SOG Specialty Knives and Tools has launched a limited edition fixed-blade knife and folder with actor R. Lee Ermey called "The Gunny Series."
Only 1,000 serialized knives of each version will be released. The knives are the first to be co-designed by Ermey and Spencer Frazer, SOG's founder and chief designer.
The "Gunny Series" features high-end VG-10 stainless steel blades with stainless steel bolsters and liners in a Cocobolo hardwood handle. The handles are inlaid with genuine Stingray hide and a nickel-plated miniature Gunny commemorative coin. The fixed blade is 12.2 inches in length and the folder is 9.1 inches in length.
Both knives arrive with a hand-crafted leather sheath, full-size Gunny commemorative coin, and walnut display box with a certificate of authenticity signed by Ermey and Frazer.
The knives can be collected separately or together and will be available June 1 via the SOG Website for $750 for the fixed blade and $500 for the folder.
"It has long been a dream of mine to design my own knife," says Ermey, SOG's spokesperson. "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."
Ermey is an avid supporter of several military and law enforcement charitable activities, including National Spokesperson for the Young Marines. He served 11 years active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps, rising to the rank of staff NCO. He served two years as a drill instructor and had a tour and a half of duty in Vietnam. Ermey has appeared in about 60 theatrical films and numerous television programs and telefilms. In 2002, the U.S. Marine Corps awarded him an honorary promotion to Gunnery Sergeant (E-7).
"SOG chose the 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 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."
