The Bears' Den--Shirogorov Showcase

[Sagandavis]

Now that the F3 Outdoor knife is being brought back up I’ll jump in and give my thoughts, I didn’t want to interfere with the discussion regarding some of the older Shiro’s, it’s interesting to see how they used to do it! Thanks for the info and pics! I love the styling of the new F3 a lot with the G10 choices and how the inlay is shaped but there’s just a couple things that are hard to get past.

I’ve been carrying my F95NL quite a bit with plenty of time in the woods whether it’s camping, hiking, but especially hunting. It has been used for all sorts of things except field dressing a deer, I use a fixed blade for that. I can echo the sentiments of the others in that regard, I will almost always have a fixed blade with me outdoors to partner with whatever folder I have in my pocket, I don’t want two knives on my belt and these Shiro’s just don’t look right without a clip on them! I don’t want the knife laying sideways in my pockets if I’m forgoing using the belt sheath.

Another thing that I wish they would have done different is get rid of the backspacer and just have a stand-off like my F95. It makes it much easier to clean without having to break the knife down but I guess if you get it all bloody, you’ll want to do that anyway to clean the bearings. I haven’t taken the F95 apart yet, just rinsed it under soapy hot water and blew it out nice and dry. No re-lubing or anything, the knife has a great action considering this! It’s gotten plenty dirty from camp use and other jobs around the house as well.

The edge has taken some small dings here and there over time but it’s been pretty easy to maintain the edge on a Sharpmaker. I do have the diamond rods which help but the standard brown rods seem to straitened the edge back without too much work.

I like the backspacer, cleans up well just like you described. No disassembly required. The real function in my mind is it helps protect the blade from other things in pocket or pack.

I have a Hati Gen. 3 that I’ve been using hard in comparison to what I see most people use their Shiro. Love seeing your f95 being used!

In regards to the f3 outdoor, I’m a little surprised how put off folks are about the lack of a pocket clip. To me, it’s right inline with that philosophy of use for this knife. An outdoor knife could be in hand for very long stretches if you’re field dressing, fire preparation, or preparing food. Although Shiros pocket clips are the best I’ve had as far as design, placement and ergonomics, no pocket clip with the contoured F3 sounds like the ultimate for long term comfort.

The pouch would strap to a pack nicely as well. I backpack and hunt a lot and love my fixed blades but with a pack on you can’t have anything on your belt. If I’m trying to go light, the F3 is a lot of knife in a fairly light and easy to haul package

I realize you could just remove the pocket clip but then you have a great place to capture dirt and that is a nasty time to clean especially if blood is involved.

I see why it’s not appealing to everyone but I play outside a lot and see some cool benefits for my use. If you see one on the exchange from me soon then you all were right and it didn’t quite hit the mark!

 

[Bacchus]

I like the backspacer, cleans up well just like you described. No disassembly required. The real function in my mind is it helps protect the blade from other things in pocket or pack.

I have a Hati Gen. 3 that I’ve been using hard in comparison to what I see most people use their Shiro. Love seeing your f95 being used!

In regards to the f3 outdoor, I’m a little surprised how put off folks are about the lack of a pocket clip. To me, it’s right inline with that philosophy of use for this knife. An outdoor knife could be in hand for very long stretches if you’re field dressing, fire preparation, or preparing food. Although Shiros pocket clips are the best I’ve had as far as design, placement and ergonomics, no pocket clip with the contoured F3 sounds like the ultimate for long term comfort.

The pouch would strap to a pack nicely as well. I backpack and hunt a lot and love my fixed blades but with a pack on you can’t have anything on your belt. If I’m trying to go light, the F3 is a lot of knife in a fairly light and easy to haul package

I realize you could just remove the pocket clip but then you have a great place to capture dirt and that is a nasty time to clean especially if blood is involved.

I see why it’s not appealing to everyone but I play outside a lot and see some cool benefits for my use. If you see one on the exchange from me soon then you all were right and it didn’t quite hit the mark!

In terms of dirt collection I never had any issues with a spacer, seems more appealing than stand-offs -- both aesthetically and tactile.

Can't say anything about hunting or hardcore outdoor experience, but I'm pretty used to food preparation with Sebenza and it was always extremely easy to clean afterward without disassembly, thanks to a very simple design.

It might be more or less true for older Hati and F95 made of 2 titanium slabs without inner millings. But a liner-lock could become a source of troubles for the outdoor folder. And layered scales as well.

It will be great, if at some point you decide to share your actual experience with F3 Outdoor

P.S. for Hati a spacer could be important element to ensure rigid construction with only 1 titanium scale and 2 screws.

 

[Sagandavis]

In terms of dirt collection I never had any issues with a spacer, seems more appealing than stand-offs -- both aesthetically and tactile.

Can't say anything about hunting or hardcore outdoor experience, but I'm pretty used to food preparation with Sebenza and it was always extremely easy to clean afterward without disassembly, thanks to a very simple design.

It might be more or less true for older Hati and F95 made of 2 titanium slabs without inner millings. But a liner-lock could become a source of troubles for the outdoor folder. And layered scales as well.

