SOG Tiger Sharks! Help with identity

craytab

craytab

Joined
Jan 26, 2012
Messages
29,050
Hi all,

Since I posted my recent thread on the SOG Pentagon Seki, I decided I would start collecting Seki SOG fixed blades. My wallet cried as soon as I made that decision. Anyway, I have added a few to the stable but the main ones have been Tiger Sharks. I have some questions about them. I have already sent an email to the SOG knife collectors, and I know some of them come around here, so I figured I would open this up to all BF SOG folks.

Both are marked S.M. CA. I thought both were the normal finish SK5 but when I opened one up today, it was clearly a midnite. The pics online did not look like it was a midnite and the seller didn't list it that way. So My questions are: is it possible to have a midnite that says S.M. CA on it? The ones I've seen in pics online say WA. It for sure came with the kydex sheath from WA, so that part would not be original. Also, the midnite tiger is slightly bigger (see pics). Is that normal? Neither one looks to be sharpened that much, especially the satin blade, it still looks like it is factory. Should I be worried that I got a fake of either one?

I have read most of the threads here on BF about them and I guess I am looking to see if anybody as more insight.

Here are some quick pics from my phone. As you can see these are some awesome blades!
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Hello, craytab:

Congrats on a fine score! I believe that your Midnite Tigershark is the real deal (my opinion + $10 will get you a Happy Meal at McDonald's). The first SOG product catalog showing a Midnite is the Third Edition, circa 1990. That product catalog has a mailing address of Edmonds, WA. Here's my reason for believing that your knife is real: prior to SOG's move from Santa Monica, CA to Edmonds, WA, SOG may have had a substantial inventory of Tigershark blades which were stamped "S.M.CA." and I believe that SOG (nor any other manufacture) would not have destroyed the "S.M.CA." stamped blades due to a change in headquarter location - that decision would have been costly and wasteful. Therefore, your Midnite blade is stamped "S.M.CA." even though SOG may have been located in Edmonds, WA. when your Midnite blade was made and sold.

Concerning the size variation, these blades were hand-finished by someone in Japan...that would account for the variations that you see in the SOG "Seki-Japan" knives.

Hopefully, someone else on the forum will chime in with more intel. That's what I like about collecting SOG 'old school' knives: trying to put the timeline and history together.

By the way, I have a Midnite which does not have the company location stamped on the front ricasso. It does have "Seki-Japan" stamped on the reverse ricasso. I believe it to be authentic. It may be a pre-release version which was sold to the general public -- that would be considered a great find. Either way I love that knife.

Enjoy your knives!

Best regards,
d-1
 
d-1,

Thanks for the reply. I was getting a little worried since no one had responded but that is how it goes in the SOG forum I guess.

Thank you for all the information. I have been able to find a few pics of another MNTS that says S.M. CA. Also, your explanation about the changing of the offices not being succinct with the stamping of the blades makes perfect sense. Good to know about the size differences. Do you know of other examples of Seki SOGs not being the same size despite being the same model? One thing that I was sort of worried about is that someone blued an SK5 TS. However the bluing looks original because it clearly extends underneath the handle material (I read to look for that somewhere else). Further, the seller didn't list it as blued or as a MidNite and only now after knowing more about MNs can I see that it is one, in the auction pictures.

Another question about the sheath. It is the big kydex one. I actually like it a lot. It says "Lynnwood, WA" under "SOG" in the square logo. Given the reasoning for the SMCA blade stamp could this be an original sheath? Shouldn't it say Edmonds, WA? I doubt it is the original sheath but you never know.

I haven't heard back from the SOG Knives Collectors yet to see what they say. I can financially really keep only one of these two Tiger Sharks. In fact, I was not planning on owning two. I put a bid on the Midnite (not knowing it was a midnite) thinking I would certainly be out bid. Well I wasn't. I paid significantly more for the SK5 than I did for the midnite!

Anyway, again, thanks for your reply and hopefully other knowledgeable folks will come along and have more to add.
 
I was doing some digging trying to find some info, but no luck. Since the Midnight Tiger series was a Cutlery Shoppe-only special knife, give them a call to see what sort of corporate history they might have.

Cheers,

Carl
 
Hello, again, craytab:

Thoughts on your questions:

"Do you know of other examples of Seki SOGs not being the same size despite being the same model?"

My Midnite Tigershark blade length, measured hilt to the tip, is a fraction longer than my non-coated Tigershark. Using my calipers, my Midnite is a fraction thinner, measured at the thickest area of the ricasso, than my non-coated Tigershark. I have observed other extremely slight variations in dimensions of my two Navy Seal ("Budweiser-stamped")Tridents. These size differences do not cause me to have the least bit of concern. I love the blades.

"Another question about the sheath. It is the big kydex one. I actually like it a lot. It says "Lynnwood, WA" under "SOG" in the square logo. Given the reasoning for the SMCA blade stamp could this be an original sheath? Shouldn't it say Edmonds, WA? I doubt it is the original sheath but you never know."

I would say that your sheath is not the original sheath issued with your blade when it was new out of the box. Your sheath should have "Santa Monica, CA" engraved on it...and it should be leather.
Every SOG knife I own which has the SOG HQ engraved on the ricasso has the same matching SOG HQ engraved on the sheath. Your "S.M.CA." engraved knife does not match your "Lynnwood, WA" engraved sheath. My non-coated Tigershark (NIB) has "S.M.CA." engraved on the knife and "Santa Monica, CA" engraved on the leather sheath. My Midnite Tigershark does not have a SOG HQ engraved on the knife and it's leather sheath does not have a SOG HQ engraving. They match.

I am really interested in the feedback I hope you get from SOG Knives Collectors and others on the forum.

In the meantime, enjoy the search; enjoy the knives.

Regards,
d-1
 
One other thing I notice about your knives, cratab:

The blade tip profile of your knives are not exact. Do you have any information regarding the re-profiling or sharpening of your non-coated Tigershark? I think re-profiling or sharpening of your non-coated Tigershark may explain the noticeable difference in blade length of your knives.

My two Tigershark knives have tip profiles that looks exactly like the tip profile of your Midnite Tigershark. As I said in my reply post to you above, my knives are only a fraction off in size.

Just my humble observation...

Regards,
d-1
 
defiant-1 said:
One other thing I notice about your knives, cratab:

The blade tip profile of your knives are not exact. Do you have any information regarding the re-profiling or sharpening of your non-coated Tigershark? I think re-profiling or sharpening of your non-coated Tigershark may explain the noticeable difference in blade length of your knives.

My two Tigershark knives have tip profiles that looks exactly like the tip profile of your Midnite Tigershark. As I said in my reply post to you above, my knives are only a fraction off in size.

Just my humble observation...

Regards,
d-1
Click to expand...

Those are really good observations. I didn't notice it until you brought it up. I am headed out the door now but will look more at it later. The satin finish looks too be more short and stuby.

And just to add, as I said before, the satin finish blade edge looks more factory than the MN. Also, the length and profile difference is not small.
 
Anybody else have anything for me? I haven't heard anything for the SOG Knives Collectors yet.
 
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