Nick: "I picked up this little knife for $87,000. Now look, I don't mind paying $87,000 for a knife, but for that price you need to do something to earn that."

Watching this 2 years later after seeing this on Recon 1 for $725 and it’s funny to see that it’s still the same :)

For that much money, I would much rather see the lock bar relief on the inside of the handle rather than the outside

Thank you for the video Nick 👌🏽

Yeahhh...700+...nahhhh...I’d go for a fancy arius in a heartbeat over this guy. I like the aesthetic though

Ya nailed it on this one Nick. I can sometimes be a little critical of your reviews, but when your right, your right. Well done 👍

For a knives in this price point it seems to me they they just forgot a lot of very obvious things. That should not happen. Although I likely will never send that much money on a knife...I can appreciate your pointing out its shortcomings, even if they are not major issues, they are still issues.

I picked mine up less than a week ago from Recon 1. First Shiro for me and I couldn't be happier!!

It's called market disruption. A market leader becomes confident that they will always be the market leader, and they stop paying attention to what newer, smaller & more nimble companies are doing. The market leader thinks *they* drive the market trends - and they completely miss when a market shift occurs. The more nimble companies (the market disruptors), who are willing to take risks with the introduction of new products and new manufacturing processes, create a brand new market that the old market leader is simply unable to match. This cycle has been repeated over & over in nearly every industry.

Superb review ! I have got a question, Shirogorov is still producing this knife at the moment, Have you got any idea if they have made improvements to it? Or they just keep doing it without correcting things

You should redo the norseman review at the new prices

Would love to see an Extrema Ratio review!

Nick ! . I dont know how you haven't reviewed one but based on your comments here the shirogorov hation lite is literally your perfect shiro . Cheaper price , original neon size and blade , milled and textured cf show side internal and external milled lock side and m390 on mrbs . I have a great example I would be happy to send to hear your thoughts

I’m a sucker for the asthetic of this knife. I just bought a real steel megalodon for about 1/5 of this. It’s my favorite purchase by a mile. While this is obviously, well, a higher end knife and its worth 5x I just can’t even imagine it being worth that much more to me. Plus I will carry the hell out of this knife and while I could buy a shiro, I don’t think I could stick it in my pocket everyday. Good review, as usual and I appreciate the insights as well, I think you’re dead on.

But Nick: the Specter and Mini Tolk are not currently available, with no sign of reappearing any time soon. However, the Shiro Hation Zero is around. With that in mind, would you get the Shiro? Or what else would you go for in this size and price range?

I’d love to get a hation lite or neon zero. Very good review. Price is intense on this. If it was lower I’d be interested but there is very strong competition in this price range and below it. I don’t like being able to touch the blade from the closed position either. Work needs to be done for this knife to fit that price for me anyway or I need to have an extra few hundred dollars haha

Watching your videos is like watching good fellas😄

I love your reviews and love your integrity. Thank you Nick.

Here's hoping The Nick let's AKBro borrow this sweet knife so we can see it put through the paces, and a huge stump.

Is this knife a smoother finish in the handle than current stonewashed versions or are they one in the same. I really like the smooth scale on this one but the ones I’m seeing to buy look more weathered in finish. Do they call this finish a, "stonewashed" finish? Thank you.

You should do the Hation lite, I think it resolves a lot of your negatives on this one.

I have the same problem with the lock bar. I find I have to roll my fingers up in a unnatural way for the knife to fire open easily. Beyond that, I love the knife- bought mine second hand. I don’t think it’s worth $715. Also agree about the free spinning pivot. Crazy, but I still carry it a lot.

Wow a free spinning pivot is a killer for me. Thanks for the review!

Shirogorov, Hinderer, Chris Reeve, those big names always take a long time to listen to their customers and make changes to their knives.

Excellent review, Nick. I agree with you completely on everything you’ve said.

Was pretty cool when they were the only ones doing roller bearings. Now everyone does it. I suspect TwoSun could do this for $150 and come out with the exact same bladesteel and fit and finish. The days of $700 dollar production folders being able to hold themselves apart from small run midtechs or even some Chinese brands is over imo.

Beautiful design. But I just got my gen 3 koenig arius with m390 and the milling . For the same price it is a FAR superior product IMO Awesome review nick

nick, you say that you don't understand what the benefit of not using torx is, but its obviously aesthetics. not saying it's the right solution, but i can understand wanting to design around the torx, they're not exactly attractive.

