Finally snagged an SK-5 Tigershark

3

300WSM

Joined
May 4, 2006
Messages
44
I have been waiting a long time to buy a Tigershark in SK-5 without the serrations and I finally snagged one today on ebay. I am not sure what year it was made but it has what looks like a cordura sheath (it may be leather, I cannot tell by the photos in the auction). The original owner may have blued it but I plan on bead blasting it and either industrial blackening it or perhaps powdercoat. I may even look into a satin chrome finish. Anyone know whether Tigersharks came with cordura sheaths? I am curious about the origin.
Best regards,
Denny
300WSM

P. S.
After looking at some older posts I see that SOG made a blued version of the Tigershark called the Midnight Tiger. It was made of SK-5. How many were made and do they have value above the standard Tigershark? Did it have a leather sheath? Any knowledgable SOG historians out there?
 
Congratulations on your find. I picked one (SK-5 Satin) up from a dealer on ebay a while back. Actually I contacted the dealer and he had two. I paid slightly more than the one he had listed sold for, so the dealer was quite happy. I didn't know what the ultimate sales price would be, but I was satisfied with the price. Anyway, mine is the non-serrated satin finish with a black leather sheath, and I like it. I believe there was a blue finish one sold through cutlery world. Folks here will provide the info; I'm no expert.

I have a SOG Tech I (satin-straight edge) that has a nylon sheath that was sold by Hoffritz Cutlery. It is like a smaller version of the Tiger Shark. It is probably of about the same vintage as your blue Tiger Shark (circa 1990). Not sure of the steel, but it is heavy and I suspect it is SK-5. My SK-5 Tiger Shark is heavier than the current titanium coated partially serrated Tiger Shark. Nice blade.
 
TOTALLY AWESOME !!!!


The old Midnight Tiger was SK-5. Of note is that stainless steel cannot be blued, hence carbon steel is necessary for any blued blade (Midnight Tiger, NiteTech, Bowie, Recon Bowie, and Recon Gov't are the SOG blued-blade notables that I know of).

My SK-5 Tigershark has a leather sheath.

And I blued mine, here's the story:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=242089


Cheers,

Carl
 
NPH,
Thanks for the congrats and yes, you are correct, stainless is difficult if not impossible to blue (or more accurately blacken) because of its natural rust resistance. And since blackening is a chemical rusting it takes on a mottled look when applied to stainless steel. I work in a machine shop that blackens certain parts that we make for our customers and we use the Birchwood Casey cold blackening system. Some of our employees have mistakenly tried to blacken 18-8, 304 or 416 and it looked like marble. Works great on carbon steel. Looks terrible on SS.

I am waiting impatiently for my Midnight Tiger and have decided to leave it in the original finish. After looking closer at the photos I think the sheath is leather but cannot say for sure until the package arrives. Still would like to know how common the Midnight TS is.
Denny
300WSM
 
I"m gonna guess that the Midnight Tiger is very uncommon. Same with the NiteTech, which was the blued version of the Tech.

Cheers,

Carl
 
Carl,
I just received this badboy in the mail and it is wicked looking in this black on black format. It is not satin finished as I expected but is polished with the usual vertical finish lines from the final 360 (?) grit buffing showing in the depth of a deep black coat of hot tank blackening in the firearm style of finish. Yes, it is heavier than my more modern serated AUS6 Tigershark by 2-1/2 ounces (the SK-5 Midnite Tiger at 17.86 oz to the AUS6 Tigershark at 15.46 oz) and the extra weight makes it feel more formidable. This looks and feels like a chopping son of a pup more in the Cold Steel Carbon V bowie vein. The extra weight makes it more blade heavy but not too much. The word I am searching for is substantial. I like it a lot!

The sheath is something altogether different. First, it is cordura and built very heavy duty. The puzzling thing about it is that it says Gerber on the back of the mil-spec clip. The Cutlery Shoppe catalogue said that the Midnite Tiger sheath was cordura and custom built by Blackie Collins with Bianchi mil-spec hardware. This does not make sense.

Anyway, I love the knife but the search for more info goes on.
Best regards,
Denny
300WSM
 
300,

Now ya know why all the fuss about the Tigershark in general, and the old carbon steel Tigershark in particular. What a knife !!

Mine takes an incredible edge. I'm amazed (and happy) every time I strop it for awhile and it just gets sharper and sharper. SOG really did it right with that SK-5.

You found a great word for it: "substantial." And it is a chopping machine. A couple of years ago while pig hunting at Vandenberg I was in some swamp area. There was a small tree with 4" diameter limbs and my Tigershark went through 2 limbs like proverbial butter. No hand shock at all, I thought I was using an axe.
I do have a CS Trail Master with Carbon V, but I like chopping with the Tigershark better..... we all have our biases.

Cheers and Congrats,

Carl
 
Friends,
I posted this information on the Tigershark Steel thread and thought I would followup with some of the same information for those who viewed this thread.

I just received an email from the seller. I do not like to pry too much into others histories but he shared this with me. He bought the knife from an SOG dealer, he did not say which, in 1988. It came with the cordura sheath with the Gerber mil-spec hardware. He lost the box and did not care since he was planning on using the knife. He took it to Iraq during Desert Storm and used it in actual hand to hand combat (he told me some of the sordid details but I won't print them on the forum, contact me via email if anyone is interested). He carried it through the whole operation and when he returned retired it to his gun safe in 1996 (the location of the horizontal scratches on the blade and the condition of the sheath tell me his story is probably accurate). He happened upon it recently and decided to part with it. I am the winner of his auction, a knife with quite a history.

I will probably use it as a carry knife when I walk through the woods with the puma, coyotes and other varmints that prowl by the Yellowstone River not 500 yards from my home. It will constantly remind me of the price some are willing to pay for my freedom to do these everyday activities that I sometimes take for granted. This ends my search for information on this knife. I want to thank Ron, Vince, Carl, the good people at the Cutlery Shoppe and SOG for all their help in this endeavor.
Very best regards,
Denny
300WSM
 
A Midnight Tiger with History. Very cool! That is one BIG knife to be lugging around in Iraq. Glad you are happy with your purchase 300WSM. Now you need a satin one to match!
 
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