The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles: The Range Reviews: SOG S62 PowerLock with V-Cutter

Saturday, June 18, 2011

The Range Reviews: SOG S62 PowerLock with V-Cutter

SOG PowerLock in Afghanistan!
© 2011 Albert A Rasch and
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles™

“At SOG, we create style through craftsmanship. Our purpose is to combine advanced technology, imaginative designs and high-quality construction to create products of the highest caliber-products that enhance your life”

The SOG Philosophy

Multi-tools have become ubiquitous. Just about everyone makes one, with quality varying from atrocious to sublime. In my opinion, having carried one for almost two years in Afghanistan, SOG Specialty Knives makes one of best multi-tools.

To quote SOG Specialty Knives, they are “totally committed to creating the world's finest specialized knives and tools.” Having used their S62 PowerLock with V-Cutter for well over a three years, I have no doubt as to the commitment of its founder and chief designer, Spencer Frazer, and his talented crew, to produce cutting edge tools for today’s military personnel and civilian outdoorsmen.

Picture courtesy of SOG Specialty Knives

The S62's specifications and components are impressive:

Double tooth saw
½ serrated blade
Three sided file
Large screwdriver
Philips screwdriver
¼” socket driver
Awl
Can opener/Small screwdriver
Bottle opener/Medium screwdriver
Wire crimper
Wire cutter
V-Cutter

Picture courtesy of SOG Specialty Knives

From left to right: Drive unit, blade
can opener-small screwdriver,
bottle opener-medium screwdriver.

Top to bottom: Double tooth saw, awl, large screwdriver,
Philips head screwdriver, can opener-small screwdriver, and file.

Standard leather sheath

Closed it measures 4.6 inches and open it is 7 inches. It weighs 9.6 ounces, which while not heavy, gives it sufficient heft. It is made of polished stainless steel and comes with a leather sheath. A nylon sheath is also available, and can be purchased separately.

The first impression is that of a very sturdy and solid tool. The polish is very good and the imprints and logos are deep and well done. Upon opening, the needle nose pliers are robust without being too bulky. It is obvious that they are meant to be used.

Picture courtesy of SOG Specialty Knives

The gearing system, called Compound Leverage (TM) generates twice the gripping and cutting force than other multi-tools. As a test I went and clipped a couple of pennies, a dime, some hardened wire, plain wire, and a coat hanger. Except for some copper streaking, the cutters show no sign of any wear.

Very little pressure disengages the locks.

The components are held in the open position by the PowerLock spring. To close them you depress the lever and fold them back.

The blade is serrated along half of its length. These serrations worked well against cardboard, nylon strapping, along with polypropylene, manila, and cotton rope. The blade itself is chisel ground. While some may not like that edge, it does make it easier to sharpen. The steel is easy enough to sharpen if you don’t wait until it is stone dull, and the blade is very serviceable.

Double tooth saw blade made short work of 1X1 oak!

The double tooth saw was exceptional in its cutting ability. It cut through a 1X1 piece of oak and then two pieces of pine lumber. Again the saw felt as sharp as when the first cut was made.

¼ inch drive unit works well; carry the adapter
and any bits you need for your guns when you travel!

A neat feature is the ¼ inch drive. Any ¼ inch socket will fit on the drive, and with the adapter you can use all those hex screwdrivers, allen wrenches, torx bits and anything else with a ¼ inch hex shank. You can also use an extension to give you a little more reach or clearance.

The V-Cutter is designed to cut through webbing or cord. Unable to find any webbing that I could safely cut, it made short work of ¼ inch braided cordage. I'm thinking you could even use it to gut game animals if need be.

All of the minor tools performed as expected; that is to say the screwdrivers tightened and loosened screws, and the bottle and can opener opened their respective containers. The awl is diamond shaped and as sharp as a razor. It punched through some very heavy harness leather with ease. It is best to back whatever you are punching through with a piece of softwood for safety.

All you need to disassemble and service the S62 is a ¼ inch wrench.

Something that really set the tool apart is that you can completely disassemble it, rearrange the components, or replace components with completely different ones. (As long as they are the same thickness.) All that is required is a ¼ inch wrench.

Care is nothing out of the ordinary. Keep it clean, oil the hinges lightly, occasionally strip it down to its components and clean it thoroughly. It should give you a lifetime of service.

Overall I rate the SOG S62 PowerLock a rock-solid buy, well worth the price. It is the best multi-tool currently on the market, the guarantee is unbeatable, and their commitment to be the best instills great confidence. A SOG S62 PowerLock on your hip will resolve 95% of your problems; the other 5% probably require a specialist and a big fat bank account.

And remember SOG is made in America!