Glossary

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3D Cliptechnical A pocket clip machined in three dimensions, contoured rather than flat. A separate part, not integral to the scale.

3D Millingtechnical CNC machining of curved surfaces instead of flat ones. “3D Ti” on a listing is a titanium scale cut this way; the F95 handle is 3D-milled.

3DVmarket Three-direction video: a listing video that shows the knife from several angles so a buyer can check condition.

3Mmodel See Three Bears.

A

Actiontechnical How a blade opens and closes: detent, travel and lockup taken together. A knife is tuned toward one of two ends; see Drop Shut and Hydraulic Action.

Action Videomarket A video of the knife opening and closing, expected on higher-value listings as evidence of mechanical condition.

AISI 440Ctechnical Chrome bearing steel in blade use since the late 1960s; on early serial models at 58–59 HRC.

Allocationmarket How a limited release reaches buyers: the factory’s dealers receive a small number of pieces and offer them on their own terms; lotteries and show releases are the other routes. The official dealers are listed on Where to buy and where to talk.

Alutextechnical Metallized fiberglass from Carbo-Ti (Italy), a glossy aluminum-coated cloth set in epoxy; on Hati special editions and the Dr. Death Arctic.

Anodizing (Ano)technical Electrochemical coloring of titanium: an oxide layer whose color depends on the voltage, not a coating, which is why it burnishes with handling. Used on handles, hardware and clips; bronze and blue most often, purple and gold also seen. See Bronze Anodization.

Aprontechnical A lip on the liner that shields the gap between liner and scale; introduced on the Stellar and carried by the Astrum. See Liner Lock.

Arsenal show (Moscow)Russian Moscow’s Arsenal show, where the first Custom Division knives debuted on 24–27 April 2014 and Russian-market show editions and the 2024 Arsenal beads were released.

Astrummodel Serial model introduced in 2024 with a 100 mm blade and a liner lock with an apron; the workshop’s first MagnaCut blades. The Astrum SR of 2023 preceded it. See First Production (FP).

ATS-34technical High-carbon chrome bearing steel from Hitachi Metals (Japan), close to 154CM and RWL34; on early models at 59–60 HRC.

Austenitizingtechnical The heat-treatment stage in which steel is heated, to between 1,100 and 1,180 °C for M390, until carbon and alloying elements go into solution before quenching. Too cool gives up hardness; too hot costs toughness, which is why two blades in one steel can differ. See HRC (Hardness Rockwell C).

Authenticationmarket Checking that a knife is what its listing says: construction, materials, markings and documentation against the record for that tier and model. The cues per tier are on The Shirogorov tier ladder.

Axis Locktechnical A spring-loaded steel bar through both liners, in the style of the Benchmade AXIS; used on the Tabargan and the Jerboa, and on some 110B examples. All discontinued.

B

Backspacertechnical A single piece joining the scales along the spine, used instead of standoffs.

Bead Blasttechnical A matte titanium finish made by blasting the surface with glass beads. One of the workshop’s standard finishes alongside stonewash; grippier than polished, and where snail trails show first.

Bear Classification Systemmodel See Three Bears.

Bearing Racetechnical The machined track the balls or rollers run in, cut into the blade, the handle or a hardened steel underlay. See Bearing System.

Bearingstechnical Balls or rollers around the pivot that carry the blade on rolling contact. See Bearing System.

Bearing Systemtechnical The pivot mechanism the blade rotates on. The workshop has five: two ball systems (SRBS, MRBS) and three roller systems (SRRBS, DRRBS, MRRBS). MRBS is the serial standard, SRRBS the Custom Division standard, and the heavier roller systems belong to the custom tier. Washers came first, then single-row balls; SRRBS by October 2014, MRBS by 2016. See Bearing systems.

BearPatternmodel A motif of small bears shaped like the workshop logo, milled into the scales: on the F95 from April 2025 and the Stellar from May 2026, where the logo sits on the largest bear.

Behind the Edge (BTE)technical Blade thickness measured just above the edge bevel, where the secondary bevel meets the primary. Lower numbers slice better, and the figure says more about cutting than blade stock does; repeated sharpening raises it as the edge climbs into thicker steel.

BG-42technical Bearing steel, Lescalloy BG42 (AMS 5749) from Timken Latrobe (USA); on early production at 59–60 HRC.

Blade Flattechnical The unground face between the spine and the start of the primary bevel; how much of it there is tells the grind. Sharpening scratches that climb onto it are the sign of careless rework. See Flat Grind.

Blade Playtechnical Movement of the open blade that should not be there: side to side at the pivot, or up and down at the lock.

Blade Show (US)collector Blade Show Atlanta, the US show where BLADE Magazine’s Knife of the Year awards are judged; the venue for Shirogorov’s award record from 2019 and for the CDX 10th Anniversary release in June 2024. See The Shirogorov story.

