Oklahoma Outlaw
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Incoming Cheburkov…..
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From Russia with Love
- Thread starter JAB
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ChazzyP
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It's been altogether quiet here all week, so I'll get another Russian posted as I'd like to see this thread keep going. This CF second version of Shirogorov's Russian Dr Death collaboration with Tom Mayo was a grail for me right from day one. It remained so for quite some time until a friend from The Bears' Den decided to move his and wrote to offer it to me. He most generously gave me a great deal, though it's still my most expensive knife. I decided from the git-go that it was way too nice to be a drawer queen and it gets carried and used with considerable frequency.
I had to dig through my files for a while to find this pic that shows off the delicate Silk Milling on the CF side...
...that echos the exterior of the Ti lock side...
...the interior of which is also milled, though much more profoundly.
Details, details...
I had to dig through my files for a while to find this pic that shows off the delicate Silk Milling on the CF side...
...that echos the exterior of the Ti lock side...
...the interior of which is also milled, though much more profoundly.
Details, details...
Oklahoma Outlaw
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A few observations that some may find interesting in my uneducated experience with Russian knives.
Andrey Biryukov is a master blacksmith. His blades are finished with actual sandblasting rather than using another media giving the blade an almost orange peel appearance, rather than the flat, satin finish we are used to seeing. I really like the look. He uses proprietary screws but provides the end user a bit for same. His leatherwork isn’t too shabby either.
Aleksandr Cheburkov chooses to use standard Torx screws which all of us probably have, and if not are readily available. I’ll include a good read provided to me by
ferider
https://knife-blog.com/interview-with-aleksandr-cheburkov/
This brings me to Sergey Shirogorov. What can be said? I, for one, find it galling that a maker who chooses to use proprietary screws also chooses to charge in excess of $500.00 for the proper tool to adjust, or take down their knife. Sure, you may wrap a screwdriver with electrical tape and get the job done without damage to your knife. The only Shirogorov I own with a leather belt pouch is the Outdoor Sportsman. While fully functional, it is nowhere near the quality of the Biryukov. I’m not ragging on Sergey. My Shirogorovs will be with me until I die. But come on comrade, make your proprietary tools affordable to the end user. Shit, I can buy a brand new Cheburkov and have money left over in lieu of buying your proprietary tool.
Andrey Biryukov is a master blacksmith. His blades are finished with actual sandblasting rather than using another media giving the blade an almost orange peel appearance, rather than the flat, satin finish we are used to seeing. I really like the look. He uses proprietary screws but provides the end user a bit for same. His leatherwork isn’t too shabby either.
Aleksandr Cheburkov chooses to use standard Torx screws which all of us probably have, and if not are readily available. I’ll include a good read provided to me by
ferider
https://knife-blog.com/interview-with-aleksandr-cheburkov/
This brings me to Sergey Shirogorov. What can be said? I, for one, find it galling that a maker who chooses to use proprietary screws also chooses to charge in excess of $500.00 for the proper tool to adjust, or take down their knife. Sure, you may wrap a screwdriver with electrical tape and get the job done without damage to your knife. The only Shirogorov I own with a leather belt pouch is the Outdoor Sportsman. While fully functional, it is nowhere near the quality of the Biryukov. I’m not ragging on Sergey. My Shirogorovs will be with me until I die. But come on comrade, make your proprietary tools affordable to the end user. Shit, I can buy a brand new Cheburkov and have money left over in lieu of buying your proprietary tool.
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Oklahoma Outlaw
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REK Knives
can you provide details on what bits are needed for a 111, F95NL, F3, & Hation Zero please?
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I only carry 3 bits currently, and you would need all 3 sizes to work on the latter 3 knives. I don't currently have a pivot bit available for the 111 but will try to make some in the next batch.
ChazzyP
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After sleeping late this morning and reading your post above,
Oklahoma Outlaw
, it took me a while to shake the cobwebs off enough to realize that its concluding paragraph was yours and not a quote from the Cheburkov interview that you kindly linked. Duh.
