Posted: 7/24/2010 12:36:22 AM EDT
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I was browsing the interwebs tonight and happened upon this site a friend of mine told me about.
Check out the deal of the day. SOG |
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Long story short, go for it.
SOG has a good overall rep, but I haven't seen anyone comment on these individual impliments, either as a set, or individually. It's not encouraging to see this set sold on WOOT, but that doesn't necessarily say anything about the quality of the product. Might be bad marketing or something else. I very much like SOG user configurable multi-tools, and own a few––as well as some by other mfrs, such as SwissTool, Leatherman (bought before the company owner campaigned for John Kerry), Gerber, and lots of others. IMHO, SOGs are right up there. That said, I haven't handled any of the gear in question. As stated, SOG has a good rep. If these products hold to SOGs usual quality standard, this offering is a good buy. I'm sceptical, though; all this stuff is much bigger in size than what SOG usually offers, so I wonder if a different mfr wasn't sourced for these tools, thus calling into question the usual connection between SOG's usual mfrs and the end product/reputation/quality. Given my reservtions, and if I did not already have proven, quality items of this same description, I might take a flyer on this offering. The price is not a bank-breaker, and it would almost be impossible to get nothing out of the deal. I say go for it. Having most of this stuff from other vendors, I'm eyeing the much smaller Gerber Gorge collapsible shovel: http://www.cabelas.com/p-0052623518279a.shtml. This thing looks like it might be an ideal size for backpacking; a little bit bigger than a trowel, but also much more capable of moving earth, as in ditching a tent, or digging a fire-pit. Plus, it is specifically set up with a flat hammer surface for tent pegs, etc. Obviously, this a tool somewhere between a trowel and a GI entrenching tool. The former is a favorite with ultralight campers, and the latter a seldom carried item if one is out of the Mil, and thus not required to construct field fortifications. Sounds like a decent compromise in size to me. Some users have complained about the method of locking the extended handle open, but it seems to me (sight unseen, admittedly) that such a possible flaw could be overcome through the use of a stainless steel bolt and a stainless steel wingnut. |