Chinese Shirogorov clone

I could care less that you have a copy or a clone. Everybody copies every body else. When someone would try to pass it off as an original I would have a problem with that. If you like the knife and it floats your boat good for you. Do you deserve "bad karma", no way. As long as I am commenting I have to say that when knives get to the cost of over 300 bucks for a CNC made folding knife I have a problem with that too. Like I said copies, everyone copies pretty much everyone.

I have a close friend that is a master tool maker for a firearms company. I've showed him some clones, copies or what have you from Kevin John, who actually is Triumph Manufacturing. His take on the machining of the knife was outstanding. This is probably going back 5 years or so. His take on it is that when the machine is set up and running parts it doesn't give a hoot who is feeding it, who set it up, or any of that. It is all in the end product and that is what counts in his opinion. If you require a tolerance within a tenth and the machine is programmed for it it will deliver it. QC of the end product has to be good too. So there ya go. keepem sharp

PS a thousand bucks for a folding knife, holy crap is all I can say, I'd rather buy-I don't know what-but it wouldn't be a knife I can tell ya that.
 
Dang, talk about a buzzkill for the OP.

OP: "Hey guys, check out my new knife!!!"

Blade Forums: "Yer gonna DIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!!!!!!"

OP: "So, how about them Braves?"
 
longbow said:
PS a thousand bucks for a folding knife, holy crap is all I can say, I'd rather buy-I don't know what-but it wouldn't be a knife I can tell ya that.
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Knives of a certain style and cachet are made for people who know they want them and can afford to pay for them.

A good friend of mine, a knifemaker from Texas was set up at a gun show a few years ago. The knife he had on the table was $5,000.00. A prospective buyer came up and said "I could buy a car for that amount of money". My friend, nonplussed, said "I make knives for people who already OWN cars".:D

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
stjust33 said:
I got this in the mail today, and I thought I would share with the good folks here.........


Overall, I am pretty pleased with it. Maybe someday when I have an extra grand laying around I'll get a real Shirogorov, until then this will work nicely.
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The good folks here don't support counterfeiting which you ARE doing. Disgusting.
 
Wow people supporting a clone or a knockoff what if it was your design? What if you fed your wives and kids off of a knife design? You wake up and all the sudden someone is copying your design that you came up with you put the time into and it keeps the lights in your house on etc? Still ok? I think not
 
So you buy a counterfeit knife and expect just because they say the blade is D2 steel you believe them? Where is the logic in that? You are basically taking the word of a liar and a thief.

Also if you had taken the time to browse our forum and take note of the "culture" you would have easily seen that this type of post/thread would not be welcomed with open arms.
 
My experiences with clones have been positive and enlightening.

I have purchased a Shiro clone that had ceramic MRBS and a steel lockbar insert. It was very well-made and I gave it to my roommate ultimately. He promptly bent the 3D-machined pocket clip and is now in possession of a knife he cannot carry and cannot get parts for.

I also currently own two all-Ti handled Microtech DOC clones that are very good. I will likely give them away as well.

Why do I keep giving away these clones? It's simple: I buy them in place of buying the real thing so I can experience the form and ergonomics. They honestly represent very poor value these days with Kizer, Zero Tolerance, Spyderco, and Rike putting out original designs with the same or better materials backed by warranties. They retain their value, they can be serviced if they develop problems, and they don't give you that "yeah, but it's a fake" feeling.

It's not as if clones represent a bargain, realistically. They are just items in the same shape as the knives you actually want. A Shiro clone is not going to be the same as a real Shiro by any means.

I may ultimately keep one of the DOC clones as a beater knife - something I carry when I don't want to worry about destroying. It has no value beyond its function as a knife, realistically, and I would greatly hesitate to release them into the wild even to knowing parties just because it increases the risk of someone being "duped".

I feel as if clones have their place in the market, but the way some people resell them is despicable and hurts makers - both custom makers and manufacturers. Spyderco is probably the most cloned brand, and I was recently sold a fake 0700 on eBay. I was able to get a full refund after making a diagram that shows that it was a counterfeit by comparing the hardware to a real one.

The harsh reality is that counterfeiting will only become more commonplace and difficult to counter over time. If knives become more popular, counterfeiting of premium brands will match the increased demand. The safest bet is to always go through reliable dealers for your purchases.
 
They have no place in the market. Its people who purchase them that drive the production. So original designers and manufacturers take the hit. I have not seen justification on buying clones very often but you seem to happy about doing it. The HARSH reality is the manufacturers spend money to fight counterfeiting and the last thing they need is the customer they are trying to protect buying the product anyway. Jeez.....:thumbdn:

Justify it to yourself all day long. You will not find too many takers on here.
 
Comeuppance said:
My experiences with clones have been positive and enlightening.

I have purchased a Shiro clone that had ceramic MRBS and a steel lockbar insert. It was very well-made and I gave it to my roommate ultimately. He promptly bent the 3D-machined pocket clip and is now in possession of a knife he cannot carry and cannot get parts for.

