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| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 49 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 14 found the following review helpful:
 Flipper Opening with Back Lock Mar 09, 2010
By M. Kato
"MK"
I bought the SOG Twitch II because it had a flipper blade-opening design with a back lock that I wanted to try out and because it was less than $40 with Amazon's free Super Saver Shipping at the time I ordered it. My early lock blade knives had back locks, such as the Buck Folding Hunter and other models and the subsequent various Kershaw, Gerber, Puma, Coleman, Schrade, Spyderco, and SOG knives that I purchased, with the exception of a Buck Solitaire with a liner lock, a Gerber Bolt Action drop point, a Timberline Timberlite with a Neeley Lock, and a Boker-Matic with assisted closing or retraction. In recent years, I have favored the flipper design for easy one-hand opening (I have found the flippers to be easier to use than most of the thumbstuds I have encountered, although there are some OK thumbstud designs). The flipper opening designs usually have liner locks instead of back locks, especially since the flipper part of the blade sticks out of the back of the knife handle where the back lock usually is. So I was intrigued by the pass-through back lockbar design of the SOG Twitch and I decided to buy the knife to try it out. With my flipper opening knives that have the liner lock, I can release the liner lock with my thumb and, without shifting my grip, start closing the blade with my index finger and, after moving my thumb out of the way, close the blade all the way with my index finger or with my thumb. With the Twitch II, I had to change my grip to release the back lock and I had to initially use my other hand to close the blade. However, after watching some YouTube videos demonstrating the use of the SOG Twitch, I practiced closing the blade with one hand and, after several weeks, I have managed to consistently release the back lock and close the blade with one hand, without dropping the knife or cutting myself. But, my grip has to be changed to move my thumb back to the back lock release and after releasing the back lock and starting to close the blade with my index finger, the knife has to be rotated to clear the three fingers out of the path of the blade and before the blade can be closed. Personally, I find it easier and faster to release the liner lock and close the blade on my Kershaw and CRKT knives with the flipper opening design, either with or without the assisted opening mechanism.
Generally, the Twitch II seems to be solidly constructed, is thin enough for easy pocket carry, and has a nicely shaped thin blade that came well-sharpened. The back lock and the sliding "safety" lock on the back of the handle appear to be durable (although one reviewer had problems with pocket lint). There is some question in my mind as to the need for the sliding "safety" lock. The Twitch II's flipper (called the "kick" by SOG) requires more pressure than my Kershaw "Speedsafe" assisted opening knives to activate, so, it is not that easy to accidentally activate the assisted opening mechanism. I could not figure out how to quickly release the sliding "safety" lock after pulling the Twitch II out of my pocket, having to switch my grip and move the knife into a different position to slide the "safety" lock off and then move that knife again to place it into a different position for opening the blade with the flipper or the thumbstuds. I quit using the "safety" lock and have not had any accidental openings. The sliding "safety" lock can also be used to block the back lock release bar to prevent any accidental closing, but that feature may be more useful for a bigger knife model that will be used for rougher tasks. The anodized aluminum handle is smooth and a bit slippery and is a bit too small to allow gripping the knife hard for really rough tasks. The non-reversible blade-tip-up pocket clip with the smooth handle material under it allows for easy removal of the clipped knife from a pocket. I considered getting the Twitch XL, which is bigger, but the greater weight and the higher price (over $50) ruled it out as the knife to get merely to try out the back lock-flipper design. Anyway, for light-duty cutting chores around the house and around the office, I believe that the smaller Twitch II is preferable to carry.
In the end, I guess the question is whether you prefer the back lock design instead of the liner lock and whether you are able to conveniently use whichever design you choose. I like the SOG Twitch II for its different design and its sharp, thin blade and I have been practicing with it and carrying and using it, but I think that my Kershaw and CRKT flipper-opening-liner-lock knives (with and without assisted opening -- currently for everyday carry, the Kershaw Skyline and Leek and the CRKT M16-10Z for the office and the Kershaw Scallion for around the house) are easier to open and close with one hand and these knives also have my preferred blade-tip-down pocket carry.
UPDATE: May 20, 2011 -- after having no accidental openings for over a year, I experienced one. Somehow, the blade partially opened while the knife was clipped to the pocket of my shorts, with the exposed blade tip up. While I was talking to my son and really not paying attention to the knife in my pocket, I reached into my pocket and cut my finger -- the blade is still very sharp so there was quite a bit of blood, but I was at home with first aid materials handy. I am now wearing a fingertip bandage on my cut finger and I will no longer carry the SOG Twitch II unlocked. I am again back to carrying a blade-tip-down knife clipped to my shorts pocket for now.
