Olamic, CRK or Shirogorov?

OK, here's my two cents. I own a couple of shirogorov neons, an olamic busker, an old chris reeve sebenza and an old chris reeve umfaan.

IMHO,

CRKs are built like a tank and feel hydraulic.
Shirogorovs are my favorite flippers - smooth and fast. Excellent design and execution.
Olamics (at least the one I have) is snappy and fun to flip once you get used to it (front flipper). And the best looking of the three with so many options.

You can't go wrong with any of them.
 
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The basic intro shiros are excellent knifes, some yes not too much better, or on par with said knifes. My basic carry being a older neon lite S90v mrbs. However when you get in to the Custom Division/Collab models, or the rare full custom then there is almost no comparison. My first full custom will soon be here. So if you save you money try and snag a CD at a good price. Afterwords you'll probably never look back, and start the shiro addiction. If you like the more hydraulic feel, find a nice older seashell CF Hati on washers or older f95,f3,111 etc
 
NorthernSouthpaw said:
I've handled samples of each, but I have never owned one of them.
If it were me, and I could only get one of those three?
Olamic. Without much hesitation. Customization, material choices, reputation and price make it an easy choice for me.
CRKs are solid but boring. While the quality is there. The design aesthetic does nothing for me.
Shiro? Insultingly overpriced. I can recommend at least 4 damn good custom makers who charge similar prices to what is being demanded for production Shirogorovs.
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Boring is why I love the Chris Reeve Umnumzaan. I am a sweats and T-shirt guy. Flashy, opulent, pretty knives don't appeal to me. I sold my Todd Begg knive for this reason. I love the simple plain look of the Umnumzaan. I have the drop point and really want the tanto.
 
JAB said:
I love all three but would recommend going with the CRK first then ease your way into the others.

And to help make your decision even harder...:D (Out of these usually one of the Sebenzas is my choice for EDC BTW)

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What's the one with the red circle around the pivot? It's super clean!
 
Clem Fandango said:
I agree Koenig are great BUT how do you actually buy one?

o_O
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Regardless of what you choose, I would highly recommend getting a gold membership and purchasing on the exchange 2nd hand. It’s also one of the easier ways to find and purchase these brands.

The majority of these higher end brands don’t get used heavily and are often in like new condition. Usually you can get them a little cheaper and almost always get most of your money back if you decide to resell them. Except for certain ones that are very hot in which they go for more than retail, like koenig but even their prices have become to drop.

I would also consider Hinderer and I would highly recommend Les George but I’m a little biased!
 

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mitchnola said:
Regardless of what you choose, I would highly recommend getting a gold membership and purchasing on the exchange 2nd hand. It’s also one of the easier ways to find and purchase these brands.

The majority of these higher end brands don’t get used heavily and are often in like new condition. Usually you can get them a little cheaper and almost always get most of your money back if you decide to resell them. Except for certain ones that are very hot in which they go for more than retail, like koenig but even their prices have become to drop.

I would also consider Hinderer and I would highly recommend Les George but I’m a little biased!
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I want to try an Olamic Swish. I'm in love with Cheburkov and especially Biryukov at this price point.

Just realized this is a necrothread.

Anyway, I've said it before, not a CRK fan. I've never had a Hinderer, and they don't really appeal to me, though I did own a ZT 0561.

Between $400 and $1000 there are all of a sudden just so many options.

There are very few Shiros that interest me, I'm just not a fan of titanium, and they are looks wise not all that unique imo.

It has been very disconcerting to see so many knives in this price range made in China. I just can't bring myself to buy even though I like a lot of the designs. Spending this much money on something built in a mass production factory is not for me. I'd rather have something custom or from a (relatively) small company.
 
Of the three OP mentioned, Shrio. Koenig is another safe bet. If you want the fidget factor to be high and own something a bit more exclusive and unique...Craig Brown Mini-FSD
 
Chronovore said:
This thread is from 2020 but out of those three, I'd get a Cheburkov. 😜
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Lol. At the show it was very hard (at first) to decide which knife to buy from Alex at Breathtaking Steel, so I just asked him "How much for the whole table?"

Down the road, perhaps at next year's show, I'll buy a Crow in CF and Damascus. I'd really like green CF though, or better yet green C-Tek. Also, Alex said he will try to see if he can order some of either brand in those colors.
 
Shiro is next level compared to ilamic and crk. Personally, as good as crk is, I've had them at much better prices and I don't think I can stomach them at current retail. Olamic is pretty great: order direct and you can get whatever you want. Certain retailers offer great deals on the as well. Be advised, however, that there's essentially no secondary for olamic. If you decide to sell it, expect a substantial loss. Shirogorov are very well designed and produced but very expensive. They make really great users though.
 
I own 3 Olamics -- Rainmaker, Swish & Wayfarer -- & 1 Shiro Urus. The Rainmaker is my favorite of the bunch.

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I like Olamic better than Shiro because of greater style variations (including customization) and lower 2ndary market pricing. Both can cut & are equal in quality IMO but I'm not a "nit-picker."

The fact that Olamic is located in CA, USA also appeals to me. I could drive there if I wanted to in order to discuss or resolve any "issues" but there have been none. I've also thought about driving there to discuss further "customization" of my Wayfarer but decided against putting any more $ into it.

They look "nice" but I don't own a CRK because I don't like thumbstuds on my folders.
 
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Chuck_Nunface said:
Be advised, however, that there's essentially no secondary for olamic. If you decide to sell it, expect a substantial loss.
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Only if you buy retail. If you bought one recently the 2ndary market for a "good price," you shouldn't see much if any loss upon resale.
 
CRK has the best resale plus they have the spa service as well.I think for the money CRK is the way to go...
 
I'm kind of in the same boat as the OP. I admire Shiros, but they're not my style. I only have a mild interest in CRK for the same reason. So I've been looking at Koenig, CKF, and Brian Brian. I just started looking at Olamic and they have my interest. Love their website.
 
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