The Bears' Den--Shirogorov Showcase

[TRfromMT]

USPS has mine on the great circle route to get here

 

[ChazzyP]

USPS has mine on the great circle route to get here

I hate it when that happens. It's even worse when you can follow the tracking and watch your package heading in the wrong direction. I recently had a much needed part go back and forth twice between two incorrect waypoints before finally getting back on track. Fingers crossed your knife will arrive safely and sooner rather than later.

 

[JAB]

What’s even worse is when tracking is down like it was for most of today

 

[dburpasaurus]

Was able to score what was a long time grail for me, an Arctic Dr. Death. Will try to summarize my thoughts in a semi-coherent matter. As always pictures first:

Album including disassembly pics: https://imgur.com/a/c3a7jOb

Statics:

This thing is crazy light. 3.2 ounces according to my scale. Really nice profile, slender and carries easily. Ergos are fine, fairly non-obtrusive. The pocket clip works really well for me, despite its odd design. (I don't wear thicker pants however.) Finishing is of course very good. Absolutely zero rough areas on the alutex show side and really gorgeous pinstripe milling pattern on the lockside. Flipper tab is very positive, easy to get a good press on it. Internal milling is pretty wild and obviously along with the holes contributes to the overall weight and feel of the piece. The flats on the blade and internal washers where the rollers contact are beyond smooth, like glass. The Dama is really nice, however I do wish the etch was a tad deeper to really bring out the pattern. Overall a very "pretty" knife in my collection. I like the CD style pivot and collar and the engraved dual logo near the pommel as well. The exposed detent hole when the blade is out is unfortunate but I suppose forces good cleaning habits Also the clocked show side pivot is a god send, please Shiro incorporate that into the production models.

Dynamics:

Opening sensation is really unique due to the sum of the various construction characteristics. Great acoustics, and snappy action with a touch of wrist. I wouldn't mind if the detent was tuned up a hair, but it's not bad. (And I say that for most knives.) The roller sensation is pretty interesting. After a thorough clean and relube with 85 wt nano oil the closing action is very smooth and hydraulic. A very subtle shake and the blade glides home, probably one of my favorite closing actions I have handled. Interestingly you can feel the dama through the lockbar / detent ball rubbing along the etched portion of the blade. Provides a bit of a texture sensation, for better or worse.

Overall the knife does have a very special air about it that is hard to quantify. I doubt I will ever own a full custom but this mostly CD-level collab is quite interesting and so far I am really enjoying it.

Hope everyone is staying safe and sane.

DB

 

[Mr.sig239]

Great looking knife and a nice review. I'm getting more used to my carbon fiber one. It doesn't flip as nice as my 111. I too would have liked a bit more detent pressure on deployment.

 

[ChazzyP]

Congrats on acquiring your ARDD, D dburpasaurus . It's quite the beauty and there's a lot to like about this new iteration--the silver/gray Alutex, Bjorkman Twist DamaSteel, two-sided matching hole sizes, and the makers' mark plate at the butt of the knife to keep the Dama blade sterile. I enjoyed your review and thoughts about the knife as well.

You and Mr.sig239 both mentioned that you'd prefer stronger detents on your RDDs for improved flipping action. For my part, I greatly enjoy the action on my RDD as I like my flippers sure-opening, but subtle. I've never had an issue with my knife failing or being fussy to open--I find it comes out both easily and reliably. There was some back and forth regarding the RDD's action between @mikomonday and myself that was prompted by his comments in his excellent video review of the 110KS back on page 128. His thoughts on flipping action and tab location relative to the pivot center begin around 19 minutes in and are quite interesting. This engendered some discussion between him and myself about flipping action and the RDD beginning at the top of the next page.

I'm not a fan of tight detents. As we're in Bear Territory, I'm reminded of the Goldilocks tale and, as did Baby Bear, like mine not too hard nor too soft but "just right".

Edited to get the link right.

 

[TRfromMT]

Hati landed!
I will follow up this weekend with more cogent thoughts - but, my first reaction out of the box is "Holy Shiro! What a knife!"