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
 I like it ! Sep 13, 2007
By J. Skilton
Compares well with more expensive knives. Solid as a rock, nice thin body made of stacked metal plates and anodized aluminum handles, with high-quality stainless blade. The I and II are good sizes for a gentlemen's knife, and the XL is my 'out on the weekend' knife. The assisted open works very well, it is just strong enough and does not produce a loud attention-getting snap as with some other brands. Nothing wrong with liner-locks, but I prefer the lock-back and the clip on the heel (that's just me), this knife has both. And the 'kick' opener is my favorite - since I don't need my thumb to open the knife, I can keep a better grip on the body with less effort. A winner all around. Buy two.
4 of 5 found the following review helpful:
A great knife but kicker broke after 9 months Sep 24, 2010
By C. D. Pritchard
Update: After ~9 months and many, many "kicks", the kicker spring broke. I'm told SOG is great about fixing them for free, but I like the knife so much that I hate to give it up while it's shipped and being fixed... So, that and the lack of repair instructions so I could a order a replacement spring and fix it myself results 2 stars knocked off the rating.
A minor quibble: The thumb knob which I now use to open the blade became loose. Based on a kindly review comment by Practical Desk re: adjusting the blade side-play issue, a bit of Locktite Blue solved that problem.
I've used a stone on it 3 or 4 times. Setting up the Lanskey so it misses the thumb knobs isn't to difficult. Tip: Use a diamond etcher to mark the correct position of the Lanskey blade clamp after you get it setup correctly to make it easier & quicker the next time.
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I've favored Buck and Gerber knives in the past but after carrying the Twitch II everyday for 5 months, it's the best knife I've ever owned and well worth the $39 price.
The best stuff:
The kicker. Like others have said, it's very convenient and addictive! I initially thought it might readily gum-up but it very seldom does. A fast/easy cleaning restores the kicker to like new functionality the few times the kicker lost some of its kick.
The steel- it takes a good edge and keeps it- I've not had to use a sharpening stone. A fast touch-up on a strop and occasionally a Case Moon Stick is all it takes to keep it really sharp. As a data points: It seems to keep an edge at least 3 times longer than the last two knives I've carried- the Gerber 22-41492 EVO Jr. Fine Edge Knife and Gerber 22-41122 STL 2.0, Fine Edge Knife. The steel also seems better in these regards than the old/better Buck knives pocket knives.
Keys and coins don't get entangled with the Twitch since it's back, unlike the Gerbers, is almost entirely closed. This is important since I carry the Twitch in my pocket. BTW, the clip is easily removed but you'll need a #6 torx driver.
Very shallow choil (i.e. the edge runs almost to the handle) yields more edge and lighter weight. Downside is that it makes sharpening with a guide type gizmo like the Lansky Deluxe 5-Hone Sharpening System a bit more difficult to setup so that it misses the thumb pivots.
The blade lock is well designed. It would be very difficult to accidentally release the blade while using the knife.
The handle finish has held up much better than I expected- just a few inconspicuous dings on the narrow part of the fore and aft ends of the handles.
Minor quibbles:
The sliding safety gizmo that one can engage to either keep the blade from opening or to lock the blade lock is a hassle to operate. I quickly ceased using it. Haven't had the blade unintentionally open or, more importantly, close but have had the safety get engaged while banging around in my pocket. I'll try to disable or remove this gizmo if I ever dissemble the knife.
The thumb opening studs are useless to me since the kicker much easier to use and is so reliable.
There's a bit of sideways play in the blade. I reckon it's a tradeoff which permits the kicker to be so reliable. If so it's a acceptable tradeoff. There's also some vertical play but not enough to be of consequence to me.
No instructions on disassembly. It (well, more precisely, reassembly) is said to be difficult
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Best pocketknife for EDC Dec 07, 2011
By cpdave
I've owned many pocketknives over the years but this is my favorite for every day carry. It is slim and light so even if you don't use the clip it fits nicely in pocket without being noticeable (i.e. it doesn't create an obvious bulge, etc). It also has held an edge for quite a while for me under your typical pocket knife usage. I would definitely recommend for a quality, inexpensive EDC pocketknife.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
My Everyday Carry Knife Jun 01, 2009
By Charles Tarlton Jr.
I have several SOG knives and this is the one I like the best. The size and weight are perfect for everyday use and the sharpness is more than enough for my needs. The quality of SOG is really great and the price is reasonable. You want be disappointed with this knife. CT
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