The Bears' Den--Shirogorov Showcase

Pennlu said:
I took a chance and bought a knife from an estate sale and need help identifying the knife. It came in a worn black Shiro box indicating it may be a bit older. Thanks for your help.
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Very Sinkevich design language, along with the tri-lobe screw for the pivot. Really don't know anything more than that, any pics of the box and any information you can see on the inside of the scales? I've never seen an older Shiro/Sinkevich in... what looks like Micarta, with a D2 blade - feels/seems potentially fake but I am far from a subject matter expert.
 
I haven't seen a 2pc box like that from Shiro - but yeah if this were old this is 10+ years old I'd imagine so again my knowledge is less from this age range. Any labels/stickers/anything on the box at all? Any engraving on the inside of the scales/liners you might be able to see with some light?
 
The D2 marking makes me nervous...
Also the looks of the finishes.
Not sure any Shiro's were ever made in D2
 
Pompous Pompous has pretty much covered my impressions and thoughts on your acquisition, Pennlu Pennlu . I see nothing of Shirogorov design language in that knife, even for one from the early years when Igor and Sergey were casting about trying different techniques, features, and styles.

It definitely does have a sorta Sinkevich vibe to it, but really looks rather unformed and unlike anything either SiDiS, Shirogorov, or collaborative. I could send your pics over to Tom when I get back home tonight and ask for his take on your knife.
 
This looks more like a flipper version of the Fantoni/Sinkevich collaboration CUT than the Shiro/Sinkevich collabs.
 
ChazzyP said:
I could send your pics over to Tom when I get back home tonight and ask for his take on your knife
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Thanks ChazzyP. I appreciate your help.
The knives available looked like they came from a serious collector. The vintage spyderco knives I bought were legitimate. I know more about those knives than Russian knives. I know many fakes use D2. I was hoping it was old enough to date to when that steel was more used in good knives. The estate knew nothing about knives. The knife was marked as “unknown folder”. I immediately saw the shiro symbol and took a chance. I looked at fakes also. I could not find a reproduction similar to this one.
 
Pennlu said:
I took a chance and bought a knife from an estate sale and need help identifying the knife. It came in a worn black Shiro box indicating it may be a bit older. Thanks for your help.
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The big Chinese sites are loaded with that design, as well as several other fake Shirogorovs. Compare the knives pictured below (fakes) to your knife, notice the shape, pattern, and texture of the handle scales. Notice the exact location, size, and font of the "D2" marking. The color and design of the pivot assembly. And of course, the fake box.

They come in a wide variety of different handle materials, different colors and handle patterns, etc.

Buyers beware, there are A LOT of fake Shirogorovs out there, including fake boxes. I posted these pics as a warning so that people will know what to avoid. My advice is- don't buy these fakes, and don't support the vendors that sell them.

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My oldest shiros came in the same boxes that they come in now, not a two piece design, honestly the actual shiro boxes look cheaper than the fake ones. Also my early ones came with a small piece of paper written in Russian verifying the authenticity. At some point Recon 1 provided replacement authenticity cards of the new card style a few years back. So without that paper I would also question the authenticity of the knife.
 
Pennlu Pennlu , given that K killgar has posted pics of fakes of the same design and box, I don't think I'll bother Tom asking about yours as it's clearly what it is. I hope you didn't pay too much for it and that it's maybe a decent enough piece for you to get some use out of it.

Landshark99 Landshark99 , if the "small piece of paper written in Russian" you referred above is what I'm familiar with, those still come with Shiro's and other Russian knives and are actually export documents certifying that the knife is not a "cold steel weapon" which would be illegal to ship in or out of the country. While not a certificate of authenticity, per se, its presence does demonstrate that the knife is actually from a particular Russian maker. Such documentation would not accompany knives made in or sourced from China.
 
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Thanks to everyone for their help. I appreciate it. Didn’t pay too much at all. If it is too good to be true, it usually is. Some people get lucky from time to time. Just not me. Thanks again
 
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