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Safari's newest Hammerhead Shark figure

Started by andrewsaurus, July 25, 2021, 12:23:01 AM

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andrewsaurus

The most recent Safari Ltd. Hammerhead shark figure, released I think in 2016.....I can't find any reviews on it.  Can anyone recommend it?  I think the model number is 210702.  Some pictures of it I find look like the 1990's Monterey Bay model, which is nice but about 6 inches long.  Quoted lengths for the newer model are 8 to 9 inches.

Any feedback appreciated.


Physeter macrocephalus

The hammerhead shark your talking about is a bonnethead whic is a different species of hammerhead than the other safari hammerheads(the other ones are great hammerheads).I strongly recommend that figure since it is one of the few bonnethead sharks on the market.The monterey bay one is pretty good the newer variant has a more accurate coloration to be fair most of the mba line is pretty solid.

andrewsaurus

Nope, the Bonnethead is a different figure.  The figure i'm referring to is a Great Hammerhead, released in 2016, about 8 or 9 inches long

https://www.safariltd.com/products/monterey-bay-aquarium-sea-life-hammerhead-shark-figurines-210702?_pos=1&_sid=927b9f6d5&_ss=r

Physeter macrocephalus

#3
that is the 2016 variant of the mba one
All of the safari hammerhead sharks in chronological order
Mba 1992
https://toyanimal.info/wiki/Safari_210702_Hammerhead_Shark
Wild safari 1997
https://toyanimal.info/wiki/Safari_274829_Hammerhead_Shark
İncredible creatures baby 2007
https://toyanimal.info/wiki/Safari_267929_Hammerhead_Shark_Baby
Wild safari 2016
https://toyanimal.info/wiki/Safari_200329_Bonnethead_Shark

andrewsaurus

#4
I think it's a new sculpt.  I've got the MBA hammerhead and it's barely 6 inches long.  The 2016 hammerhead is nearly 9 inches long.

edit:  I just checked my 6 inch Safari hammerhead and it's dated 1996 so it looks like I have 274829, which I gather is NOT the MBA Hammerhead?  If so, I guess I just need an opinion of the quality/accuracy of the MBA Hammerhead repaint 210702, released by Safari in 2016.

sphyrna18

#5
The 1992 MBA Hammerhead measures about 9 inches long and is painted olive/tan-gray with a cream underside and has a glossy finish ("wet-look").  The original figure was molded in hard vinyl, with little to no give or flex in the fins or head.  The mold appears to have deteriorated quickly for that figure, though, because it did not take long for the eyes to become warped and misshapen.  This figure would remain in production, despite increasing deterioration of the mold, until around 2014 or 2015 (maybe 2016?), when the mold appears to have been refreshed (crisp fin tips and eyes returning to the side of the cephalophoil (instead of being downturned or warped).  They updated MBA figure is still 9 inches long and is painted medium gray with a white underside and has a matte finish.

In 1996, Safari released the Wild Safari Hammerhead, which was 6 inches long and dark brown/gray in color with a pale gray underside.  It was molded in slightly softer vinyl than the MBA figure.  It has a slightly smaller head-to-body ratio than it should, but only slightly.  This figure features a very tall, sickle-shaped dorsal fin (as it should) but also includes the lines/folds (?) at the back of the dorsal fin and caudal fin, which it should not.  Over the years, this figure has received numerous minor paintjob changes, but all within the dark brown/gray over pale gray scheme.  Only slight mold deterioration was observable over the years.  Around 2013, this figure also received a new mold and with it, a new paintjob.  As of 2013, this figure is molded in hard vinyl with an olive/tan over cream color scheme (which is also accurate for the species).  It still, unfortunately, has the rays or folds on the backs of the fins (which it should not). 

All in all, there are two main figures of the Great Hammerhead Shark released by Safari, one as part of the MBA Collection and one as part of the Wild Safari collection.  Both have undergone new paintjobs over the years and have received refreshed molds in recent years.  The MBA figure is and has always been about 9 inches long.  The Wild Safari figures is and has always been about 6 inches long.

Hope that helps clear up any confusion.