Blade Stocktechnical Thickness of the steel the blade was cut from, measured at the spine. Premium flippers run 3, 3.5 or 4 mm, and thinner is the trend; the Hati went from 4.0 to 3.5 mm at Gen 3. See Behind the Edge (BTE).

BNIBmarket Brand new in box: unopened, with all original packaging and documentation. See LNIB.

Body Screw Tooltechnical The factory bit driver for handle and clip screws. See Pivot Tool.

Bolstertechnical A separate piece of metal at the pivot end of the handle; the B suffix marks bolster construction, as on the F3-B CD. See Model suffixes.

Break-Incollector The first weeks of use, when contact surfaces polish each other and the action settles. See Broken In.

Broken Incollector An action that has smoothed with use.

Bronze Anodizationtechnical Titanium anodized to a bronze or gold tone. No bronze is involved in the finish; a few pieces, such as the 111 Bronze CD, do use the metal.

B/S/Tmarket Buy, sell, trade: the forum sections where knives change hands, each with its own posting rules.

B/U (б/у)Russian Used. Legkoe b/u is lightly used; uslovnoe b/u is used in name only. See User.

Bushing Pivottechnical A pivot built around a precision sleeve matched to the blade and its washers; the Chris Reeve Sebenza’s system. The screw is tightened fully and the fit sets the action, so play in one means a worn or wrong part, not a pivot that wants adjusting.

Busina (бусина)Russian Bead. Beads sell on their own on the Russian board. See Lanyard Bead.

Butter Smoothcollector An action with no perceptible friction through the arc.

C

Caged Bearingstechnical Balls or rollers held in a retaining ring so they drop in and out as a unit. MRBS and SRRBS run loose, not caged; on SRBS-era knives a cage is not a counterfeit sign. See Bearing systems.

Captive Pivottechnical See Captive Pivot System (CPS).

Captive Pivot System (CPS)technical Factory pivot design in which the rear of the pivot screw is formed as a gear that keys into matching handle cutouts, so the pivot cannot rotate during disassembly or adjustment. First on the Hati Gen 3 (2022); now standard on recent top serial models and Custom Division pieces.

Carbon Fiber (CF)technical Layered carbon cloth in resin, used for scales (the Hati show side, 3D-milled on later pieces) and inlays (the NL models). Woven looks seen on Shirogorovs: 3K (tight weave) and twill (diagonal). Patterned looks: marbled (swirled), forged (compressed random fiber) and shred (visible fiber chunks).

CarboQuartztechnical A laminate of thin carbon fiber and quartz fiber plies; machining cuts through the layers and leaves pale or colored striations across the black, no two scales alike.

Carbo-Titechnical The Italian manufacturer of the TechnoCarbo and Alutex composites the workshop uses. Not a Shirogorov material; a listing that uses the name means one of those two products.

Catch and Releasemarket Bought and resold without use or carry.

CCKS (California Custom Knife Show)collector The venue for the Sinkevich Touch show editions: the F95R18 of 2018, then one a year since 2021, six to date. The F95T CCKS Spring 2023 set was also made for it. The register is on Sinkevich Touch sets.

CD (Custom Division)model The tier between serial production and Sergey Shirogorov’s full customs, introduced 23 April 2014: serial models rebuilt with more finishing time and other materials, on SRRBS. Runs are typically 50 to 100 pieces, with some as small as 30. Not a Sprint Run and not a custom; see The Shirogorov tier ladder.

Centeringtechnical Where the closed blade sits between the scales. See Dead Center.

CF / Titechnical Listing shorthand for carbon fiber and titanium.

CGGmodel Computer Generated Graphic: the titanium inlay on the presentation scale of the Hati CGG, done by Chris Reeve Knives, on a MagnaCut blade. It is the Hati’s collaboration edition, released in blue Alutex by lottery in September 2025.

Chamfertechnical A bevel machined along a scale edge. Hand-chamfered edges with wide bevels are one of the Custom Division cues. See CD (Custom Division).

Chase Knifecollector A knife a collector is hunting across several platforms, often at a premium.

Cherepakha (черепаха)Russian “Turtle”: the F95T. See Turtle.

Choiltechnical The notch behind the edge that lets a sharpener reach the heel of the blade; a larger one doubles as a finger position. Without one, repeated sharpening cuts a dip at the heel and rounds the plunge line, so the heel is where a blade’s sharpening history shows.

Clip Sidetechnical The side the pocket clip is mounted on, usually the lock side.

Clip Wearmarket Scratches or finish loss on the clip from carry.

Clonemarket A reproduction made without the maker’s logos and sold as a reproduction rather than as a counterfeit. Green Thorn and Kevin John are the names that come up.

COA (Certificate of Authenticity)market The certificate that ships with a Shirogorov knife. With the box it is the serial record for most models. COA formats have varied over the years, and losing the COA does not void the factory warranty. See Serial Number.

