SOG Tomcat and Sogwinder2 any opinions?

[Rusty]

Seems like maybe 10 years ago I got tired of constantly losing the Buck 110's I carried in my right front pants pocket because a sheath catches on too many things.

I saw a Tomcat, handled it and was amazed at it's strength, blade thickness, and weight. First thing that occured to me was it should pull the pocket in my jeans down when I sat, making it less likely to slip out. Second was that the diamond patterned rubber (kraton?) scales should also keep it from slipping out of my pocket. It was twice the price of the Bucks, but I went for it. A few years later I got a Sogwinder2 in case anything happened to the Tomcat and because I liked the thumbstud opener.

Well, I still have the Tomcat, but the rubber scales pulled off. The diamonds on them are worn down too. Other than surface scratches from being carried with coins and other things in the pocket, it remains as tight, as solid, as new. But I still have it, where I'd lost 3 or 4 ( maybe more ) slick handled Bucks in less time.

So here's the deal. I will ship it back to SOG, get the scales replaced, and have them polish it back up. Then I think I'll retire it. But what do I replace it with? Another Tomcat? ( no thumbstud and the factory won't put one on - I asked ). Get someone to install a stud or disc on the new one? I like this idea but who do I get to do it right and how do I contact them? Go to the Sogwinder2 and pick up a spare one of those?

Or are both the Tomcat and Sogwinder2 now obsolete with all the new designs in the last decade? I don't mind the weight, in fact kind of like it. So any suggestions?

 

[phantom4]

Rusty, I've got an old Tomcat that a put a one armed bandit on and it works well. Your only problem will be finding one. Smoky Mountain used to carry them and I believe they are made by Y.B. Technology from Canada. You need the extra thick model for your Tomcat. Although I like the knife and consider it well made I can't image carrying it in a pocket. You got something against pocket clips? With all the great knives available today I think you ought to shop around. If you like a solid heavy knife look at the Spyderco Police model and the Spyderco Tim Wegner. Also check out any of the REKAT offerings. I've not actually handled any of these but I'm going to order a couple based on comments on this forum. If you like big and bad blades and don't mind a lighter weight handle Cold Steeel has a lot to offer at a very reasonable price. Happy hunting and let us all know what you decide on.

phantom4

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who dares, wins

 

[Rusty]

phantom4: Thanks! Haven't tried a pocket clip since I caught an old Endura's on a chain link fence and broke it off. Will consider one of new metal clip models. Trouble is I'm in the boonies and don't get into a large city to shop and compare often. Also, would feel a bit nervous about displaying even a small part of the knife, but I guess I could get used to it.

 

[Rusty]

Forget the whole thing, I just ordered two 4" Kershaw Talons for less than list price for one SOG.

 

[Mr Blonde]

I personally own the Sogwinder II. It's a very sturdy, solid and heavy! It came very sharp and holds an edge reasonably well. My only gripes are the fact that it's heavy and the thumbstud is placed too far up the blade. I think you should look at something lighter that's equally solid. Or something that's much stronger than a Sogwinder II and about the same size: the Sebenza by Chris Reeve.

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[mps]

I used to have one of the orig. SOG Tomcats. Like others I got it in an attempt to 'graduate' from the Buck 110.

The whole time I had it I kept asking myself why I'd spent so much on a knife that was as limited as it was. (This was long before mail order and the internet, and I paid WAY too much for it.) I had it about the same time that I was getting seriously enamoured of Spyderco Clipits like the Worker and Endura and that forced me to really look at what the SOG Tomcat offered that the 110's, Puma General and Sydercos didn't.

I did wind up putting a "One-Armed Bandit" on mine, and did use it as a work knife. From what I remember of it, it didn't hold an edge very well and had a bit of a recurve that was great for stripping wire, but was a bitch to resharpen on a conventional carborundum stone. I never did really like the knife, and traded it at a considerable loss when a friend indicated an interest in it. As little as I liked the SOG Tomcat, I do consider it an important stepping stone in my own personal education about knives.

I guess we all have or have had certain knives that awoke the inate knife critic within us. For me, the Tomcat was perhaps the first knife that I really looked at with a highly critical post buyer, user's eye. I've not stopped looking at knives in that light since then. "What's this new knife gonna do for me that I ain't already got?"

It's kinda funny that this comes up now, since I recently got a Katz Cheetah that I'd hoped would address some of what I saw as the deficiencies of that long ago unlamented SOG Tomcat. It, in turn initially looked promising, but has since been somewhat of a disappointment.

mps