I do appreciate the inclusion of the leather belt pouches with my Biryukov knives and they are indeed of good and serviceable quality, though it's unlikely I'll ever use them. As to AB's blade finish, I was struck by the orange peel texture of my Sigma's blade when I received that first of my now-three of his knives. It's pebbling is the most pronounced of those, with my #9 liner lock a bit less so, and the #10 even finer and more matte than the others. If those blades are indeed sand-blasted to achieve their texture, they must go through a subsequent polishing process to give them their final appearance. Each of mine must have either been initially blasted with a finer medium or subjected to a greater polishing process after.
As to proprietary hardware, while I appreciate the inclusion of the proper tool along with knives featuring uniquely-headed fasteners, I would say that Biryukov's tools are not a particularly good fit for his screws as I find them a bit sloppy, though they do work. Thumbs up to Cheburkov for largely sticking with Torx fasteners, and, though a few of his knives do have oddly shaped tool receivers, Alex has indicated that they're intended to be manipulated with a common screwdriver.
Which brings me to Shirogorov hardware...
While their iconic PacMan screws have a unique shape, they really don't to require any tool other than the aforementioned common driver bit, so in some sense they're only nominally proprietary. True, the recess is a bit broad and shallow and a loose fit or sloppy application can easily mar screws softer than the tool. I've never considered buying one of Shiro's pen tools when I could spend the same for a quality mid-tech knife. I like the slotted heads as I generally eschew thread locker and can easily re-center a blade with my thumbnail if the screw tension has drifted. It doesn't bother me to use a common bit with a bit of tape on it and keep one thusly outfitted with my knife tools, along with several appropriately-sized coins. I've used a spanner bit occasionally as it seems a bit easier to control and less potentially damaging. I did locate and buy a moderately-priced Shirogorov hedgehog tool from a Russian re-seller I've used...
...which affords about the same leverage as a coin with a better fit. I also picked up one of the Jekyll to Hyde aluminum Shiro tools which fits very nicely and is definitely non-marring.
Oklahoma Outlaw
, it took me a while to shake the cobwebs off enough to realize that its concluding paragraph was yours and not a quote from the Cheburkov interview that you kindly linked. Duh.I do appreciate the inclusion of the leather belt pouches with my Biryukov knives and they are indeed of good and serviceable quality, though it's unlikely I'll ever use them. As to AB's blade finish, I was struck by the orange peel texture of my Sigma's blade when I received that first of my now-three of his knives. It's pebbling is the most pronounced of those, with my #9 liner lock a bit less so, and the #10 even finer and more matte than the others. If those blades are indeed sand-blasted to achieve their texture, they must go through a subsequent polishing process to give them their final appearance. Each of mine must have either been initially blasted with a finer medium or subjected to a greater polishing process after.
As to proprietary hardware, while I appreciate the inclusion of the proper tool along with knives featuring uniquely-headed fasteners, I would say that Biryukov's tools are not a particularly good fit for his screws as I find them a bit sloppy, though they do work. Thumbs up to Cheburkov for largely sticking with Torx fasteners, and, though a few of his knives do have oddly shaped tool receivers, Alex has indicated that they're intended to be manipulated with a common screwdriver.
Which brings me to Shirogorov hardware...
While their iconic PacMan screws have a unique shape, they really don't to require any tool other than the aforementioned common driver bit, so in some sense they're only nominally proprietary. True, the recess is a bit broad and shallow and a loose fit or sloppy application can easily mar screws softer than the tool. I've never considered buying one of Shiro's pen tools when I could spend the same for a quality mid-tech knife. I like the slotted heads as I generally eschew thread locker and can easily re-center a blade with my thumbnail if the screw tension has drifted. It doesn't bother me to use a common bit with a bit of tape on it and keep one thusly outfitted with my knife tools, along with several appropriately-sized coins. I've used a spanner bit occasionally as it seems a bit easier to control and less potentially damaging. I did locate and buy a moderately-priced Shirogorov hedgehog tool from a Russian re-seller I've used...
...which affords about the same leverage as a coin with a better fit. I also picked up one of the Jekyll to Hyde aluminum Shiro tools which fits very nicely and is definitely non-marring.
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Nice , what flavor of blade steel is it ?
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If you’d kindly let me know when the 111’s are done I’d appreciate it.I only carry 3 bits currently, and you would need all 3 sizes to work on the latter 3 knives. I don't currently have a pivot bit available for the 111 but will try to make some in the next batch.
