In an exclusive sneak peek for KnifeNews readers, SOG is introducing the Baton series which reinvents the multitool from the ground up. SOG is known as an innovator that isn’t afraid to flex its creative muscles, but they completely tore up the multitool rulebook this time. “We’ve created a multitool with aesthetics unlike anything in this space,” SOG Founder Spencer Frazer tells us. “It’s a complete new way of looking at the multitool.”

The Baton might be the blade to take to places where knives are normally frowned upon. In its closed position, each model resembles a modern pen – a major departure from the usual, boxy multitool form factor. It doesn’t read like a tool which offers an element of concealment and gives its owner the unspoken permission to carry it almost anywhere.

A SOG Baton multitool is as likely to be clipped to the inside of a laptop case as it is the inside of a pocket. The series should take SOG to a mainstream audience that includes desk jockeys who might have never carried a blade before.

The new series is part of a major multitool expansion in the SOG catalog. “We’ve never had a year where we’ve brought out so many new multitools that take a completely fresh look at what a multitool is or what it means to carry one,” says SOG Director of Marketing, Chris Cashbaugh. The Baton series, now available for pre-order, is expected to ship in early spring.

SOG Baton Q1 Multitool: Office and Administrative Work

The Q1 is the minimalist Baton for office environments. It packs scissors, a bottle opener/screwdriver tool, and a pressurized ballpoint pen into its trim 2.4 oz. chassis. The 5.6” long, knifeless Q1 also conforms to TSA regulations, making it travel-friendly.

SOG Baton Q2 Multitool: Urban Emergency

The Q2 keeps the bottle opener/screwdriver seen on the Q1, but swaps out the scissors and pen for a different suite of tools: a 2.5” 5Cr13MoV blade for lightweight cutting chores and a AA LED flashlight at its base. The Q2 weighs 3 oz. and is about half an inch longer than the Q1.

SOG Baton Q3 Multitool: Basic Wilderness and Urban Essentials

The Q3 is slightly taller than the Q1, but unfolds into a full-featured pliers-based multitool. Four drivers, a file, awl, chisel, can opener, soft wire cutter, and pliers complement the bottle opener and pen blade seen on the Q2. The Q3 weighs 6 oz.

SOG Baton Q4 Multitool: Advanced Wilderness and Urban Essentials

The Q4 loses the Q3’s awl, chisel, and jewelry driver, but adds a ¼” hex driver with a set of 12 different bits. Designed to offer complete multitool functionality, the Q4 does so without a noticeable weight increase over the Q3.

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More New for 2017 SOG Multitools

Although not as radical as the Baton series, the Sync I and II also rejig multitool design to maximize portability. They can be folded up into a small square shape and fitted into an included plastic sheath, which can be clipped to a pocket or used as a belt buckle.

The entry-level PowerAccess and premium PowerGrab are multitool designs that users will be more accustomed to. They feature SOG’s patended Compound Leverage gear drive mechanism.