GREAT calls on the price, detènt ramp and no captured pivot. No excuse for not having those refinements on a knife at this pricepoint! Very valid “take” on the knife!

At the $750 price point what would everyone suggest for a 3ish inch lockbar? I really like the holt but finding one is impossible

I want one of these... But not at the pricepoint. I already have a handful of quality Spydercos, and a Spartanblades Pallas... I'm a pretty happy Panda.

I can't comment on the Zero model in particular, but my Shiro F3 is easily the best made knife I've ever own. With the exception of the overly stiff clip it's pretty much perfect in my book.

Don't let Spyderco watch this! They'll increase the price of the Delica, again!🤣

Loved the point about removing the bear.

Please review the Shirogorov Hation Zero Flipper

Have to ask yourself, am I looking for a knife, or a prestige item. Both are fine, but the question is valid. When it's covered in scratches ,will you love it more than your 0562? Great thing about the knife hobby ,the wealthy ,and the common man can share an equal passion, especially now in the past 15 years. Great review Nick. Whether or not you agree with Nick, he's not influenced by price, by makers .....maybe.

The Neon R20 is basically the same with some cool milling and anodizing, no price hike. Seems much more reasonable. At least, I think so. I bought one...

If you buy the rec1 limited edition you have the neon zero with the lite marks the best of both worlds

Why is thumb studs considered a bad thing on expensive knives? I don't get the hate for them. Sure flippers are fun but they're not always practical. If I'm paying that much I'd want both

Totally agree with all the points about what Shirogorov needs to do as a maker. We should draft an open letter to them. They could improve so much. I say that as a die hard Shirogorov fan that has spent countless thousands of dollars on their production knives.

What is, arguably, Shirogorov's best knife?

I like shirogorovs, the design and action is amazing. But holy hell they're boring, in my opinion is a knife is over $300 it has to have something more visually impressive than a grey titanium frame lock with nothing on it.

This is one of my favorite knives. It’s a shame you didn’t get one that was properly tuned. Send it to me. I’ll make the action perfect for you.

I love the trademark Shirogorov screws but agree they could throw in a tool.

I recently got a Police 4 and have been carrying it on and off. Seeing you call the PM2 a large blade is almost laughable now.

What a Gem of a knife.I would have also liked to see The Bear Head logo on the blade and $400 cheaper,also maybe a nice blue handle and other colour options for handle colour.

beautiful....

As I said on the disassembly, I have this knife and love it. Now the milling makes it feel not as substantial as the neon ultra lite. However, it’s a better size, for me. The blade is 3 and 3/8ths inches and the handle is significantly longer which gives it great ergo’s. It’s just the clip. That’s the only thing that’s a pain in the a$$. My neon ultra lite has a perfect clip. It goes in and out of the pocket with no fuss or muss. On this knife, it goes in fine, but Taking it out is difficult, making it a potential pocket destroyer. If you look at the clip, it’s squared at the back, where it contacts the pocket material, causing it to dig in, rather than gliding over it, like my ultra lite. The detent is perfect. I’m not sure how a person has a problem squeezing the lock bar when deploying the blade. I guess it’s a matter of how a person prefers to hold it. It’s never been a problem for me, it’s a pretty intuitive flipper. Yeah, proprietary hardware is a pain, but it’s really not that difficult. It comes apart easy, provided you buy the aftermarket bits from razors edge, which are relatively cheap, at $63 a bit. But you gotta know what your getting in to. If you can’t deal with it, don’t get it. Other than that, I’m glad they made something a little bigger. For me, this knife is perfect, a gem, except the clip, which I can live with. And of course, the price, which is a kick in the crotch. But, when I saw this, I just wanted it so bad, it was worth the pain. And, it’s more accessible than a holt or a southard mini tolk. There’s no lottery or waiting for the books to open to get on a list for a limited, small supply. And if you miss out, you gotta hunt through the secondary market. Which is ridiculous. They seem to keep them in stock long enough to have a chance at one. Sorry this one didn’t do it for you, but it’s really personal preference.