Collaborationmodel A knife that joins one party’s design with another’s manufacturing. The workshop’s run from Dmitry Sinkevich in 2010 and Tom Mayo in 2015 to Charles Marlowe in 2025; see Russian Overkill and Dr. Death.

Contouringtechnical Three-dimensional machining of a scale for grip and shape. See 3D Milling.

CONUSmarket Continental United States: a shipping term for the lower 48 states.

CPM 3Vtechnical Crucible powder tool steel, tough and not stainless; used selectively on early models at 60–61 HRC.

CPM MagnaCuttechnical Crucible powder stainless designed by Larrin Thomas; on the Astrum (the first Shirogorov MagnaCut), MidiQ, Fat Strip and Fit Strip at 63–64 HRC.

CPM S110Vtechnical Crucible powder stainless with niobium and cobalt alongside 9% vanadium; on the Kami at 64–65 HRC.

CPM S30Vtechnical Crucible powder stainless developed with Chris Reeve; mid-period production at 59–60 HRC. Reeve is also a design collaborator with the workshop (UniHati F95 Unique Graphics, Custom Division).

CPM S35VNtechnical S30V with niobium added; transitional-period production at 59–60 HRC.

CPM S90Vtechnical Crucible powder stainless, formerly CPM 420V, with 9% vanadium; an F95 and Hati option and on the CDX S90V, Quantum Blue CD, Nura and Seasons at 62–63 HRC. Slower to sharpen than M390.

Crisp Detentcollector A detent that releases cleanly, with no drag before the blade moves.

Cromax PMtechnical Powder stainless from Lohmann at 61–62 HRC; the working steel of the Ursus line from the Quantum Ursus NL of December 2021, and on the 2023 F95NL. It is not a Russian S110V; the compositions differ.

Cronidur 30technical High-nitrogen bearing steel from FAG (Germany); an earlier blade steel at 59–60 HRC and the screw steel on Custom Division knives.

Cronidur 30EVOtechnical Cronidur 30 with A. Balikoev’s thermo-mechanical treatment (TMO), applied for edge wear resistance; 59–60 HRC.

Cryogenic Treatmenttechnical Cooling quenched steel far below zero, to about -196 °C in liquid nitrogen, straight after the quench and before tempering, to convert retained austenite to martensite. It raises hardness, by an amount that depends on the steel, at a small cost in toughness. See Tempering.

Custommarket A word makers use differently: a one-off, a hand-finished piece or a personalized build. At Shirogorov only a full custom is a custom; CD (Custom Division) is its own tier. See Full Custom.

D

D2 Steeltechnical High-carbon, high-chromium semi-stainless tool steel, common in Green Thorn clones; not a steel the factory lists for its own knives.

Damacoretechnical Damasteel’s laminate: patterned stainless Damascus outer layers over a plain steel core. On a Stellaris in the Thor pattern. See Damasteel.

Damascus Steeltechnical Pattern-welded steel, layered and etched to show the pattern (ladder, raindrop, random). On Shirogorovs it appears as Damasteel, Zladinox ZDI Damascus or hand-forged Damascus. See Damasteel.

Damasteeltechnical Damasteel AB (Sweden) powder-metallurgy stainless Damascus, two powder steels (RWL34 and PMC27) pressed to full density; patterns include Thor, Odin’s Eye and Heimskringla. Run at 60–62 HRC on Custom Division pieces and a few named runs: the F7, the 111 Ti Bronze CD and the F3-B CD (both in the Vinland pattern), the Dr. Death Arctic and the thirty-piece Quantum SR.

Dead Centercollector Blade centered between the scales when closed.

DEPTtechnical The factory’s chemical deep-etch that puts a functional texture on titanium. “Deep Etched Pattern Technology” is the collector expansion, not the factory’s.

Detenttechnical The ball in the lock bar that holds the blade closed and sets the opening resistance. Light Detent, Medium Detent and Crisp Detent are the collector grades.

Detent Balltechnical The steel or ceramic ball pressed into the lock bar that drops into the detent hole when the blade is closed. See Detent.

Detent Holetechnical The small hole in the tang that the detent ball seats in. Its depth and the chamfer on its rim set how hard the blade holds and how cleanly a flipper breaks. A worn or oval hole shows as a weak detent or a loose closed blade, and is a maker’s repair.

Detent Ramptechnical The machined ramp on the tang that the detent ball rides as the blade closes.

Detent Strengthtechnical How hard the detent holds the closed blade. It decides whether a flipper fires cleanly; see Light Detent, Medium Detent and Crisp Detent.

Detent Tracktechnical The arc the detent ball draws across the tang as the blade turns; a visible track is normal wear.

Direct Salemarket A purchase from the factory rather than through a dealer; shirogorov.com sells serial models to registered users.

