Thanks for looking into this issue, @folder geek , and for relaying that info along to us here. This is much more useful than reading what "I heard" or that "my friend told me one thing that was true so something else he said must be so". It would seem from what you researched and relate that Shirogorov will stand behind their products.
I have 5 Shiros, all bought here on the Exchange. Two were bought brand new from Russia, one of which came from Vladimir_k, who is a BF registered dealer (not, to my knowledge, an authorized Shiro dealer), and the other from a member here who sells numerous new Shiros, but is neither. My others came used or LNIB from domestic sources. I never had any expectations regarding warranty service nor would I be particularly inclined to ship anything back to Russia regardless of cost given the uncertainty that the knife would arrive safely either there or back here.
I'm really pleased with my five and am glad I purchased them. There's no question that Shiros are over-priced on this side of the pond. It strikes me that Shirogorov is very good at making knives and perhaps not so good at marketing. Having only one "authorized" US dealer is a bit of a head-scratcher (although Knife Center also sells Shiros) and Recon1 certainly benefits from selling in a market where price-points have been set by lack of easy availability and consequently inflated by overseas sellers and the secondary market.
There are many things we buy in life that are not warrantied such as our homes, used vehicles, etc that cost many times the price of a pocket knife. Often, the only way we can afford something really expensive or high-end is to purchase it that way. I'm fine with the quality of my five knives and their condition, and have done a bit of work on two of them to correct small issues or improve their action. If something were to happen to one that I couldn't correct I'd probably seek out one of the many excellent service providers here. Sometimes things break or become unusable and can't be repaired. C'est la vie.
(Edited for grammar.)
I have 5 Shiros, all bought here on the Exchange. Two were bought brand new from Russia, one of which came from Vladimir_k, who is a BF registered dealer (not, to my knowledge, an authorized Shiro dealer), and the other from a member here who sells numerous new Shiros, but is neither. My others came used or LNIB from domestic sources. I never had any expectations regarding warranty service nor would I be particularly inclined to ship anything back to Russia regardless of cost given the uncertainty that the knife would arrive safely either there or back here.
I'm really pleased with my five and am glad I purchased them. There's no question that Shiros are over-priced on this side of the pond. It strikes me that Shirogorov is very good at making knives and perhaps not so good at marketing. Having only one "authorized" US dealer is a bit of a head-scratcher (although Knife Center also sells Shiros) and Recon1 certainly benefits from selling in a market where price-points have been set by lack of easy availability and consequently inflated by overseas sellers and the secondary market.
There are many things we buy in life that are not warrantied such as our homes, used vehicles, etc that cost many times the price of a pocket knife. Often, the only way we can afford something really expensive or high-end is to purchase it that way. I'm fine with the quality of my five knives and their condition, and have done a bit of work on two of them to correct small issues or improve their action. If something were to happen to one that I couldn't correct I'd probably seek out one of the many excellent service providers here. Sometimes things break or become unusable and can't be repaired. C'est la vie.
(Edited for grammar.)
Last edited: