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Can’t be beat

SOG is a company that, for the most part, lives up to its name (SOG was a top-secret team in the Vietnam war that performed sabatoge, psyops, and special operations for the CIA). The company consistently produces innovative, effective products (although they don’t come cheap). The B61 is definitely my personal favorite of their line of multitools, the reason being that it is very simple, and very effective. Most multitools like Leatherman and Gerber are like most pliers… essentially two pieces of metal fixed together at a single pivot point (yeah, Gerbers have a pretty cool way of opening up, but they still have the same basic overall design). Now, the average multitool has a leverage ratio of 1:8, meaning that you get 8 pounds of force on whatever is in the plier head’s grip for every 1 pound of force you apply to the handles. With the B61s, the leverage ratio is 1:14. That’s enough to cut through a quarter like it were butter (trust me, I’ve tried… this morning, actually. Don’t ask). The reason for this is that the handles pivot with each other on gears, and the plier head is connected to the handles just below the gears. Now that may not make sense (I’m horrible at explaining things), but you’ll get it if you look at the picture.
The tools within the handles are made of high-quality steal, and after almost a year I’ve never had one break on me, like I did with my previous multitool (a Gerber). The flip-up covers over the tool-side of the handles can occasionally fall off as they are not permanently fixed to the handles to allow the user to remove them, but are easily snapped back on and really do preserve your hands if and when you need to apply some real force.
I only have two complaints with this product… the socket drive and the knife blade. The spring used to keep the socket one the driver fell off within a month. Then again, I’ve never had to use it, and SOG sells individual components if you want to customize/replace your multitool, so it hasn’t been an huge issue. The knife blade, while easily sharpened, isn’t the highest quality. By that I mean it isn’t the main part of multitool and SOG knows this, and gave the blade a simple grind on one side and left the other side flat. I have no issue with this either because I also carry a pocket knife. If you want a multitool with a good blade on it, go for the SOG PowerAssist.
Overall, its a great deal for a tool of this quality, and it hasn’t left my side since I bought it (which is saying a lot).

Update (2/5/2012): This item is currently on sale here for the lowest price I’ve seen.

The featured review for this product, SOG Specialty Knives & Tools B61-N EOD PowerLock, Black Oxide Tools & Hardware, was written by Mason Cantar.

The average rating for this item is 5 out of 5 stars, according to 3 reviews.