SOG built its original Terminus to be simple. It’s all black with a G10 handle and reversible pocket clip, and its clip-point blade is three inches long. More notably, it’s a slip joint knife, which means that it doesn’t lock open and is legal in more places than knives that do. It’s precisely this type of simplicity that made the Terminus a candidate for SOG’s latest innovation, the XR Lock.
The XR platform uses a sliding switch that’s on both sides of the handles and connects to a horizontal bar. This assembly allows for three different ways of opening the knife — with a thumb stud, a flipper tab or a simple flick, once the lock is released. The new lock creates an ambidextrous platform that’s also supposed to be stronger despite its basic construction.
SOG’s work with the XR Lock further demonstrates the company’s willingness to experiment and optimize its designs and components for practical use. The everyday carry-friendly Terminus is arguably made even more versatile with the XR and also comes with a handful of slightly-upgraded highlights from the original: a full-bellied clip-point blade with a straight edge (it’s 2.95 inches this time around), CTS BDZ1 blade steel and a G10 handle that now include carbon fiber too.
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