SOG Knives Twitch XL An Understated Professional’s Knife So Cold It’s Hot!
This fast operating locking folder features a unique steel treatment for the blade and mated to the heavy service handle the Twitch XL is tougher than nails. –Spencer Frazer, SOG President
Lynnwood, Wa.- -(AmmoLand.com)- The cool thing (pun intended) about this knife is the blade treatment. Actually it’s not cool but flat out cold. The Twitch XL blade is made from tough AUS-8 Stainless steel heat treated to a final Rockwell hardness of 57-58.
After the Twitch XL is fully heat treated it is then given a bath in liquid nitrogen at minus 300 degrees.
Cryogenic treating of metals from race car crank shafts to high-dollar musical instruments is a fairly recently developed metal finishing technique. Basically the metal is taken down to a level of cold where the metal molecules are shrunk closer together. When returned to normal temperature the metal molecules do NOT fully expand back to normal resulting in a denser metal. Additionally, this treatment has the advantage of retaining the AUS-8 metallurgical chemistry (high-carbon and molybdenum) for toughness and edge retention.
This form of heat treating is costly, technical and tricky and is performed to exacting SOG standards. The result is a blade that will cut like a laser for much longer-and you can dip the tip in a martini and it will make the drink colder. Okay, maybe that’s a bit far fetched, but makes a great bar story.
SOG Speed: One hand operation is easy, just move the blade open about 10-15 degrees and SOG’s Assisted Technologies (S.A.T.) takes over and fully opens the blade in the blink of the eye.
Pocket packing is easy because its pocket clip is easily reversible for either right or left hand carry and the position of the clip places the knife deeply into the pocket for a reduced public profile.
Grabbing it: Grip matters, and the Twitch XL has plenty with a 41/4th inch long handle featuring a wide profile (top to bottom) that provides the user with a handful of serious griping surface for plenty of cutting leverage.
Twitch XL Specifications:
- Overall open length: 7.5″
- Blade specifications: 0.125″ thick by 3.25″ in length (drop tip or tanto blade)
- Blade material: Cryogenic heat treated AUS-8 Stainless steel; 57-58 C Rockwell scale.
- Handle material : Incredibly tough black hard-anodized 6061-T6 machined aluminum or an optional graphite handle.
- Weight: 4.2 oz.
MSRP: Dependant on type of blade and handle materials and finish:
- Black handle with drop tip blade……………………….$ 100.00
- Graphite handle with drop tip …………………………$ 100.00
- Black handle with black TiNi blade (Titanium Nitride surface finish) ……………………………………………………….$ 140.00
- Tanto blade with graphite handle ……………………..$ 100.00
- Tanto with black handle and black TiNi blade ………$ 140.00
- Tanto with black handle …………………………………$ 100.00
- Image is Tanto/black handle ………………………… $ 100.00
Consumers may visit SOG’s extensive product website at www.sogknives.com SOG knives are sold though sports retailers throughout North America.