The Martialist: The Magazine For Those Who Fight Unfairly

If I’m ever trapped on a desert island in the
middle of the Pacific Ocean and have to assemble a Dirt Devil vacuum
cleaner, I want my SOG PowerLock(S60)! Luckily, I wasn’t trapped
on the island and I had other tools at my disposal when I was tasked
with the Blue Monster assembly project. In fact, many tools of cutting,
crimping, and screwdriving were available to me. However, I wanted to
see if the PowerLock was truly as useful as SOG claims.

The SOG PowerLock (S60) with leather
sheath.

Allow me to elaborate. Last Sunday we invested in a
new bagless vacuum cleaner for the house. I had the box in the
‘office’ (a.k.a. my little corner of the garage) and
decided to see if I could do every task with the PowerLock. Pop went
the holster snap, and with a flick of my wrist the multi-tool was
deployed in ‘pliers’ mode. I then fumbled around trying to
find the knife blade so I could disentangle the packing tape and
perform an inventory count on the new Blue Monster.

I say I fumbled, and I meant it. However, this is due
more to my inexperience with this particular tool than with the design
of the PowerLock. I’m no weapons expert, and I’m certainly
not SOG certified, so it took me a minute to work through the
mechanizations of this multifaceted manufacturing masterpiece.

With a hearty “Hurrah!” I discovered and
rapidly deployed the blade. Without using the calipers, I estimate the
blade to be about 2.5 inches long. The first inch from point is
standard sharp edge. Indeed it is very sharp. How sharp? I have to
admit that even though some of my kin are from Arkansas, I am a rank
amateur compared to some of my contemporaries in the industry. Using
the tried and true Rowell family phrase of “skinning a rat
without waking it up” seems to be appropriate. The remaining 1.5
inches or so is serrated and wickedly sharp as well.

To deploy the blade, one must first deploy the
‘tool bay shield doors.’ The inside of each handle is
equipped with shielding to cover the blades and other tools embedded
within the handles of the PowerLock. It keeps the tools in and my meaty
palms away from said tools, as it should be. Once you deploy the shield
doors, you can select the specific tool by placing your fingernail into
the groove of the handle and grabbing the slot that is cut into each
tool. As I sit and write this, I can deploy the tool of choice simply
by using my thumbnail. If you’re a chronic nailbiter, you might
require some external assistance.

Some of the tools come out all by themselves, however,
the screw driver and can opener bits tend to cling to their neighbors
and come out in groups. Small worry, as they are easy to separate and
put to bed. Once deployed, the blade (or other tool) is locked into
place. Here is what SOG has to say on locking:

All tool components are easy to access and
lock in the open position. The Phillips even locks in two open
positions. With one of the simplest and safest locking devices ever
engineered, just press the back of the lock and close the component
into the handle.

Indeed it is simple to lock and unlock the tools. I
just press the back of the lock and voila, no fuss, no muss, the
component comes free and I can put it back behind the shield doors.
Once I figured out where everything was and practiced with the tool for
a few minutes I am pleased to announce that I am well on my way to SOG
PowerLock mastery. I wonder if I can get professionally certified and
start teaching classes!?

Back to the mission at hand… The Blue Monster
remained in pieces on the floor. After I opened everything I could
open, and did a little extra cutting on the side we were ready to
assemble. I positioned the Philips head and inserted Screw A into Slot
A and fully engaged three of the four screws in the package. The
Philips head locks in two positions: 1800 and 900 in relation to its
carrying position. This is one of the two shortcomings I found with the
tool. The Philips does indeed lock in both positions. However, when
locked at 900 I was not able to close the shield door on that side, nor
was I able to collapse the tool. I found that if I was driving screws
in this manner, the rest of the tool was almost fully deployed.

When opened to I locked the Philips head and was able to
install 3 one inch screws. However, due to the design of the SOG
PowerLock positioned the gear heads on the opposite end of the locked
tool I found it extremely uncomfortable to put any vertical pressure on
the tool with the palm of my hand. It felt like I was doing pushups in
jagged road mix.

There remained a fourth screw to install. To compare the
new PowerLock with my old and trusted first generation Gerber
multi-tool I decided to use the Gerber to install the last screw. My
trusted Gerber which I’ve used for more than eleven years is as
comfortable as a nice pair of slippers. With a snap of my wrist the
pliers deployed, the tool fell out; I positioned it and closed the
multi-tool. The Philips head wobbled (as it does not lock like the SOG)
and it took a bit longer to install the last screw. However, the end
was smooth and didn’t cause any discomfort like the SOG did.

My trusted Gerber did the job, but had nowhere near the
functionality or the built in safety that the PowerLock does. The SOG
multi-tool has more options, more tools, stronger structure and all
around more power. But, then again, it’s a first generation
Gerber and an nth generation SOG. So it’s not exactly apples to
apples.

SOG PowerLock (S60) (left) and much less
functional Gerber multitool (right)

I’ve been taught to use the right tool for the right job, to
accept no substitute. If you’re out on a deserted island without
a box full of tools or simply assembling a big Blue Monster in your
workshop, the SOG PowerLock is a well-built, well-designed weapon of
mass construction. As a Jack of All Trades Technician armed with the
SOG PowerLock I feel I can tackle any small to medium neo-industrial
secret mission.

But I still have to read the directions.

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