I also currently own two all-Ti handled Microtech DOC clones that are very good. I will likely give them away as well.

Why do I keep giving away these clones? It's simple: I buy them in place of buying the real thing so I can experience the form and ergonomics. They honestly represent very poor value these days with Kizer, Zero Tolerance, Spyderco, and Rike putting out original designs with the same or better materials backed by warranties. They retain their value, they can be serviced if they develop problems, and they don't give you that "yeah, but it's a fake" feeling.

It's not as if clones represent a bargain, realistically. They are just items in the same shape as the knives you actually want. A Shiro clone is not going to be the same as a real Shiro by any means.

I may ultimately keep one of the DOC clones as a beater knife - something I carry when I don't want to worry about destroying. It has no value beyond its function as a knife, realistically, and I would greatly hesitate to release them into the wild even to knowing parties just because it increases the risk of someone being "duped".

I feel as if clones have their place in the market, but the way some people resell them is despicable and hurts makers - both custom makers and manufacturers. Spyderco is probably the most cloned brand, and I was recently sold a fake 0700 on eBay. I was able to get a full refund after making a diagram that shows that it was a counterfeit by comparing the hardware to a real one.

The harsh reality is that counterfeiting will only become more commonplace and difficult to counter over time. If knives become more popular, counterfeiting of premium brands will match the increased demand. The safest bet is to always go through reliable dealers for your purchases.
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:thumbdn:

Makael said:
They have no place in the market. Its people who purchase them that drive the production. So original designers and manufacturers take the hit. I have not seen justification on buying clones very often but you seem to happy about doing it. The HARSH reality is the manufacturers spend money to fight counterfeiting and the last thing they need is the customer they are trying to protect buying the product anyway. Jeez.....:thumbdn:

Justify it to yourself all day long. You will not find too many takers on here.
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:thumbup:
 
Makael said:
They have no place in the market. Its people who purchase them that drive the production. So original designers and manufacturers take the hit. I have not seen justification on buying clones very often but you seem to happy about doing it. The HARSH reality is the manufacturers spend money to fight counterfeiting and the last thing they need is the customer they are trying to protect buying the product anyway. Jeez.....:thumbdn:

Justify it to yourself all day long. You will not find too many takers on here.
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I am not trying to convince anyone or justify anything - I am just sharing my perspective on the matter. As stated in that very post, I have been on the "burned" end of things and recognize it as a problem.

I suppose I should re-word it: Clones COULD have a reasonable place in the market if people weren't duplicitous about the markings and then reselling of the items. Very much like a trainer knife, it can give you the feel of the overall shape. That is the only legitimate use I can think of, and I am not stating that as some kind of hand-waving apologetic statement in favor of clones. I even stated that clones represent poor value by comparison to what is available on the market in the same price range.

Remember that a post that isn't overtly negative isn't necessarily supportive. It's a perspective, not an argument in favor or against.
 
I agree with Makael, nicely put.

Buying "clones" is bad Mmmkay?
 
There is zero pride of ownership with these knives. its like buying a fake rolex with a quartz movement. there is just a strange aura to own something that is a knockoff that for me does not sit well. a friend of mine bought one of these and I carried it for a day. it just didn't feel right to me,and it did not flip very well either. it was pretty well made,but with all the good knives and customs I have , I just don't see a place for these. I have noticed that these clones on ebay have put a huge hurt on the real shirogorovs, it takes almost 2 pages before a real on pops up, and how can they compete trying to still get 1000.00 for a real one when theres tons of 80-150.00 lookalikes...
 
Kohai999 said:
People who buy clones/counterfeits deserve all the bad karma coming their way, and that is simple as that.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
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I agree with my friend here, 1000%. I feel VERY strongly about this.
 
Ceramic bearings that require wrist action? Eww...

A shame it's a fake, because it is a pretty knife. The Chinese are very capable of making killer knives, why they insist on sticking with fakes is beyond me. Kizer and Reate are proving Chinese production is every bit as good, in many way better that domestic production, and I have seen enough scary good clones to know they CAN make great knives cheap. Original designs would put them in a hell of strong spot in the market, probably even stronger than making fakes because reputable dealers could start carrying them.
 
I HATE clones, fakes, illegal copies of knives, and hope the people responsible for them catch several terrible terrible venereal diseases. They are bad for the market hurting the reputation of the original makers, and even though it is not marked it can be passed off as an original to someone who does not know better (I have seen this several times personally). If someone has $60 to spend on a knife buy a Spyderco or something and not some communist piece of shit fake.
 
sloth357 said:
Support local. Buying "clones" supports the production of more clones..
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This ^^^^^^^^^^^ I couldn't agree more.

I have begun to care less about where a knife is made if its is of good quality. Being in the USA I prefer to buy American. However it is a global economy and if I like it, I like it... Taiwan, Germany, Italy etc. etc. and yes China all have some knife makers making good knives.
 
If I buy a good Chinese made folder it will be a Kizer or Reate. They have their own designs and by all accounts are real value for money. That is something I can support.
 
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