It all began with a gentle breeze of American nostalgia and a touch of patriotism: SOG founder Spencer Frazer’s American Dream came true in 1986 in an almost stereotypical way – within his own four walls. As a passionate tinkerer, the trained scientist and mathematician has acquired in-depth knowledge of various materials, design and construction in the course of his professional life.
What SOG developed?
The spectrum of his product developments ranged from simple children’s toys to highly technical equipment for the space industry. The constant drive for improvement was the driving force behind his designs. His enthusiasm for knives was sparked during his time as a Boy Scout, as he was impressed by the versatility of these small tools. So it was one day that Spencer Frazer was struck by a special knife that came to his attention rather by chance: the tactical operation knife of the special unit Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observation Group (MACVSOG), which was used in particular for covert operations in the Vietnam War. Manufacturing quality, shape and the wide range of tactical applications prompted the founder to reissue this Bowie knife as a tribute to the special unit of the U.S. Armed Forces. The manufacturer SOG (Studies and Observation Group) was launched with this idea. The mission was self-confident: to design knives with uncompromising quality and reliability that would meet the tough requirements during the risky missions of the military and police. In addition to professional occupational groups, more and more end users and nature-loving adventurers are now becoming the focus of the manufacturer. In the meantime, the range of the manufacturer from Lynnwood in the US state of Washington also includes hunting and outdoor knives, sports knives, work knives, EDC knives, axes, backpacks and the extremely popular POWER multitools.
Since 2014, SOG has been one of Boker’s valued partners, bringing the varied product portfolio closer to the customers of the traditional Solingen-based company. Today, SOG is considered one of the trendsetting pioneers in the modern knife world. The high innovative strength of the products is reflected in numerous honors and awards. SOG was the first manufacturer ever to bring a multitool onto the market that had an automatic opening mechanism. Spencer Frazer describes the high demands on his own product as follows: “We are not satisfied with the ordinary. We never have and we never will.” Functionality, innovative design and intuitive operation make up the spirit of SOG…always accompanied by a gentle breeze of nostalgia.