Hi Nick, I usually agree with your reviews, but this time I say no! ;-) I had previous Neon Ultra light. And now I have Zero. I think you have very high expectations. It's evolution of model, not new one, so you can not expect too much differences, as previous was already a good knife. Here is my list of pros: First of all - overall design is looks better. Clean scales it a good step. Blade shape is more aggressive. Old version had a hot spot close to butt on pocket clip side - it was quite annoying - new is way better No issue with detent - at least with mine Spacer vs UL version is better as you can not poke yourself with pointy tip Internal milling is a big improvement compared with previous version Lanyard hole looks way better and it's more advanced in terms of design and execution They put smaller screw - same as in RFT - it fits better smaller knife Handle geometry makes it more comfortable and some minor cons: Pocket clip is stiff as hell same as before higher price than previously.. but let's be honest - its price is not a matter of cost behind.. it's customers that are willing to pay for it - maybe they do not want to sell more knives with lower prices, maybe their target is not to be another 400-600 USD, as this piece of cake is busy with plenty of other folders.. There are "cheap" F95NL and I'm not so sure it these are their bestsellers.. It's a prefect EDC for high dollar.

Wow really amazing looking knife!!! ^w^

How on earth are you getting a Holt? I can’t beg borrow steal or buy one

Has anyone ever see a Shirogorov that's been (hard) used long term? How does it hold up I wonder? It brings to mind Nutnfancy's P.O.S. (philosophy of use) way of thinking.

Damn! I want one!

Screws are "better" because a standard screwdriver is way more common and accessible than a torx for a lot of people, AND, it's a lot easier to press an improvised tool into service if your servicing in an emergency, in the field, etc.

Damn the Bear got spanked! 🐻 🔪 R.I.P. Shiro

Ok, what is that scream in the background at 0:24 ?

With all those listed negatives, I love the sterile look, it is still the sebenza of flippers! But I do feel the same about CRK too, they are starting to fall behind.

Epic!

How slippery would the handle be with wet hands?

Great review Nick. I have the exact same knife, so I can comment on a few things that mine my differ from yours. As far as the lock bar I don’t have to be as careful as you about my finger placement when opening. My Neon seems to open great regardless of finger placement. As fair as a lot of the other areas it is so subjective that I don’t really have any other comments except to say $500 is more of a fair price for this knife, and that’s quite a bit. So I do think it is overpriced! I have a CKF Sukhoi 3 that was a little under $500 and is twice or three times the knife in my opinion, as compared to a Shirogorov Neon. That being said I still love the Neon. Thanks for being a pillar in the knife community. I love your channel.

Kinda looks like Rasputin brought together a Leek and a Spydiechef, and this pretty baby came out. But although the result looks to be quite nice, I wonder if it's really worth the price🤔😬

I've owned knives that have a mobile lockbar and I actually don't like it-- they tend to continue to travel and in bad cases will become easily moved back & forth with pressure. Not good.

Si whats the value here, I got a $220 ZT 0460 TI that does gets very close to everything this knife does: It has 100% reliable action, titanium handles, falls close, 20cv steel, thin and light etc. So what’s all about with this knife being 3 times as expensive

When that knife is tuned proper. You can put your fingers anywhere you want and the blade will fly out. Shiro need to spend more time tuning their knives before they release them.

it is not my absolute favorite blade shape, but overall one of the sexiest knives i've seen despite my wanting to put a slot in people's heads for using that hardware. something about only seeing 2 visible screws, though

100% agree!!! Thank you!! Someone finally says something!! Shiro needs to step their game up big time!!!

I'm with Eugene on this, still think it's a gem even with the flaws. Cost aside, I honestly thought this would be the perfect Shiro for you. Does make me think though: I could buy two Neon Zeros for the cost of the Rockstead Higo on the Recon 1 site...decisions, decisions 🤔

please use SI units

It has the same detent problem as the ZT 0450 which is sad .

Spot on in every aspect. I’ve had mine for a couple months and pretty disappointed. When you have to think about hand positioning to deploy it, it defeats the purpose. Great review, Mr. Shabazz

Along with Nick’s you take another slap from me Shiro! You too Rolex! And Omega!

If it was made by Reate it'd definitely be less expensive, but wouldn't slice.......

"Two-Tone-itude"

I had a Shirogorov Hati and sold it. Bought a Large Sebenza Insingo instead and I am not looking back. I don't feel like I got more with the Shiro.

i'd rather buy the new sebenza and have money left over to buy a PM2

Complaints Nick has that I don't really share, size, blade distance when closed, Blade shape. That being said I definitely agree that for the price this knife has way more flaws than I'd expect or be okay with. The detent ramp thing is an annoyance but not a major one, the aesthetic is painfully boring, the screws are a big turn off, the bearing system is a minor turn off, the clip is eh, the lockbar detent issue is a thing I don't love. I think of all the things that most bothers me though is just the aesthetic I can get a knife that does pretty much everything I expect from a knife perfectly at 100-200 bucks and even that is pushing it, if the rest of that is all gravy then you need to be selling me bling and flat plain titanium and stonewashed steel is not bling this is a knife that could be $100 and would still be a pretty boring looking knife.