It will be great, if at some point you decide to share your actual experience with F3 Outdoor

P.S. for Hati a spacer could be important element to ensure rigid construction with only 1 titanium scale and 2 screws.

So far with the Hati gen 3, a blast of warm water and soap has gotten it squeaky clean, even in the milling crevasses. I haven’t cleaned an animal yet but I’ve done a lot of food prep and trimmed a brisket the other day

It sure took awhile but I finally “get” the appeal of Shirogorov. The more I use it the more I appreciate it

 

[Jsega51]

In terms of dirt collection I never had any issues with a spacer, seems more appealing than stand-offs -- both aesthetically and tactile.

What I find is that the milled patterns on the backspacers barely sit above the liners or frame on some models so I don’t think they do much there other than if you held the knife with your thumb wrapped over the butt end but it’s good to hear that the spacers don’t trap dirt and stuff like I thought they would, I too carry a Sebenza a lot so I’m used to that open frame with just a stand-off.

Sagandavis , I could definitely make the F3 Outdoor work for me exactly as you describe, riding in my pack or just loose in a cargo pocket. To be honest there’s times I don’t clip my knife to my pants pocket, I drop it in, especially when I’m crawling around in brush like when I’m grouse hunting. I’ve had branches and vines snag the clips before, I also have a jacket that the tag inside likes to grab pocket clips….


see, I‘m talking myself into it!

 

[Bacchus]

So far with the Hati gen 3, a blast of warm water and soap has gotten it squeaky clean, even in the milling crevasses.

Speaking of Hati...

Heads-up, lads:

"Hati Gen.3 is now available with red TechnoCarbo presentation-side handle and lockbar-side inlay. The blade on the Hati is 95mm (3.74in) long and 3.5mm (0.14in) thick, and this folder runs on MRBS Multi-Row Bearing System with CPS, which prevents the pivot from free-spinning.

Hati Gen.3s with red TechnoCarbo will be available starting with today through the US dealer."

I've ordered one for myself from the workshop. Not sure about combination of satin & stonewash on the lock scale. I would really preferred fully stonewashed titanium.

 

[Sagandavis]

Speaking of Hati...

Heads-up, lads:

"Hati Gen.3 is now available with red TechnoCarbo presentation-side handle and lockbar-side inlay. The blade on the Hati is 95mm (3.74in) long and 3.5mm (0.14in) thick, and this folder runs on MRBS Multi-Row Bearing System with CPS, which prevents the pivot from free-spinning.

Hati Gen.3s with red TechnoCarbo will be available starting with today through the US dealer."

I've ordered one for myself from the workshop. Not sure about combination of satin & stonewash on the lock scale. I would really preferred fully stonewashed titanium.

Thanks for the heads up! I like the rough wash on my Hati, satin would definitely get scuffed up with my use. That red carbon looks great though! I bet that is what they will use for the “fire” elemental f3

Also how are you ordering from the workshop? And how are you privy to these things releasing?? B Bacchus ?

 

[Bacchus]

Thanks for the heads up! I like the rough wash on my Hati, satin would definitely get scuffed up with my use. That red carbon looks great though! I bet that is what they will use for the “fire” elemental f3

Also how are you ordering from the workshop? And how are you privy to these things releasing?? B Bacchus ?

Sagandavis , yeah, I think too, that F3 Ignis will feature the same or very similar carbon.

They could come up with a fancy name in the COA, like "Burning Fire TechnoCarbo", but sadly it is simplier than FatCarbon "LavaFlow" (featuring two red color tones between each layer of fiber) selected for a small batch Arsenal 2022 Hati:

Well, I am not exactly privy to anything, just subscribed to the official Telegram group "Shirogorov knives".

As for my ability to order directly from the workshop it's one of the perks of living in Russia, pls, don't hold it against me!

 

[ChazzyP]

B Bacchus --glad to have you here and for your contributions to the Bears' Den. I figured you were at least not North American, as we are constrained to purchasing from the official dealers on this side of the pond. Though your English is excellent, I suspected you might be Russian as evidenced by the occasional absence of grammatical articles in your text.

 

[Gurwery]

Thanks for the Heads Up, and for Sharing!

 

[Bacchus]

B Bacchus --glad to have you here and for your contributions to the Bears' Den. I figured you were at least not North American, as we are constrained to purchasing from the official dealers on this side of the pond. Though your English is excellent…

ChazzyP , thank you for kind words, my English skills are pretty rusty though I do my best to keep up.

Glad to be of some help to fellow knife collectors and users

I suspected you might be Russian as evidenced by the occasional absence of grammatical articles in your text.

You totally got me, incorrect article usage is a telltale mistake of Russian native speakers.

 

[Sagandavis]

Great ergos! Sheath fits perfectly with flipper down as well.

 

[Jsega51]

After writing that I’d never taken the F95NL apart, I decided I probably should for the first time. The spinning one sided hardware was proving it’s metal until I saw a YouTube video tip to simply grip the knife closed, squeezing the blade into the frame effectively pinching the pivot. That worked perfect and everything after was a smooth process, the balls and cages didn’t seem too dirty until I realized the balls were stuck inside due to the crud. Everything got cleaned in isopropyl alcohol and for lube I simply used a little mineral oil on the ball bearings.