Distal Tapertechnical Blade stock that thins from the ricasso toward the tip, which lightens the blade and sharpens the point. The F95 blade has one.

DLCtechnical Diamond-like carbon, a black coating 1 to 5 microns thick laid down in a vacuum chamber, several times harder than the steel under it. It wears bright at corners and clip contact points, chips where it fails, and can be stripped and redone. See PVD.

Doplata (доплата)Russian Cash added to even out a trade.

Double Clutchtechnical A closing that takes two pushes rather than one, with a hesitation part way, usually where the flipper tab lands on the finger. Closing technique removes most of it, and a knife that still stalls after that wants its detent and pivot checked. See Service and care FAQ.

Dr. Deathmodel The Tom Mayo collaboration folder, from the first Western maker the workshop built for: the Russian Dr. Death of 2015 in full titanium, a carbon fiber run in 2016 and the Arctic in 2019. Every run is on How the collaborations work.

Drop Pointtechnical A blade whose spine slopes gently down to the tip; the F95’s shape, and the one the range is built on.

Drop Shuttechnical Action in which the blade falls closed under its own weight once the lock is released, with no push. A tuning outcome (pivot tension, bearing preload, detent) rather than a feature, and not the same thing as hydraulic action: drop shut is free fall, hydraulic is damped travel. Roller-bearing pieces are more often described as hydraulic; ball-bearing pieces as drop shut.

DRRBS (Double-Row Roller Bearing System)technical Two rows of cylindrical rollers, often over hardened steel underlays let into the titanium. Used on Sergey Shirogorov’s full customs and on a few early Custom Division pieces (the Hati 3D Seashell and the F95 3D Silk). See Bearing System.

Duck Foot Pivotstechnical Pivot hardware whose shape resembles a duck’s foot, found on Sergey Shirogorov’s full custom knives only. Not a Custom Division or Sprint Run marker; its absence on a CD piece is expected, its presence on a claimed CD piece is a warning.

E

Early Accesscollector Seeing or buying a release before it is offered publicly.

Early Lockuptechnical Lock bar engagement near the start of its travel across the tang, the fresh state of a frame lock. Wear on the tang or the insert moves lockup later, so late lockup that keeps moving with use is the wear sign, not early lockup.

EDCcollector Everyday carry. On a listing, “EDC’d” or “carried” says the knife has been in a pocket; carry alone costs little, while sharpening, scratches and a missing box cost more. See User.

Edgetechnical The sharpened line of the blade. On a listing, “factory edge” means it has never been resharpened; see Edge Condition.

Edge Angletechnical The angle of the secondary bevel, quoted per side or inclusive, so a “20 degree” edge can mean 20 or 40. The factory edge is 41 to 42 degrees, and an edge taken off it is a warranty matter. See Edge Condition.

Edge Conditionmarket Whether the edge is the factory edge, touched up, or resharpened.

Elementsmodel Four themed editions, Aquatic for water, Terrus for earth, Ignis for fire and Aerum for air, each with its own blade steel, TechnoCarbo scale material and matching bead. The series ran on the F3 from December 2022 to September 2023 and on the 111, in runs of 100, from October 2024 to July 2025.

Elmaxtechnical Uddeholm (Sweden) powder stainless, 1.7% carbon and 18% chromium; the early serial standard, on the F3 Elmax and the 111 at 61–62 HRC.

Ergoscollector Ergonomics: how the knife fills the hand and works under pressure. Handle thickness, contouring, the flipper tab and clip hotspots decide it, and none of them can be judged from a photograph.

Excellentmarket Condition grade: handling marks only, no wear that shows at arm’s length.

Extract Cuttechnical The milled cut in the upper blade flat that sets the jimping apart from the rest. On the F95T, the F95NL, the Stellar and some F95Rs; absent on the Nudist, the F95 Zero and the Stellaris. It thins the spine and was once withheld from blades under 4 mm; it now appears on 3.5, 3.2 and 3 mm stock.

F

F3 (Flipper 3)model The workshop’s 95 mm liner-lock flipper, introduced 2011: scales over full titanium liners with a backspacer on every model, where the F95 is a frame lock. The handle is thicker than the F95’s.

F95model The 95 mm frame-lock flipper the workshop is built on; on sale 29 September 2010. Variants carry suffixes (T, R, NL and others); see Model suffixes.

False Edgetechnical A spine-side bevel shaped like a second edge but left unsharpened; a swedge is the usual form. It thins and lightens the tip for piercing at some cost in tip strength. See Swedge.

Fatcarbontechnical A maker of carbon fiber composites colored in the resin; flatter in the light than the metallic-dust material from Carbo-Ti. See Carbo-Ti.

First Ownermarket The seller bought the knife new; provenance is complete, and listings ask more for it.

