The Bears' Den--Shirogorov Showcase

Ive been carrying this one for the past couple of days and feel like I will continue on through the weekend with it! Damn lock stick on this one just doesn’t seem to be going away. Can’t say it’s from a lack of use or 1k cycles 😆

IJDxVex.jpg
 
Jsega51 said:
Ive been carrying this one for the past couple of days and feel like I will continue on through the weekend with it! Damn lock stick on this one just doesn’t seem to be going away. Can’t say it’s from a lack of use or 1k cycles 😆

IJDxVex.jpg
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Have you been applying graphite to the lock ramp on the blade tang with pencil "lead"? That should alleviate the lock stick in the short term and if you continue to reapply it should eventually wear in over time. Nice knife, BTW--probably my favorite scale color in the Soft Overkill series.
 
ChazzyP said:
Have you been applying graphite to the lock ramp on the blade tang with pencil "lead"? That should alleviate the lock stick in the short term and if you continue to reapply it should eventually wear in over time. Nice knife, BTW--probably my favorite scale color in the Soft Overkill series.
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I tried it but it didn’t seem to make a difference so I’ve just been living with it and figured it would go away on its own, maybe I’ll try it again. I agree on the color and like how the milling gives the scales a fading out effect.
 
Jsega51 said:
I tried it but it didn’t seem to make a difference so I’ve just been living with it and figured it would go away on its own, maybe I’ll try it again. I agree on the color and like how the milling gives the scales a fading out effect.
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Look at a product called oxguard, try on Amazon. A tiny dab on the tang where the lock interfaces should do. Open and close a few times. Then wipe off the excess. Should fix you up
 
Chuck_Nunface said:
Look at a product called oxguard, try on Amazon. A tiny dab on the tang where the lock interfaces should do. Open and close a few times. Then wipe off the excess. Should fix you up
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Thanks for the suggestion! A couple hours after my post yesterday about trying the pencil again, I did. Better results this time which has to be attributed to the break-in that the tang and lock face have seen. It’s no longer a hard and fast “click” when releasing now, more of slightly sticky sliding feel. I’ll just keep carrying and using it letting the parts mate together and see what happens down the line for now! I have a green Soft Overkill also which is super smooth on the lock release.

The only other Shiro I’ve felt lock stick on was my F95 Zero after disassembling, cleaning and putting it back together (it wasn’t present from the start so I knew something was slightly off). After having CRK’s and knowing how sensitive they can be with how the blade stop is lined up, I looked and saw I had the wear marks lined up properly so I simply took the F95 apart again and flipped the stop pin end over end, lock stick was gone. 🤘🏻
 
Jsega51 said:
B Bacchus , extra scales are cool and all but where can you get the tool to take those RJM special screws out? They’re the opposite of the Shiro screw cuts lol.
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Well, I wouldn't dare to try changing scales for this kind of LE or CD knife by myself.

The only viable option for me would be to find a craftsman who possesses appropriate skills and tools and provides this kind of services.

The only one I know in the neighbourhood is Ashot Akopyan (yes, the one from the Knife Workshop) -- an extremely skilled knife maker and a very cordial member of the community, helpful to fellow knife makers and to humble knife users.

He is known to provide SPA service for Microtech and some custom knives with exotic screws, making his own brass bits.
 
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No different taking this one apart vs my others since most all parts are the same, just one dumb screw is different haha.
 
Yea, it’s too bad R1 is the only real retailer. Not my favorite place to buy a knife as they monopolize the market and nickel and dime the piss out of their customers

Regardless, I’m excited for the knife. I love everything about it except the flipper tab. It’s so bad. Dang near a deal killer for me but I’ll see what it feels like in pocket and hand.
 
I also managed to get one. Excited to see it once it arrives as well, I’m hoping for a nice pattern on the scales. The fact that it’s their first go with MagnaCut is a bonus, plus I’m not sure how many more RJ Martin variants they’re planning to make - maybe this could be the last (?).
 
Sagandavis said:
I landed one. 😆
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Congratulations! On my side of the pond I've seen only 1 person to score this folder so far.

Sagandavis said:
Yea, it’s too bad R1 is the only real retailer.
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I am not privy to Shiro marketing strategy, but it seems to me, they are still rather limited in production capacity and they have to take it step by step.

10 years ago there were 2 ways to obtain a new Shiro knife in Russia: either to visit the local knife show (preferably on the 1st day in the morning) or to place a request (or a bid, I am not quite sure about the proper term) using online Configurator on the domestic website. It was not an actual order -- no price fixing, no guarantee to meet your specs except the knife model. And the lead time was well above 12 month.

About 9 years ago the Configurator was disabled and remains disabled ever since. It took them a couple of years to fulfill the accumulated requests.

About 8 years ago the domestic website was updated, a new section "Shop" was implemented, but the supply remained extremely limited. Keep in mind that at the end of 2014 the Rouble lost half of its value and the expansion to US market became even more vital than before.

I guess the first overseas deals took place during the BladeShows.

I do not know when exactly partnership with R1 started, probably as early as in 2015.

As for the current situation on the US market -- R1 remains the major dealer, but there is limited co-operation with other knife sellers (I refrain from direct links to avoid incurring mod's wrath), just a few recent projects easily findable online:
-- ME (F95, NeON, Quantum with frag pattern);
-- KC (F95NL with exclusive orange-white pattern);
-- EK (Quantum with "e" hex pattern).

My point is, Shiro would expand co-operation with US retailers if they could provide sufficient volume.

And by the way, there is only 1 dealer in Russia, the partnership started in 2018 or in 2019. It was going pretty well, but in 2023 for some reason only basic Quantum Ursus and Quantium models are channelled through them. Probably the ongoing Rouble devaluation made US market preferable again.
 
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Here's a question for you, fellow Denizens...

Do you have a specific Shiro in mind, you would've bought in a heartbeat if it was ever offered for sale?

I'm talking strictly about production line (MSRP up to $1200) and minor tweaks to existing specs, nothing too fancy like S125V or mirror polished blade or SRRBS.

Here's my current list:

1) Hati Gen. 3 -- but fully stonewashed and without inlay, preferably with blade & spacer design updated to the F95T Gen. 4 standard, CPS for body screw would be a bonus

2) Quantum nudist with a spacer, MRBS and CPS -- fully stonewashed, no inlays, no patterns (the Lefty is close, but missing a spacer and CPS)

3) F95 Gen. 4 -- but fully stonewashed. A classic T-pattern (i.e. flat milled areas) would be a huge bonus!

4) 111 Gen. 5 -- but with a fully functional blade (i.e. without cutout / fuller) and CPS

You see, the proposed tweaks do not impose extra costs (except for Quantum, which will jump from budget to premium, but surely within MSRP $1200 limit).

I was going to add "Stellar with MagnaCut" as the 5th point, but heck, I would be happy to try this new steel on any production Shiro.

What's on your list? :)
 
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