 

[Bacchus]

After writing that I’d never taken the F95NL apart, I decided I probably should for the first time. The spinning one sided hardware was proving it’s metal until I saw a YouTube video tip to simply grip the knife closed, squeezing the blade into the frame effectively pinching the pivot. That worked perfect and everything after was a smooth process, the balls and cages didn’t seem too dirty until I realized the balls were stuck inside due to the crud. Everything got cleaned in isopropyl alcohol and for lube I simply used a little mineral oil on the ball bearings.

Wow, MEFP F95NL looks more like a top-tier 3M model -- while common F95NL is a low end 1M (featuring single row bearing system and "basic" PM steel like Cromax or Elmax).

Nice and crisp photos, thanks for sharing!..

 

[Jsega51]

Wow, MEFP F95NL looks more like a top-tier 3M model -- while common F95NL is a low end 1M (featuring single row bearing system and "basic" PM steel like Cromax or Elmax).

Nice and crisp photos, thanks for sharing!..

Yeah these got the nice upgrades over the base NL models! This was a knife that I was sort of on the fence about after trying a Neon NL but it has been a winner in my book, there’s not one thing that I don’t like about it.

 

[ChazzyP]

Wow, MEFP F95NL looks more like a top-tier 3M model -- while common F95NL is a low end 1M (featuring single row bearing system and "basic" PM steel like Cromax or Elmax).

Nice and crisp photos, thanks for sharing!..

That took me a minute--3M? Oh yeah, 3 Medved. 1 Medved?

 

[Bacchus]

That took me a minute--3M? Oh yeah, 3 Medved. 1 Medved?

ChazzyP , “Medved” sounds a little brutal and usually refers to a grown animal.

While the logo definitely reflects a grown bear, some Shiro fans use the appropriate diminutive “Mishka” — it corresponds to “Bruin”.

 

[DocJekl]

Speaking of Hati...

Heads-up, lads:

"Hati Gen.3 is now available with red TechnoCarbo presentation-side handle and lockbar-side inlay. The blade on the Hati is 95mm (3.74in) long and 3.5mm (0.14in) thick, and this folder runs on MRBS Multi-Row Bearing System with CPS, which prevents the pivot from free-spinning.

Hati Gen.3s with red TechnoCarbo will be available starting with today through the US dealer."

I've ordered one for myself from the workshop. Not sure about combination of satin & stonewash on the lock scale. I would really preferred fully stonewashed titanium.

Mine arrived today. I guess I should take pics and share them soon...

 

[DocJekl]

Speaking of Hati...

Heads-up, lads:

"Hati Gen.3 is now available with red TechnoCarbo presentation-side handle and lockbar-side inlay. The blade on the Hati is 95mm (3.74in) long and 3.5mm (0.14in) thick, and this folder runs on MRBS Multi-Row Bearing System with CPS, which prevents the pivot from free-spinning.

Hati Gen.3s with red TechnoCarbo will be available starting with today through the US dealer."

I've ordered one for myself from the workshop. Not sure about combination of satin & stonewash on the lock scale. I would really preferred fully stonewashed titanium.

Sagandavis , yeah, I think too, that F3 Ignis will feature the same or very similar carbon.

They could come up with a fancy name in the COA, like "Burning Fire TechnoCarbo", but sadly it is simplier than FatCarbon "LavaFlow" (featuring two red color tones between each layer of fiber) selected for a small batch Arsenal 2022 Hati:

Well, I am not exactly privy to anything, just subscribed to the official Telegram group "Shirogorov knives".

As for my ability to order directly from the workshop it's one of the perks of living in Russia, pls, don't hold it against me!

Mine arrived today. I guess I should take pics and share them soon...

A carbon fiber that is slightly similar by Forum Forge is called Brimstone Carbon Fiber. Cool name.

Here is my new Hati Gen 3 with Red Technocarbon. If I fail to acquire and Ignis when they come out later, maybe this might serve as a suitable stand in until I do get one later? I am really digging this one.

 

[Bacchus]

A carbon fiber that is slightly similar by Forum Forge is called Brimstone Carbon Fiber. Cool name.

Here is my new Hati Gen 3 with Red Technocarbon. If I fail to acquire and Ignis when they come out later, maybe this might serve as a suitable stand in until I do get one later? I am really digging this one.

Nice!.. Beautiful background

I got mine too.

The OOB action is the best of all Shiro framelocks I bought this year, no tuning required. Almost as outstanding as F3 Terrus.

The presentation scale is gorgeous.

The combination of bright satin and darker stonewash on the lock-bar scale looks not as weird as I expected, but definitely not my first choice. IMHO a less fancy one similar to F95 Zero would be better.

Anyway, I'm going to give this fine knife a chance to prove himself as an EDC. The worst case scenario is I end up paying extra for a surgery procedure -- removing the inlay, restonewashing the scale and reinstalling the inlay back.

 

[Jsega51]

I think the contrast of the satin and stonewash looks pretty good on these models! The angled cutout near the flipper tab on the back scale looks neat too with that real fine checkering.