SOG Readies New XR Lock for Release

SOG is preparing to release the Terminus XR, the debut platform for the company’s new XR Lock. The Terminus XR points to SOG’s developing commitment to innovation in the knife world.

Users manipulate the XR Lock with sliding buttons located on both sides of the handle, attached to a horizontal locking bar. “It’s a simple, yet incredibly strong mechanism that utilizes a transverse bar that slides back and forth to lock the blade,” explains SOG’s Jonathan Wegner. “SOG’s XR Lock takes this industry-standard mechanism to the next level with an improved patent pending design.”

Wegner lists strength, simplicity, ambidexterity, and self-adjustment after wear as advantages of the XR Lock. The nitty gritty design details of the XR Lock pay off outside of the mechanism itself’s performance. “The mechanical and structural design’s simplicity delivers a compact size of assembly, which has allowed us to bolster the size of the components, in turn delivering one of the strongest locks on the market,” Wegner says.

As one of few manual flippers in the SOG lineup, the Terminus XR enters a segment of the market where the standard is incredibly high. Wegner confirms that the Terminus XR’s flipper plays well with its new lock, and that the knife’s action should satisfy discerning knife users. “The XR Lock has also been designed to provide a sharp snappy feel and manual flipper opening that communicates positive tactile and audible feedback to the user,” he tells us. “The overall motion of opening the knife is quite smooth, fluid and effortless when the user intends it.”

Will we see the XR Lock on other releases in the future? “We are exploring how it can be best applied to future tools,”Wegner says. “It’s safe to say that we have already identified opportunities where the XR Lock’s functionality and full ambidextrous operation provide an improved and advantageous user experience.”

SOG has been pushing itself to experiment. Their American-made line, Baton series of multitools, and futuristic Willumsen collaboration all showcased a willingness to experiment and innovate. The Terminus design itself originated as a SOG-ified take on a non-locking knife. The XR Lock falls in line with this inventive streak, and according to Wegner won’t be the only surprise we see from SOG going forward. “This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of new products, ideas and innovations coming from SOG over the course of our current two-year technology and product roadmap. You can count on seeing much more from us.”


Knife featured in image: SOG Terminus XR