Ty very much for the video and if u have time can u please check out blade bankers channel

I love the channel but it really gets old hearing every single knife is too big.

I don't get the complaint about flathead. Everyone has a flathead screwdriver or something that will suffice as a flathead screwdriver. Not everyone keeps Torx handy. Free spinning, however, is utterly unacceptable in a knife above $300. Detent strength is a major concern and honestly pretty ugly on a knife in that price range. If your small hands have trouble opening the knife due touching the lockbar, people with normal sized hands will have a much harder time. There's no way I'd be able to get that knife securely in my hand without one of my fat fingers sitting on the lockbar.

the greenthorn version is plenty good at 70$

$750 lol I was like next.

if this was made by Reate or WE, it wouldn't cost more than 350, 'cause there's nothing "fancy" in it, and above 350-400 they're charging for integrals and such edit: and at 750 you're not competing against the Spectre 'cause you can get one at that price only if you're really REALLY lucky or a youtube "influencer". for us mere mortals, the Spectre is a ~1500$ knife (and at that price, the Cultrotechs annihilate it rather thoroughly)

It goes for 500USD in Russia... just saying... I got one over a Sebenza and I am happy. Getting a Sebenza next though!

Just like Eric an Jon, Shiri got tired of making knives so an intermediary jack ass could rip off everyone else. So now they take the profit up front. Can’t blame them. But for 750 big ones Grimsmo/ Shiri’s etc. seems over priced.

Unfair to compare to the Specter when most regular folks have enter lotto after lotto or pay hundreds more on secondary to get. I'd be curious to try some of these other knives you mentioned at 400 to 500 because this knife is better than the CRKs, Hinderers and Koenigs I've owned and handled.

I'm reviewing my Ganzo F759M and thinking... it's sharp and it weren't 700 clams.

Not sure you have got snobby but you sure have moved upmarket; most evident in the watch collection. You may have pulled some of the early reviews but I'm fairly sure I remember you saying you could never see yourself wearing a $1000+ watch. But the Neon doesn't do it me. To get one in NZ is about $1400 and its just too plain, loose balls seem pointless assuming I could undo those screws and I cut myself enough without a blade that close to my flipping finger. And that price is worse than it looks as wages in Russia should make things cheaper & I'm not seeing that at all.

Pass- I’ll take a sebenza-and an 18

Shirogorov Pen Screwdriver for $630 !!!!!!!!!

I've seen a few expensive Shirogorov clones, and they were much better made than this, and the sad part is, the NeOn was probably made in the same factory. This knife is one hundred percent UGLY. I wouldn't pay more than $180 and that's because it's M390. And for Chinese made knifes I'm not sure if you can trust that's M390 either.

I somehow feel as though the review process for this knife caused you physical pain.

I have a 62$ bestech spike, i think its the most a person will need. I just feel like a 700$+ knife is over kill. Great review though!

Yep, this knife is definitely worth $750. The raw materials cost alone is probably like....

This knife is gorgeous, I agree. Where it falls short is the price point. Nick emphasizes this. The juice isn't worth the squeeze. To me, it looks as boring as a Kershaw flipper that everyone passes up on the knife table. Nothing says.. 'hey.. look at me' other than the arguably flat-head pivot. I agree with a LOT of what Nick has to say about this.

its no different than a kershaw but 10 times the price. give me a Spyderco any day of the week

Given that it's made somewhere where labor is cheaper, there is no reason these should cost more than an equivalent CRK. I'd pay *up to* CRK prices for these, but certainly not as much as they ask.

This things lacking features of a 30$ ganzo

Aren't these manufactured in China then assembled in Russia? If so, there's absolutely no way I can justify $700. The Koenig Arius is objectively a better knife in my view, it's made in America to a very high standard, which makes warranty work easy...and it's cheaper. No contest.

Not sure what your point is. It seems like you’re trying to say IT’S NOT WORTH SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS!

Haven't seen anything interesting from Benchmade in a long time