I had it in mind that the Hati was about 3 3/8 - 3 1/2" blade. Did not realize it was the full 3 3/4" (95mm) length. I am ok with this, but was imagining a slightly smaller knife (maybe would have preferred... but who's to say, now?).

Gosh darn smooth knife, though.

 

[Mr.sig239]

Chazzy-It's not that I want my DD to work harder. My neon, both 95"s and my 111 fire out and lock every time. My DD only opens half way 30% of the time. I don't like having to flick my wrist when I open it to make sure that it opens fully. I've tried pushing down and lightswitch style to get it to open with no change. Great size knife just frustrating. Not sure if the previous owner did anything to it. I have not had it apart.
I will keep it no matter what as it is a great looking knife.

 

[Mr.sig239]

.

 

[ChazzyP]

Mr.sig239 , I started writing the before I sat down to an early supper and am now picking it back up after you posted your vid.

I think it's time for you to open up that RDD of yours for a good interior cleaning and polishing. Mine wasn't in any way bad when I got it as our friend CPP had the knife apart a couple times before passing it along, but I find so many bearing flippers to be full of glompy grease past its prime doing nothing but impeding the action. If you're interested, I've got a post over in the Disassembly Pics thread with interior pics of my RDD. There's no "how to" with it, so a few thoughts on my experience and methods....

I always start by cleaning everything thoroughly with isopropyl alcohol--in a bath, by wiping down, or both.

I polish all moving interior contact surfaces. I've got an old green-loaded leather strop I use for this. Pay special attention to the underlay washers and the roller bearing cages.

CPP told me to be careful re-installing the roller bearings as they have a tendency to stand on end when inserted. Also, grabbing them with tweezers can result in flying bearings almost impossible to find. I have a fine-tipped, magnetic tweezer that I use without pinching to pick up BBs and roller bearings, pushing them off into their receivers with a toothpick or similar object.

I dislike grease and lube all my knives, save those with Teflon washers, with W10 NanoOil as I find the lighter lube lets the moving parts move much more freely.

I can make my RDD not flip out if I try, but it always comes out easily, surely, and with no wrist when light-switching under normal use. I expect yours should too with a bit of TLC.

 

[ChazzyP]

View attachment 1344550

ChazzyP my Hati is in S30V steel as seen above. Curious what you found in the WTT and hope you were able to make a deal.

I saw a beautiful blue twill Arius and PM'd to see if the OP would consider a straight sale. I didn't get a PM response, but he later posted in the thread that it had been traded. I suspect that had occurred some time before my inquiry. Whatever....

 

[rackness]

Hati landed!
I will follow up this weekend with more cogent thoughts - but, my first reaction out of the box is "Holy Shiro! What a knife!"

I had it in mind that the Hati was about 3 3/8 - 3 1/2" blade. Did not realize it was the full 3 3/4" (95mm) length. I am ok with this, but was imagining a slightly smaller knife (maybe would have preferred... but who's to say, now?).

Gosh darn smooth knife, though.

Congrats on the new bear! The hation is the smaller size, like a neon. The hati is more f95 size as you see . It is a very useful shape for a larger blade and still slicy. Just look at it this way now you have an excuse to get a “more edc friendly” blade in a hation zero.

 

[TRfromMT]

Congrats on the new bear! The hation is the smaller size, like a neon. The hati is more f95 size as you see . It is a very useful shape for a larger blade and still slicy. Just look at it this way now you have an excuse to get a “more edc friendly” blade in a hation zero.

I've had an F3R and a 95T previously (95T was among my all time favorites!). I like this blade size, but was just somehow thinking it was a step down.

 

[TRfromMT]

First the photos

The Hati is a fantastic knife! I have this one thought running through my mind: "less is more".

As an earlier model, on washers, it is simpler than the current versions on bearings. But every detail is so well thought out.

I'm surprised the spine has a Satin finish, but the flats are the very fine stonewash. The blade doesn't have any jimping, no milled detail, and it is a 100% full flat grind.

