Shirogorov or Koenig Knives???

Nice pick-up with the 95T, Rockstarter Rockstarter --that one's a great knife. Mine is a user and I love it. I hope you're really pleased with it and certainly expect that you should be.

As I see it, once you get above a certain price-point the subject of value turns more toward personal preference, as I don't know how any knife costing, say $750 is "worth it" in an objective sense. There are some you find that are really not that well made, even at fairly high prices, and some that are more gimmicky than substantial to justify their cost, but the way I see it is you like the $900 knife better than the $600 knife, then the more expensive one has greater value to you.

I was unfamiliar with Koenig knives and looked into them a bit after seeing this thread. Nice knives and perhaps something worth trying out at some point. I do love my Shiros, though, and have three users, two light users, and one drawer queen. Everybody likes what they like and don't what they don't.

Do come back with some pics and thoughts on your new Turtle and enjoy! :)
 
Both Shirogorov and Koenig make a superb product. Unquestionably, they are my two favorite knife producers. To date, I've owned two Koenig Arius' (with a third on the way) and a few Shirogorovs (111, F95 with inlays, NeOn, and an F95R). A full custom Sergey Shirogorov remains to be my ultimate grail knife.

Shirogorov has most definitely been around for longer and, consequently, has had more time to distill and refine their product. Some of us will recall the period of time when Shirogorovs were immensely rare in the US and they commanded some absurd prices here on the forums, but they seem to be far more commonplace these days. That being said, somehow Shirogorovs (especially the "serial" line-up) still command premium prices even though they are purely production knives; albeit, a cut above the rest. Lastly, while Shirogorov does provide a limited lifetime warranty, good luck (unless you live in Russia) having work done with only one authorized dealer in the US. I will admit, I have not had to undertake any kind of warranty claim with Shirogorov or their one dealer, but the prospect of the process does not inspire confidence.

On the flip side, Koenig Knives is a fairly new company, having come onto the scene only about four years ago. They've done a few models but, until now, only their Arius has seen a good amount of attention. While they've only been producing a single model for some time, it has been constantly refined into a knife that now has a cult following. The biggest thing that Koenig Knives has succeeded at has been, by a long-shot, the best product support and customer service I have ever received. To me, that is worth more than the steel options, boutique bearing systems, and finish levels found with Shirogorov. Bill Koenig is the type of guy that will go out of his way to personally take care of you, whether it be a warranty issue or simply wanting to discuss a detail of the knife . I guarantee you will not get that service and support from Shirogorov.

Lastly, a much less tangible aspect, with the precarious geo-political climate I'd much rather support a USA made product than one made in Russia.
 
Interested to see what rockstarter says about the shiro 95t. He has mine and I missed it enough already that I just ordered another.
Do plan on trying the Arius too but that 95T was the best all around knife I’ve owned.
 
If you find out the Shiro is not for you, I am sure you'll be able to trade it for a Koenig
 
I've only had an Arius and a Shirogorov Hati for a fairly short amount of time, but I've spent quite a bit of time looking them over. They're different enough that they really can't be compared too closely, other than the fact they're both flippers. One thing I would like to see changed on the Arius is the bevel on the pocket clip. It's often hard to slip it back into the pocket, that part drives me a bit crazy. Other than that it's a great knife.
 
I have the Shiro 95T in MRBS and Vanax 37 and it's my all time favorite flipper. I hope to have the Arius this week. Bill addressed the pocket clip issue by adding a ramp to the recent models so hopefully I'll get a newer one.
 
Qbert_72 said:
Bill addressed the pocket clip issue by adding a ramp to the recent models so hopefully I'll get a newer one.
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Hmm, OK. Mine is a Jan/18 model and it has a slight ramp, but still not enough for jeans,etc.

4Xhx6UY.jpg
 
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Just received the Arius. Initial impressions are: Amazing! Exceeded expectations. Fit and finish are perfect. In and out of the pocket w/ no issues. This one was made in March. Highly recommend. 95T in Dark Blue wins the beauty competition and blade steel (Vanax 37) holds a slight advantage, but the Arius is on par with it's action and fit and finish. Arius wins best value - hands down.
 
I personally would vote koenig, i own 8 arius’s and they all have the same amazing:fit, finish, and action.

The shiro is also a fantastic blade, but in no way superior to the arius. Im not saying its inferior either, but to me theres nothing that justifies the extra cost.

Also Bill is a great, great guy and the customer service is above and beyond what it has to be. He will take care of anything regarding one of his products and he’s a pleasure to do buisness with.
 
Let's face it, if you're even asking this question you will eventually end up buying both knives, it's just a question of which one first. I love my Shiros and use all but one but that still has not stopped me from buying other brands.
 
CPP said:
Let's face it, if you're even asking this question you will eventually end up buying both knives, it's just a question of which one first. I love my Shiros and use all but one but that still has not stopped me from buying other brands.
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Great point! If we all had that one perfect knife with no need for another this forum would be pretty empty!
 
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