First Production (FP)model The factory’s first serial issue of a new line: a limited run in its own steel and finish that precedes the standard serial knife (the Astrum First Production in MagnaCut). Not a Sprint Run. See The Shirogorov tier ladder.

Fit and Finishcollector How precisely the parts meet and how evenly the surfaces are worked: scale and backspacer joints, blade centering, grind symmetry and chamfer width. The ground on which a Custom Division piece is judged against a serial one. See Chamfer.

Flat Grindtechnical Bevels that run in a flat plane down to the edge. A full flat grind leaves almost no blade flat and slices best; a high flat leaves a narrow one; a saber starts near mid-blade and keeps the most steel. See Full Flat Grind (FFG).

Flipper Tabtechnical The lever on the blade tang that stands proud of the spine when the knife is closed; pressing it drives the blade open against the detent. See Front Flipper.

Frametechnical The structural handle sides, 6Al-4V titanium slabs on most premium folders. On a frame lock the lock bar is cut from one of them, so the slab is handle and spring at once. Stripped threads or a bar bent past its travel are structural damage. See Framelock.

Framelocktechnical A lock in which a section of the titanium handle is the lock bar, with a replaceable hardened steel insert at the contact point. The workshop’s standard lock on the F95, Hati, NeOn and Quantum.

Front Flippertechnical A flipper tab on the spine side of the tang by the pivot, worked with the thumb instead of the index finger. The TechnoBamboo is one.

FSmarket For sale. See WTB/WTS/WTT.

Full Custommodel A knife built by Sergey Shirogorov himself: one-off or a handful, DRRBS or MRRBS (DRRBS also appears on a few early Custom Division pieces), duck foot pivot, no catalog listing. See The Shirogorov tier ladder.

Fullertechnical A groove cut lengthwise along the blade to remove weight, on the 111. The 111 Gen 5 replaces it with a stepped cutout.

Full Flat Grind (FFG)technical A flat grind that starts at the spine, thin behind the edge for its stock. The F95 grind.

G

G10technical Glass cloth in epoxy, in black, green, blue and red; carries the accessible models (Quantum Ursus, standard F3) and the Tabargan handles.

G9 (Bears Club)market A collector group named for the bear logo that receives special editions by lottery and allocation.

Genmodel See Generation System.

Generation Systemmodel The Gen 1 to Gen 5 numbering the factory uses for revisions of an existing model; a separate thread from the Three Bears years.

GLWSmarket Good luck with sale: the courtesy close on a sales thread.

Grailmarket The knife at the top of a collector’s list, pursued over years and paid for accordingly.

Grail Callcollector A want-to-buy post for a grail, usually with a premium offered.

Gray Marketmarket New knives sold by retailers outside the factory’s list of distributors and dealers.

Green Thornmarket Chinese maker of Shirogorov clones without logos, in D2 or S35VN.

H

Hand-Forged Damascustechnical Pattern-welded Damascus from Mike Norris (USA) and Russian smiths on a few Custom Division pieces, in runs of 5 to 15 examples; Norris patterns and mosaic Damascus among them. The F7 Bronze, a 2017 full custom, carries Norris Damascus.

Hand-Rubbed Satintechnical A satin finish applied by hand with abrasive paper, one direction, grit after grit; a marker of finishing time on custom knives.

Hatimodel The workshop’s model of around 2012, a frame lock with a titanium lock side and a show-side scale in carbon fiber, G10 or Micarta. Gen 3 (2022) is the first serial model with the Captive Pivot System, with 3D-milled carbon scales on later pieces. A Custom Division platform in its own right (Hati 3D Seashell, April 2014), not an F95 variant.

HatiOnmodel A NeOn-platform knife with one carbon fiber scale and the clip side in titanium. Often filed under Hati because of the name; it is not a Hati variant.

High Flat Grindtechnical A flat grind that starts high on the blade but leaves a flat below the spine. On the Tabargan.

HiTexcollector The maker of the coin or chip that comes with a show edition, beside the card and the Cova leather pouch. See Show Special.

Hot Listmarket A collector’s running list of knives being tracked across platforms; the same idea as a chase knife.

HRC (Hardness Rockwell C)technical Rockwell C hardness. The factory hardens M390 to 61–62, Vanax 37 to 59–60 and S90V to 62–63; higher hardness trades toughness for wear resistance.

Hydraulic Actiontechnical Damped, controlled blade travel with even resistance through the arc, the feel collectors most often attribute to roller bearings (SRRBS, DRRBS, MRRBS). See Drop Shut.

I

“I’ll Take It”market The phrase that commits a buyer under forum protocol; the first to post it has priority.

In-Handmarket The seller has the knife, as opposed to a pre-order or an incoming piece.

Inlaytechnical A piece of another material set into a pocket in the scale or frame. See NL.

