SOG introduced four new for 2017 USA made knives today. With their high-end materials and domestic origins the new blades break from SOG’s recent offerings. Sources within the company say the announcements mark the beginning of a growing emphasis on American manufacturing.

The shift to stateside manufacturing coincides with the October 2016 appointment of Joe McSwiney to CEO. “[McSwiney] brings with him a proven background of domestic manufacturing, so the expansion of SOG’s manufacturing capabilities comes at a great time for us,” says Chris Cashbaugh, SOG Director of Marketing.

Banner

Buyers will be pleased to learn that the Banner utilizes SOG Assisted Technology to deploy a recurved, Cerakoted 3.5-inch S35VN blade. Lightweight aluminum scales and a deep carry clip will make the 4.5 oz. Banner a good pocket passenger.

Strat Ops

The Strat Ops emulates the lines of SOG’s popular Spec Elite 1, but brings a huge material upgrade to bear. Black canvas Micarta and a 3.5-inch S35VN blade replace aluminum and AUS-8, making the 3.8 oz. Strat Ops a high-end automatic option for those able to carry them.

Tac Ops

Similar to the Strat Ops, the Tac Ops takes inspiration from an existing SOG knife: the SOG Tac. It too features black canvas Micarta scales, S35VN blade steel, and an automatic deployment. Finger grooves across the handle are designed to lock the fingers in place during use.

Pillar

SOG got its start in the knife business with fixed blades, so you knew there had to be one in the new USA-made lineup. The Pillar is a full tang fixed blade with a 5” cutting edge. The sweeping clip point blade is made from a thick slab of S35VN blade steel.

More to Come

SOG has produced knives in the US in the past, but in recent years virtually all their manufacturing has moved to Asia. Given its appeal among the military and LEO, SOG felt it needed to bring some manufacturing back to the states. “Given our heritage, it is important for us to be producing knives in the U.S.A. once again,” says Cashbaugh.

Although no further knives have been officially announced, Cashbaugh confirmed that these four releases are just the beginning. “Starting with these four knives, we intend to continue our development of U.S.A.-made products and increase opportunities to produce knives using domestically sourced materials,” he says.

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The Banner, Strat Ops, and Pillar all share an MSRP of $254. The Tac Ops comes in at $267. All four knives will be on display at SHOT Show along with the rest of SOG’s 2017 lineup, which will include a series of innovative new multitools. SOG’s Matt Crawford has promised our readers an exclusive peek in the coming weeks. “We’ll make sure KnifeNews readers get a preview. My sense is that [they] will find the shape and design of these new multi-tools super interesting.”

Knife featured in image: SOG Banner