SOG Dark Energy Flashlight Review

It's nice to see a company such as SOG who specialise in Knives and Multi tools, attempting to make a different product. The Dark Energy from SOG is a CR123 powered flashlight. I'm proud to say that this flashlight follows SOG's usual build quality. The build quality is perfect.

 




The flashlight arrived in a lovely gift box which included, the flashlight, a battery, and a pocket clip. The flashlight measures 3.8"/9.65cm in length, and it weights 3oz/85.05g. The body is made fully out of black hard anodized aluminium. When held in hand, you instantly feel the very aggressive knurling on the body. It provides a good grip, and makes it comfortable to hold. Near the tailcap there's a hexagonal ring that acts as an anti-roll function. Personally I see this mostly as a design function, as the ring is too small, to act as a proper anti-roll ring. The head is quite a bit larger than the rest of the body, and it holds a quite large orange-peel reflector. The deep reflector gives a decent throw, while the orange-peel spreads a bit of light, so it lights up a large area. So with this reflector you get the best of both worlds. A included pocket clip screws on to the body in front of the hexagonal ring. The tailcap is very tight to the body, so this light wont randomly fall off of a piece of clothing. The knurling on the head twirls in one direction, which gives a nice look to the torch, and it fells very comfortable. The tailcap goes back further than the switch, therefore the light can easily tailstand. At the head, there's a tactical bezel which gives a cool beam shape, while it still can be used as a tactical weapon if needed. Only the tailcap screws off, and it reveals a non-anodized thread and the battery tube. The Cr123 battery fits snuggly in the tube, and it doesn't rattle about in the flashlight. The flashlight is water resistant to 1 meter for 30 minutes



The light does have momentary on, and you use the momentary function to change from one mode to another. You press the button fully once to enter the high mode, where the light gives out 214 lumens out of the Cree XPG R5 LED. Then you press the switch momentary to change into low mode (40%), and then press the switch once again to enter the tactical strobe mode. The battery lasts for 80 minutes on high, and 180 minutes on low.

Overall, this is a very nice, tactical everyday carry flashlight. The tactical strobe, and the scalloped bezel, make this ideal for someone who needs a small tactical flashlight.

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SOG Sliptron Knife Review

The Sliptron from SOG is stated as an Everyday Carry Knife. It is a folding knife, but it doesn't have a lock. Instead it has a slip joint locking mechanism. SOG say this means that the knife only closes when you want it to. It all depends on the amount of pressure you put on the blade. In testing, I found that the lock worked exceptionally well. It never closed unexpectedly. I was a bit unsure about this locking mechanism, but it locks in place with a satisfying click, and closes only when needed.

When closed the knife measures 3.9"/9.91cm, and when opened it measures 6.9"/17.53cm. It weighs 2.9oz/82.21g, and has a blade length of 3"/7.62cm. The knife has a Satin finish. There's also a black version available.

The knife feels very comfortable in hand, and fits perfectly. There's a groove near the  joint of the handle and blade where your index finger sits comfortably. This make using the knife a joy, and my hand never hurts after using the knife for a long period of time. There's a lanyard hole at the end of the handles, and there's an unique design engraved into the handle. The handle is made out of stainless steel, and I did find that the handles does scratch when left in the pocket with other items. The blade is made out of 8CR13MOV Steel, which has a hardness of RC. 56-58. The blade is shaped as a clip point which has a straight cut leading down the top edge to the tip of the blade. The blade is easy to sharpen, and it holds its sharpness very well. I find it nearly impossible to open the blade one handed, but it opens very easily when opened two handed.

 

SOG Powerlock V-Cutter S62 Multi Tool Review

"As one of the original multi-tool manufacturers, we have learned quite a bit over the years. Like how to make the toughest tools with patented gear driven Compound Leverage™ mechanisms. You have let us know, that quick access is a must. Just flip our tools out with one hand and see for yourself how well we listened. Versatility in the field is a necessity and heavy duty construction provides access. There is also a myriad of features that you might not readily see, like our saws cut faster and our files shave better. And while you are at it check out the new V-Cutter. Does all this make sense? You bet, which is why leading military forces choose SOG!"

This quote was taken from the SOG website. After using the Powerlock V-Cutter/ S62 for a few weeks, I'm very proud to say that this multi tool does exactly what SOG says it would do.  




The specifications are very impressive for a multi tool, because it includes a few tools, that you wouldn't find on most multi tools e.g the 1/4 inch socket.

• 1/2 serrated 3" blade


• 3" double-tooth wood saw


• 3 sided 3" File


• V-Cutter


• 1/4" Drive


• Wire Crimper


• Bolt grip Channel in the plier head


• Bottle Opener/Medium sized Flat head screwdriver


• Can opener/Small sized flat head screwdriver


• Hard Wire Cutters


• Large flat head screwdriver


• Phillips screwdriver


• Awl


• Lanyard

When closed, it measures 4.6"/11.68cm in length, and when open it measure 7"/17.78cm in length. It weighs 9.6oz/272.16g, which isn't that heavy, but it does give the tool a satisfying feel in hand. The handle is made out of 460 polished stainless steel, which has a hardness of RC. 51-53.

My multi tool came with the nylon sheath, but there's a leather sheath also available. The nylon sheath is made to a very high standard, and can be clipped to your belt or clipped to a pocket. The sheath closes with the hook and loop measured, which is held in place with Velcro.

As soon as I pulled it out of it's package, I instantly realised that this tool is made to a very high standard. It is a very sturdy and solid tool when used, and doesn't feel like it's going to give up on me anytime soon. When I first opened the tool, I realised that the compound leverage is an amazing design. The tool opened very easily with no hassle, and after a bit of practice, can be opened with one hand with a flick of the wrist. The pliers can be used as a pair of regular pliers, or as needlenose pliers if space is an issue. The Compound Leverage technology means that you generate twice the squeezing power than other pliers, when your applying the same force on the handles. The wire cutters comfortably cut through wire coat hangers. So far, the pliers show no sign of wear and tear. The pliers close perfectly, with no gap inbetween the two sides. Also, on the frame there's an engraved ruler, and the name of the tool. These engraving are deep and clear, and they look really good.

When the components are fully opened, they're held in place with a very simple, but very effective lock. The lock has never failed so far, and it doesn't look like it ever will. To close the tools, you press one side of the lock and the close the tools.

The knife blade is 3" long and is half serrated. I personally love this as you get the best of both worlds in 1 blade. The serrated part makes short work of cutting rope and opening boxes, while you can use the smooth part for nearly everything else.

The double-toothed saw on the Powerlock, is definitely the best saw on any multi tool. It makes short work of anything you throw at it. It never jammed when I tested it on a couple of branches.

The file has 3 sides, which all to exceptionally well at their jobs. They can cut, smooth or finish off a piece of metal.

All of the other smaller tools performed as good as their big brothers. None of them failed when I tested them all individually.

One thing I love about this tool, is that you can disassemble the tool, and swap any of the tools with other ones, but just make sure that the new tools are the same thickness as the old ones. This sets this tool apart from all the other tools, from other manufacturers. All that is required to disassemble this tool is a Allen key.

If you take care of this product, it should easily last you a lifetime. That's all it needs is a bit of oiling and keeping it clean. One thing that I didn't like on this tool, is the metal covers that cover the tools, when closed. Sometimes, when i open these covers they accidentally come off, and are a pain to put back on. You either love these covers or hate them If you don't like them they can easily be removed. Overall this is an amazing product, that has only  fault in my opinion (but this is me being fussy). This tool might be a bit more expensive than other tools, but it's definitely worth it. you will not be disappointed!

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