This one came with an extremely well done sharpening job (needle point, zero witness marks on the choil). I will not have to put this on the W.E. for a long time! Looking forward to seeing how the m390 holds up and if I can get it stropped to hair whittling sharp.

The simple flat slab carbon fiber scale has a lovely milled surface texture and a generous chamfer. The chamfering on both sides is enough that in a hard grip (white knuckle) there are no areas that poke. The white knuckle grip test is a simple test I use to quickly evaluate a grip.

These scales are simpler than the new ones with no internal chamfer for a landing pad where the flipper tab dives in. But the Ti side is milled out.

The pocket clip is also a joy on Shiro's. This one is no exception.

The GB2 and Sebenza are my only other folders. I shed a lot of knives this past fall and winter, but I am very glad to have a simple, washer'd Shiro to round things out!

 

[TRfromMT]

I took the Hati in m390 for a test drive yesterday, and I am doubly impressed with the edge and the steel. I spent about 30 minutes whittling a very dry, hard stick from a maple tree. I whittled, whacked, and twisted the edge through the stick in fairly sloppy, intentionally "cringe worthy" technique. Not a chip or a roll to be found. I was being unkind on purpose to the showy, mirror edge it came with. Took it all in stride, which I am quite sure the CRK would not have. Very happy with it, for sure!

 

[Mr.sig239]

Ok. Need some help here. Can't get my Doctor Death apart. 5 minutes with the hair dryer blowing on the pivot screw full power. Screw is so hot I can barely hold my thumb on it and all I have is a destroyed penny!
Tried putting side tension and every other idea I read here. Now what? Thumbs are sore and knife is still together! Do I dare trying my mini torch? Don't want to hurt the knife.

 

[SlideRacker]

Ok. Need some help here. Can't get my Doctor Death apart. 5 minutes with the hair dryer blowing on the pivot screw full power. Screw is so hot I can barely hold my thumb on it and all I have is a destroyed penny!
Tried putting side tension and every other idea I read here. Now what? Thumbs are sore and knife is still together! Do I dare trying my mini torch? Don't want to hurt the knife.

Wow. Hopefully they only used blue Loctite and not red. That heat should have been enough to break down blue.

 

[CPP]

I had the same problem with the same knife (the CF version). I struggled so hard with the pivot I ended scratching the screw which Shiro fortunately was able to replace. I finally was able to open the pivot by placing the bolt side directly on the glass surface of an electric stove. It'll be obvious when it's ready to loosen as it will do so easily with very little force.

 

[TRfromMT]

Pro tip Mr.sig239
....
I struggled to get the pivot screw on my Hati apart yesterday. The female barrel just kept spinning, no matter how much pressure applied with the pad of my thumb.

Clean the surface with alcohol.

Use a square of duct tape and apply it to the flat surface of the pivot and press it down - like, really iron it down - all around the lock side scale and the flat of the pivot. Really press it I place.

Now back it up with thumb pressure.

Male pivot screw backs right out!

Tape off and clean it again with alcohol.

 

[ChazzyP]

That's a great tip, TRfromMT ! I'm glad to see you're back here in the Den and doubly glad to see that sweet new Hati of yours.

I hate putting thread locker in knives. Out of all that I've kept and used I only have it in a couple pivots and those are the ones that will loosen up after just a limited number of opening/closing cycles. I'd much rather make a slight adjustment after a day or two's use than deal with breaking the thread locker free when disassembling. The only Shiro of mine with LocTite is my Tabargan and that has a Torx on the backside of the pivot and won't stay put long at all. My Turtle will move after a couple days' use and all I have to do is get it thumbnail tight and it's perfectly centered again. The RDD has that very tight window to close into to judge centering and if it looks just the tiniest bit off the thumbnail brings it right back even if it feels firm.

Good luck with your RDD, Mr.sig239 . TR's tip seems promising and CPP 's method seems safe enough (I have that knife now and it's fine ), though I'm unclear about which side of the knife (bolt side?) was touching the stove.