shot video they looked like a great idea. Chris even said he was getting a pair.
 
Just to add that CRKT blade I mentioned looks like it is coming in at $100 street which is way too much for a 4" AUS8 blade. So put CRKT and SOG in the boat of companies that failed to impress for 2015 :(
 
SOG lost my business with the Flashback. Last knife I will buy from them for a long time.
 
SOGs current offering all remind of knives that were designed by a marketing team in a board room instead of users in the field trying to improve on an existing product line.

I can almost see a group of youngish guys all sitting in a meeting room coming up for the design for the "Seal Strike" making a list of all the "cool" things that a teenage boy would want on a knife and then finding a way to stick them all into one package. Harpoon tips, skull logos, metal wrapped handles, retractable line cutters, etc. do not make a good field knife.

The retractable line cutter is the most ridiculous thing I have seen... It would actually take longer than just pulling out my knife and cutting a piece of cord. Second, if my sheath is attached to my belt or molle rig, than I would have to pull the line down to where my sheath is to try and cut the cord while at the same time trying to make it slide into the little cutting notch. While a sheath attached retractable line cutter might look cool in a board room, in the field it would be a useless feature and ergonomic mess that no one would use.

I am not criticizing these new knives because I don't like SOG. To the contrary, I have a Tech Bowie, Creed, Recon Bowie 2.0, Demo 2.0, Team Leader, and Seal pup. All great knives with purpose built designs that do away with silly features that serve no purpose other than to clutter a classic design in an attempt to appeal to the CoD fanboys that want to throw knives at trees in their backyards and pose with Tomahawks for selfies on their Instagram feed.
 
I completely agree with the above post. The people most annoyed by the direction
that SOG has gone are the ones who have been SOG fans from the old days.
 
OK so are we complaining because we already have the models SOG makes that we really appreciate and they seem to be forgetting us? Trying to introduce products to attract a new market isn't anything new. I agree that this year I haven't seen anything in the "new for" category that drew any interest from me. In fact the last new offering that I really liked was the Ops, and it pretty much has replaced my Seal pup for camp carry.
 
Switchpliars is back!

I wanted one since I got to play with it over 10 years ago, but never had to get the chance to get one.
 
Last SOG I bought new was this SOG GROWL sog growl.jpg, a Brous collaboration. I like it a great deal, but as you say, it's not up to the caliber of my Tomcat or Facet.
 
They have nice contracts with Walmart, Lowes, military BXs/Pxs, and most of the other knife-newby retail stores. That is definitely their primary concern. I guess they feel our forum is a waste of their time, as well.
I am very happy with the large Zoom and the camo-handled Fasthawk I purchased last year (at significant discounts), but I don't see ANYTHING this year that interests me, even a little.
It seems pretty stupid that they haven't had the sense to produce colored handles for their PLAIN edged Flashes or Aegis. I would love to have a blue handled Flash 1. How hard would it be?
 
As I recall the Sogzilla's that had colored handles ended up being deeply discounted to purge the stock. Once bitten twice shy.
 
I have and like some Sog knives , like the Seal Pups, Seal Team, and especially like the Force but these new releases don't push any buttons for me at all. Retzius is right ; what the heck are they thinking when their sitting in the design room? All looks like mall-ninja , gimmicky stuff to me.
 
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