Trailmaster or Tigershark

S

S. Brown

Joined
May 16, 2006
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I'll probably end up with both at some point, but those of you with experience with these two knives, what are the ups and downs of the SOG Tigershark and the Carbon V Trailmaster. Which is "better" in your opinion?

ps It will be sort of an all porpose knife, nothing specific in mind.
 
I assume you're speaking of the current, stainless Tigershark. The principle advantage it would have over the Trailmaster is going to be corrosion resistance--this difference can be both cosmetic and functional, as particularly corrosive environments or cutting mediums can dull a cutting edge quickly if you do not keep it clean/dry in between uses.

That said, for a large heavy-duty knife the 0170-6 (generally agreed upon here to be the actual steel behind the "Carbon V" name) will have the advantages of strength and toughness, not to mention edge retention in the form of resisting abrasion and impact deformation. If I'm remembering right, the current Tigershark is AUS-6, which does qualify as one of the tougher stainless steels, but it's still a far cry from being as tough as the Carbon V will be. The original Tigershark was made out of SK-5, which is (again, as far as I know) essentially Japan's version of W2. These older Tigersharks can be hard to find, but this steel would be a far better match for Carbon V and probably worth the search.

From a design standpoint--at least for being able to perform a wide variety of tasks--the Trailmaster wins out again. The wide, flat ground blade will cut more easily and efficiently through pretty much any medium than the Tigershark will with its deep hollow grinds. Both come from the factory quite sharp, but the SOG goes from cutting edge to full thickness at such an extreme angle that it tends to bind badly in anything but the most shallow cutting. The Tigershark really is patterned after the original SOG Bowie, whose primary goal was to be an extremely stout fighter. In that capacity I think the Tigershark would be at least the equal of Trailmaster, with (in my opinion) superior balance and a blade shape better suited for thrusting.

Now, I have owned products from both companies, and can easily say I prefer SOG to Cold Steel in general, just from the standpoints of consistent quality of manufacture and fit/finish. Between these two knives, however, I'd have to give the solid nod to the Trailmaster for the uses you have planned for it; and since that is pretty much Cold Steel's flagship model, the execution and attention to detail tend to be pretty darn good. Like you said, I'd get both, but I'll bet you'll use the Trailmaster more.
 
IMO, the TrailMaster is a much better knife in every practical aspect except corrosion resistance. SOGs "bowie" patterns look pretty cool, and looking cool is mostly what they're good for.
 
I Have to Go With the trailmaster unless you are planning to use it specifically in a water environment where stainless obviously wins out.
 
Unless you can find one of the older SK5 Carbon steel Tigersharks; those are great knives. I believe somebody has one up for sale right now in fact.
 
I love the trailmaster. It is one of my favorite production bowies although I don't have mine anymore. I've never had the tigershark but I have the Sogtech knives which are similar in shape. I think they look cool but I don't care for them much in a practical sense.
 
I love the Tigershark I own 4 (3 aus6 and 1 carbon). The Tigershark is more of a stabbing implement than precision cutting tool. If I had to choose between the two I would say both but the tigershark first.
 
Comparing apples to apples, you have to either go with the stainless trailmaster or the SK5 tigershark. I'm not certain but I think AUS8 is superior to AUS6 in terms of edge retention but possibly inferior in terms of corrosion resistence & possibly toughness. All else (heat treat & hardness) being equal. However, I would say the thicker blade of the TM would more than compensate for the relative toughness issues (or perhaps I'm confusing toughness with strength?).

I know and love my carbon V TM but I have no experience with SK5 so perhaps someone more knowledgeable will speak to the differences there...

As others have said though, the grind wins out - even from a self defense standpoint. I mean while the TS may have a slight penetration advantage, the TM is no slouch in that regard at all & the enhanced cutting ability definately counts for something LOL.
 
I like the Tralmaster alot. Good luck finding one. However, there are a couple points/drawbacks to consider: many people, myself included, don't like the handle. It's not so much the Kraton, although I've heard it can allow moisture to get under it and rust the tang. It's the shape that bugs me... it just feels like it wants to slip out of your hand. I'm in the process of rehandling mine with a more traditional shape. The CS "Laredo" has what looks to be a better handle design, IMHO.

See also this discussion: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=434543

The other thing is, the false edge is not sharpened, and it's angles are kind of obtuse. If you want a true sharp clip, it will take a bit of reprofiling. I haven't convinced myself to do this yet, because I very rarely get in knife fights :)

Having said that, the "Carbon V" stuff is great steel and the knife is a great design. Nothing original about it, just usefulness. The balance is excellent (1" in front of the guard), it chops and slashes like mad and take a very fine edge. The black leather sheath that came with mine is also of high quality, no extras just a solid secure sheath.

I beat the living snot out of mine this summer on several camping trips and all it needed was touch-up sharpening. I highly recommend it... again, if you can find one. :(

P.S. raylaconico is one of the people who steered me toward the TM when I was asking similar questions. When guys who make handmade custom bowies give a production knife thumbs-up, I take it seriously.

I haven't used an SOG but I've always wondered about the hollow grind, as timpani so eloquently explained. If you want corrosion resistance, I think Cold Steel has plenty of "San Mai" Trailmasters, although I've heard that particular stainless isn't all that great.
 
If you are looking for the sog name and functionalness then look to the seal revolver. Thats got more function than most fixed blades.
 
I have both of those knives, and I like my (stainless) CS Trailmaster better. The Tigershark does have a "pointier point" than the Trailmaster, 'tho, if that might be important to you.
 
Ok guys, I think I am going to go with the tigershark. It is cheaper than the trailmaster and I already have several cold steel knives which I like. Like I said, I am sure that I'll end up with both, but I am going with the tigershark simply because I want something new and I currently have no SOG knives.

So yeah, I have several large fixed blades including the Laredo and I really feel like something new and a little different so I'm going to get the tigershark.
 
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