Inset Locktechnical The lock on models like the 111, by its collector name: a liner lock with a stainless insert, which lets both scales be the same material.

Integraltechnical A handle machined from one block of metal, with no separate scales or backspacer. It names the construction, not the lock. The Lochsa collaboration is the workshop’s one-piece integral.

ISOmarket In search of. See WTB/WTS/WTT.

J

Jimpingtechnical Grooves cut into the spine or another grip point for thumb purchase. See Extract Cut.

K

Kastom (кастом)Russian Custom, used loosely: most often a modified piece or a one-off, sometimes a maker’s full custom. The papers settle which. See Custom.

Kevin Johnmarket Chinese OEM maker of Shirogorov clones and of knives under its own name.

Klin (клин)Russian The blade, short for klinok; translators give “wedge”. “Klin po tsentru” means the blade is centered. See Dead Center.

Knife Brocollector A fellow collector, usually one a trader has dealt with before.

Komplekt (комплект)Russian The set a knife shipped with; polny komplekt is the full set. See COA (Certificate of Authenticity).

Kuplyu (куплю)Russian Want to buy. Ishchu, “looking for”, opens the same kind of post. See WTB/WTS/WTT.

L

Lanyard Beadcollector A bead threaded on the lanyard. Shirogorov beads are collected in their own right.

Leftymodel A mirrored build. The NeOn Lefty of February 2021 was the factory’s first, then the F95 Lefty of February 2022, the Quantum Ursus Lefty of July 2023 and the NeOn Lite Lefty of 2026. See Model suffixes.

Light Detentcollector Low opening resistance; can open in the pocket. See Detent.

Limited Editionmarket A run with a stated cap. The number is the point; “limited” with no total attached means nothing.

Limitka (лимитка)Russian Slang for a limited edition. See Limited Edition.

Linertechnical A metal plate under a scale that carries the pivot, stop pin and screws, so the scale itself does not have to be structural. On a liner lock one liner is also cut into the lock bar. See Liner Lock.

Liner Locktechnical A lock in which a separate titanium liner is the lock bar; lets the scales be any material on both sides. On the F3, the Stellar and the Astrum (the last two with an apron).

Litemodel The NeOn’s internally milled build, in the line since 2015; the Ultra Lite took the skeletonization to its limit and was discontinued.

LNIBmarket Like new in box: handled but with no wear, with the original packaging and documentation.

Locktechnical The mechanism that holds the blade open. See Framelock, Liner Lock, Inset Lock and Axis Lock for the ones the workshop has used, and Tab Lock for the full customs.

Lock Bartechnical The part that swings behind the tang to hold the blade open. See Lockup.

Lockbar Inserttechnical See Steel Insert.

Lock Bar Stabilizertechnical A stop that keeps the lock bar from being pushed past its travel, which would cost the titanium its spring. Rick Hinderer’s external disc is the original; many makers build the stop into the steel insert. See Steel Insert.

Lockbar Tensiontechnical The spring force of the lock bar, which sets lock engagement and the effort to release it.

Lock Engagementtechnical The share of the tang the lock face covers; a number for a listing, not a safety rating on its own. See Lockup.

Lock Facetechnical The end of the lock bar that bears on the tang; on a titanium frame lock it is usually a steel insert.

Lock Face Carbidizationtechnical Carbide applied to a bare titanium lock face to slow wear. Shirogorov uses steel inserts instead.

Lock Geometrytechnical The angles at which the lock bar and tang meet, which set how far the lock travels and whether it sticks.

Lock Interfacetechnical The meeting of lock face and tang: the angle, the contact area and the finish of both. It decides whether a lock holds, sticks or slips. See Lock Geometry.

Lock Rockcollector Blade movement under pressure while locked; a fault. See Blade Play.

Lock Sidetechnical The side that carries the lock, usually the right side with the blade pointing away. See Show Side.

Lock Sticktechnical A lock bar that grips the tang and has to be forced off. Common on a freshly cleaned face and on bare titanium, rarer with a steel insert; cleaning both faces and break-in usually end it.

Lockuptechnical Where and how the lock bar sits on the tang with the blade open, quoted as early, medium or late, or as a percentage of tang width.

Lotterymarket Allocation of scarce knives by draw, the way six Hati 3D Seashells went out at Arsenal in April 2014. Winning sets the buyer’s price, not the knife’s later market value.

M

M390technical Bohler (Austria) powder stainless, the serial standard at 61–62 HRC: the F95 and F3, and the Hati, NeOn, 111 and Quantum.

M398technical Bohler’s development of M390 with more carbon (2.7%) and vanadium (7.2%); a Hati Gen 3 option and on the Mini Quantum, Bio, Russian Overkill and F95 Sinkevich Touch 2021 at 64–65 HRC.

MagnaCuttechnical See CPM MagnaCut.

