Lynwood, WA, May 16 — SOG Specialty Knives and Tools has teamed with R. Lee Ermey, “The Gunny,” to launch a limited edition fixed blade and folding knife collection, “The Gunny Series.”

The two knives, which will be limited a maximum of 1000 serialized pieces each, are the first to be co-designed by Ermey and SOG Founder and Chief Designer, Spencer Frazer.

The “Gunny Series” features super strong and durable high-end VG-10 stainless steel blades with stainless steel bolsters and liners in a Cocobolo hardwood handle.  The handles are inlaid with Stingray hide and a nickel-plated miniature Gunny commemorative coin. The fixed blade is 12.2” in length and the folder, 9.1 in length.

Both knives include a hand crafted leather sheath and a full-size Gunny commemorative coin and come in a walnut display box with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by both Ermey and Frazer.

The knives can be collected separately or together and will be available exclusively at www.sogknives.com beginning June 1 at a price of $750.00 for the fixed blade and $500.00 for the folder.

“It has long been a dream of mine to design my own knife,” says Ermey, who serves as national spokesperson for SOG Specialty Knives and Tools. “My association with SOG has made that a reality, even more so because of the opportunity to work side by side with a master designer such as Spencer.  Our desire was to pay homage to traditional knife designs and shapes, but with a unique interpretation.  All the while, we wanted to produce the finest knife imaginable, something of heirloom quality, as beautiful as it is durable and strong.”

An advocate on behalf of the Marines and avid supporter of a number of military and law enforcement charitable activities, including National Spokesperson for the Young Marines, Ermey has starred in numerous feature films, most notably receiving a Golden Globe nomination and Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor in Stanley Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket.” He is also the star of History Channel’s “Lock N’ Load With R. Lee Ermey” as well as television commercials, such as recently see in a famous spot for Geico.

Ermey served 11 years active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps, rising to the rank of staff NCO. He also served two years as a drill instructor and had a tour and a half of duty in Vietnam.  Medically retired in 1971, Ermey enrolled at the University of Manila in the Philippines to study drama. There, Francis Ford Coppola, who was filming “Apocalypse Now” in the area, hired Ermey as a Technical Advisor, eventually casting him in a featured role.  He has gone on to star or appear in approximately sixty theatrical films and numerous television programs and films.  Because of his numerous contributions on behalf of the Marines, he received an honorary promotion to Gunnery Sergeant (E-7) in 2002.

“SOG chose Gunny to serve as our spokesperson because in so many ways he is the embodiment of our brand and what we want to represent,” says Frazer.  “In many ways, the Gunny Series is the culmination of that relationship – a physical example of the synergy that exists between Gunny as a person and SOG as a brand.  In working with Gunny, it’s clear that he is an individual with vision and a passion for knives – not just as beautiful, highly-engineered objects, but as essential tools for modern living.  I believe we have created unique knives that will be talked about and sought after for years to come.”

SOG was founded in 1986 by Frazer, a former R&D tool and die maker for the Top Secret Black Projects Division of the aerospace defense industry.

SOG’s name was inspired by an elite joint services military unit – the Studies and Observation Group – formed in advance of the Vietnam War to conduct covert operations and sanctioned to develop and purchase their own weapons.

Since the introduction of its first products: a fixed blade knife based on the original design of the MACV SOG Fighter; the Tomcat, a folding knife; and the Toolclip, its first multi-tool; SOG has become the favored brand for specialty knives and tools by the military, law enforcement personnel, industrial tradesmen and outdoorsmen worldwide.

SOG Specialty Knives and Tools are sold nationwide.  To find a dealer in your area or to learn more about SOG or The Gunny, visit www.sogknives.com.

Knives, multi-tools will be used on Big City Mountaineers wilderness outings

02.08.2010 – Denver, Colo. – SOG Specialty Knives and Tools, LLC, a leading manufacturer and marketer of specialty knives and tools, has donated knives and multitools to Big City Mountaineers, a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing the lives of under-resourced urban teens through transformative outdoor experiences.

BCM will use the multitools and knives in its summer wilderness programs, which match five at-risk teens with five adult mentors for a week of backpacking or backcountry canoeing.

“On our more than 50 weeklong wilderness trips in 2010, it’s important that we have reliable equipment,” said BCM executive director Syd Jones. “The high quality of SOG knives will help us maintain the safety of our teams in the field. We have been looking for a river knife for our Boundary Waters canoe trips, and the SOG Pentagon perfectly fits our needs.”

Through all BCM’s programs, teens and mentors will spend more than 4,000 days in the backcountry in 2010. SOG’s knives and multitools will be utilized in many wilderness tasks, from camp kitchen use to fixing broken equipment.

“In addition to the truly transformative beauty of the outdoors, we believe the ability to experience the self-reliance and self-discovery that comes with outdoor adventures is a critically important component to the development of youth,” says Spencer Frazer, Founder and CEO of SOG Specialty Knives and Tools. “We are delighted to be able to play a part in helping Big City Mountaineers advance their mission of enhancing the lives of urban teens and look forward to a long and meaningful engagement with this innovative program.”

About SOG
SOG was founded in 1986 by Spencer Frazer, a former R&D tool and die maker for the Top Secret Black Projects Division of the aerospace defense industry. SOG’s name was inspired by an elite joint services military unit – the Studies and Observation Group – formed in advance of the Vietnam War to conduct covert operations and sanctioned to develop and purchase their own weapons. Since the introduction of its first products, SOG has become the favored brand for specialty knives and tools by the military, law enforcement personnel, industrial tradesmen and outdoorsmen worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.sogknives.com.

About Big City Mountaineers
BCM is one of the largest non-profits in the country devoted to working exclusively with under-resourced teens by using the outdoors as a transformational element in their lives. BCM runs its recreational mentoring program in selected major urban centers throughout the country, with its largest program areas in Denver and San Francisco. Learn more at http://www.bigcitymountaineers.org.

He has also started writing a column for Tactical Knives in each issue.  The first of his columns has been posted on the tactical-life.com website.  If you want to read what Gunny has to say about knives it is a good read, check it out at http://www.tactical-life.com/online/tactical-knives/gunny-on-the-edge/

There is now a Red handle version of the Bluto.  This is a limited edition of only 250 pieces.  It is in stock right now and shipping.

Second is a very special knife, the Stingray with Stingray hide inlay.  We refer to this model as the Stingray Stingray.  It just sort of makes sense and was a slam dunk for us.  This is also a limited edition of 500 pieces and is shipping now.

So if you are in the Seattle area come by and get some knives at great prices.