The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details:
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
I really didn't mean to get on you about deal spotting, though I suppose that could apply. My post was intended to indicate the irony of spotting something that wasn't such a good deal after all.
A few years back Shiro started featuring "budget" versions of models such as the 111, F3, and F95NL which helped broaden their market somewhat. Business-wise, they seem to have hit on something different than their usually more deliberate, individualized methodology with the Quantum Ursus, being able to knock out a great volume of them while still maintaining quality levels of F&F. Their market reach has broadened with more dealers now, those newer to the game all seemingly flooded with QU's. My guess is they'll keep it up until the market becomes saturated, then move on to greater production of another "populist" model.Not long ago Knifecenter ran a sale on their inlay version of the Quantum Ursus and you never see new Shiro’s on sale at a dealer, the market is definitely full of Urus variants! Pretty safe to say they should end that line of knives and put focus elsewhere but I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a new color or wood inlay Ursus in another month.
Model | Variations in stock | Share |
| Quantum Ursus | 9 | 36% |
| Quant_i_um Ursus | 4 | 16% |
| Stellar | 3* | 12% |
| F3 (Alutex) | 3 | 12% |
| Hati Gen 3 | 2* | 8% |
| 111 Gen 4 | 2 | 8% |
| F95NL Gen 5 | 1* | 4% |
| NeOn (Lite) | 1 | 4% |
Are blades same thickness ?Head to head pictures are coming, meanwhile the overall impression — Astrum is a bit longer and slimmer, but considerably lighter, hence it feels less bulky in my pocket and less robust in my hand.
If comparing Shiro and CRK products makes any sense, I'd say F95 ~ Sebenza, Astrum ~ Mnandi-on-steroids
Thank you . Certainly tempting but have read the feedback that it’s hard to deploy. That has kept me thinking . That and the price tag . I’ll try to handle one at ccks in a few weeks
I have F95's with 4mm blade stock and Astrums. In pocket the difference is not noticeable. In hand the Astrum feels much more elegant and thin. The Astrum makes the 4mm F95 feel very robust in hand. I do find the Astrum fussy to deploy (hands need to be free of lotion/oils and I have to use the lateral aspect of my 2nd digit). In contrast my 4mm F95's flip every time, even with them being framelocks and the Astrum being a tablock.