Mammoth Ivorytechnical Fossil mammoth tusk, used as an inlay on a few Custom Division pieces.

Marble Carbon Fibertechnical Carbon fiber laid up so the filaments swirl like stone instead of forming a weave. See Carbon Fiber (CF).

MBSh (МБШ)Russian Masterskaya bratev Shirogorovykh, the Shirogorov Brothers Workshop. “Prodam MBSh” is how a Shirogorov sale post opens on the Russian board.

Medium Detentcollector Opening resistance that needs a deliberate push. See Detent.

Mekhanika (механика)Russian The action: flip, detent and closing. Sellers state lockup separately. See Action.

Micartatechnical Layered cloth (canvas, linen or paper) in phenolic resin; a Norplex-Micarta trademark. On the standard F3 and the Soft Overkill series; below G10 and carbon fiber in tensile strength.

Mickey Mouse Patterntechnical An MRBS layout with three rows arranged like the silhouette; a layout, not a separate system.

MICS (Moscow International Cutting Show)Russian Moscow International Cutting Show, a Russian knife show with its own Shirogorov exclusives.

Milled Cliptechnical A pocket clip machined from titanium bar rather than bent from sheet. A separate part, not integral to the scale.

Mini Quantummodel The Quantum scaled down: an 85 mm blade on a titanium frame lock. The Mini Quantum CD, in M398 on single-row rollers in a run of 50 with a fixed clip, won Best Investor/Collector Knife at Blade Show 2023; the Mini Quantum SR has a rotating clip.

Mintmarket Condition grade: no sign of use or wear.

Mirror Polishtechnical A fully reflective finish. It shows every scratch, which is why polished pieces tend to stay on the shelf.

Model suffixesmodel The letters and words after a model name: a construction (B, T, NL), a revision (R, NS for New Style, Gen), a configuration (Zero, Slim, Lite, Lefty) or a tier (CD, SR, FP). Ursus is the working line, Russian a Western designer’s model built by the workshop, 3M the retired Three Bears mark. The full key is on How the designs evolved.

Mokutitechnical Pattern-welded titanium alloys, like Timascus, with more blues and purples in the pattern; used for collars and accents on collaboration and Custom Division models.

Mother of Pearltechnical Shell nacre, used as an inlay on a few Custom Division pieces.

MRBS (Multi-Row Bearing System)technical Shirogorov’s serial-production standard: ball bearings in multiple concentric rows. An F95 carries 42 loose 1.5 mm (1/16 in) balls across three rows; counts vary by model. See Bearing System.

MRRBS (Multi-Row Roller Bearing System)technical Multiple rows of uncaged cylindrical rollers, on the custom tier alongside DRRBS. A distinct system, not an alias of DRRBS. See Bearing System.

N

Na Karman (на карман)Russian “For the pocket”: bought to carry. “Na karmane” means it has been carried. See User.

Na Polku (на полку)Russian “For the shelf”: bought to keep, not to carry. A polochnik is a shelf piece. See Safe Queen.

Neon/NeOnmodel The workshop’s 85 mm frame-lock flipper, introduced 2015; the smallest of the core models and the platform for the NeOn Zero, the HatiOn and the NeOn Custom Division runs.

Ne Razbiralsya (не разбирался)Russian Never taken apart.

Ne Rezal (не резал)Russian Has not cut anything. See Never Cut/Never Carried.

Never Cut/Never Carriedmarket Condition terms: the edge has not cut and the knife has not been carried. See Safe Queen.

NLmodel Inlays: model suffix for a configuration with inlaid scales, the inlay set into the titanium frame (the F95NL in TechnoCarbo, carbon fiber, G10 or Micarta; the NeOn NL).

No Playcollector No blade movement in any direction when locked.

Nudistmodel The F95 variant with smooth titanium scales and no milling pattern, introduced in September 2016 in Vanax 37 and also offered on the Slim handle. It opened the Three Bears category.

Nyuansy (нюансы)Russian Flaws the seller discloses.

O

Obmen (обмен)Russian Trade. “Bez obmena” means cash only. See WTB/WTS/WTT.

OBOmarket Or best offer: the seller will consider less than the ask.

Osevoy (осевой)Russian The pivot. “Osevoy: MRBS” and “osevoy uzel” name the bearing system; translators give “axial”. See Bearing System.

Overlaytechnical A piece of material fixed on top of the scale or frame, not recessed. Sergey’s customs often carry a carbon fiber overlay on titanium.

Overtravel Stoptechnical See Lock Bar Stabilizer.

P

Peresyl (пересыл)Russian Shipping. See Proxy/Forwarding.

Phosphor Bronze Washerstechnical Bronze washers on the earliest folders, before the bearing systems. They needed a break-in and periodic lubrication, and now mark a knife as early.

Pivottechnical The central pin around which the blade rotates. On a Shirogorov its shape is an authentication cue. See Duck Foot Pivots.