Oklahoma Outlaw
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From the dealer website:
Folding knife M390 Number 4 made of BOHLER M390 steel with a hardness of 61 HRC. The surface of the blade is polished with sandblasting. Handle material - titanium. Blade length 110 mm, width 26 mm. Weight - 145 grams.
I’m sure additional finishing is needed to achieve the mirror finish after sandblasting, but nevertheless, I love the orange peel appearance of the blade.
ChazzyP
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I don't see where we disagree in any way. I also love the orange peel appearance of Andrey's blades. FYI, the "dealer's" description that you quoted is the Google translation lifted verbatim from the Biryukov website.
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This is what brought the retort.
ChazzyP
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Oklahoma Outlaw
, you had written on Saturday, "His blades are finished with actual sandblasting rather than using another media giving the blade an almost orange peel appearance, rather than the flat, satin finish we are used to seeing." When I subsequently wrote, "If those blades are indeed sand-blasted to achieve their texture, they must go through a subsequent polishing process to give them their final appearance.", I was simply taking at face value your assertion that the blades' orange peel finish was a product of that sandblasting and suggesting that a further operation must ensue as I think of sandblasted finishes as rough and matte.In mentioning the source of the website text you quoted, I wrote that it was taken verbatim from a Google translation of Biryukov's website as I wonder if "polished with sandblasting" is actually the most apt equivalent for whatever was written in the Mother Tongue. This is the same software that elsewhere has given us "bonka" for the standoff used in open back handle construction and "RK carts" for what I assume to be thickness behind the edge. Ironically, looking just now and following the latter at the Biryukov website's expanded specs for your very nice #4 knife, "blade surface" is described as "polished sandblast" which seems a bit clearer to these old eyes.
Again, I don't see that we disagree, perhaps we just misunderstand each other. Back on topic, another Biryukov...
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ChazzyP
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I'm a little unclear on your meaning
JAB
. Is that a pic of a former Turtle or of one you just acquired to fill the void? I don't think I could live without an F95-sized Shiro and will likely not be parting with any of mine. My first Bear was a 95mm F3 Python followed by an F95T, then a Hati, then my F95R. Here's my regular work-user which can either be photographed to look pristine...
...or to show the effects its hard use.
Even my previously pictured RDD is 95MM.
JAB
. Is that a pic of a former Turtle or of one you just acquired to fill the void? I don't think I could live without an F95-sized Shiro and will likely not be parting with any of mine. My first Bear was a 95mm F3 Python followed by an F95T, then a Hati, then my F95R. Here's my regular work-user which can either be photographed to look pristine...
...or to show the effects its hard use.
Even my previously pictured RDD is 95MM.
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That’s the recent addition. After selling an F3 and F95NL I was left with only NeOn-sized models.I'm a little unclear on your meaning
...or to show the effects its hard use.
Even my previously pictured RDD is 95MM.
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Absolutely!
ChazzyP
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I'm carrying a Biryukov today, but I'll save it for another time and post my Hudson (Gudzon) here. I'd had my eye on one of these for a long time, and though I was really taken with Alexandr's custom model of this one, I was pleased to find this Lightweight version with a full carbon fiber side.
Cheburkov CF is its own thing--gorgeous to the eye and such a nice feel in hand.
Cheburkov CF is its own thing--gorgeous to the eye and such a nice feel in hand.
ChazzyP
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Nice pair,
Ajack60
. I've become more and more interested in the Cheburkov Russkiy. I used to think it was too Persian for my taste, but I recently picked up an Olamic Swish that I greatly enjoy, that's certainly of that ilk, and of course I'm always interested in anything out of Alexandr's workshop.
Anyway, I'm carrying my Shiro F95R today and have a pic to spare, so here's my contribution for today to keep this fun thread going.
Ajack60
. I've become more and more interested in the Cheburkov Russkiy. I used to think it was too Persian for my taste, but I recently picked up an Olamic Swish that I greatly enjoy, that's certainly of that ilk, and of course I'm always interested in anything out of Alexandr's workshop.Anyway, I'm carrying my Shiro F95R today and have a pic to spare, so here's my contribution for today to keep this fun thread going.