Pivot Collartechnical A ring around the pivot or a body screw; often the place for Timascus, Mokuti or zirconium accents. Oversized collars with decorative machining are a Custom Division cue.

Pivot Headtechnical The visible face of the pivot hardware. Bead designs sometimes echo it.

Pivot Screwtechnical The screw that clamps the pivot assembly; its setting is the pivot tension.

Pivot Tensiontechnical How tight the pivot screw is set, which trades action against blade play. Owner adjustment is covered on Bearing systems.

Pivot Tooltechnical The factory bit driver for the pivot screw.

Plashki (плашки)Russian Scales. Translators give “dies”. See Scale.

PLDStechnical Pivot Load Distribution System, the factory’s pivot arrangement: on the Skinny Strip, the 111 Starship, the Astrum CD Stardust CarboTi and the Stellaris CD.

Plunge Linetechnical The line where the primary bevel ends and the ricasso begins.

PNBSKmarket Price not based on Shirogorov knowledge: a seller’s disclaimer on a rare piece with no comparable sales.

Pocket Cliptechnical The spring clip that holds the closed knife in the pocket. See 3D Clip, Milled Clip and Revolving Pocket Clip (RPC).

Polochnik (полочник)Russian See Na Polku (на полку).

PP F&Fmarket PayPal Friends and Family: no buyer protection, lower fees.

PP G&Smarket PayPal Goods and Services: buyer protection, fees included.

Pre-Productionmarket A knife made before the serial run began, often with differences in construction or finish. Early F95 washer models and pre-production samples are workshop pieces, not Sergey’s customs.

Presentation Sidetechnical See Show Side.

Primary Beveltechnical The large ground surface that thins the blade from the spine or the flat toward the edge; also the primary grind. It sets how the blade wedges through material, and a regrind of it is the only cure for a thickened edge. See Behind the Edge (BTE).

Prodam (продам)Russian Selling; also prodayu and v prodazhe. The listing words are read together on How to read a Russian listing.

Prodan (продан)Russian Sold. Ushel and vybyl, “gone”, say the same.

Prototypemarket A development or test piece; worth a premium only with documentation.

Provenancemarket The documented history of a knife: who released it, who has owned it, and the papers that show it.

Proxy/Forwardingmarket Shipping through an intermediary to a country the seller or dealer will not ship to directly.

PVDtechnical Physical vapor deposition, the vacuum process behind DLC and other hard thin coatings; the Hati-3 CD is on PVD titanium.

Q

Quantummodel Sergey Shirogorov’s own design with a Persian-style blade. It began as a custom that won Best Tactical Knife at Blade Show Atlanta in 2019, then became a Custom Division model that year and a serial frame lock from spring 2020. Not an F95 variant.

R

Recurvetechnical An edge with an inward curve ahead of the heel; it bites into fibrous material and takes more care on the stones. On a few collaboration and special pieces.

Relief Millingtechnical Blind pockets cut inside a scale or frame to take out weight while the outside stays closed, as on the NeOn Lite; a light down the blade well shows them. Windows cut right through are skeletonizing. See Lite.

Revolving Pocket Clip (RPC)technical A clip that rotates on a central pivot rather than being fixed. On the Mini Quantum SR (the Mini Quantum CD has a fixed clip) and on the MidiQ CD; it appears on some CD and SR pieces and is not a tier marker.

Rezerv (резерв)Russian Reserved for a buyer; also bron. See Seconds.

Ricassotechnical The unsharpened flat between the grind and the handle, where the maker’s marks sit.

RK (РК)Russian Rezhushchaya kromka, the cutting edge. “RK zavod” is a factory edge. See Edge Condition.

Rocket/Fires Like a Rocketcollector A fast opening on a flipper. See Action.

RPCtechnical See Revolving Pocket Clip (RPC).

Russian Overkillmodel The RJ Martin collaboration of January 2021, 200 pieces on his custom Overkill, sold by lottery, and the first of five; the Arctic Overkill of March 2024 closed the series. The five are on The RJ Martin Overkill family.

RWL34technical Powder-metallurgy analogue of ATS-34 from Damasteel/Erasteel (Sweden); on the CannaBis True at 59–60 HRC.

S

S90Vtechnical See CPM S90V.

Safe Queenmarket A knife kept in the collection and never carried or used. See User.

Satin Finishtechnical Fine parallel abrasive lines on steel or titanium. Belt satin comes off a machine; hand-rubbed satin is slower, finer and costs more.

Scaletechnical A handle slab; titanium on most models, with carbon fiber, G10, Micarta or a composite on the show side of some.

Secondary Beveltechnical The narrow final bevel that forms the edge; also the edge bevel. Every sharpening widens it, so a bevel that flares at the tip or heel, or differs side to side, is the mark of a resharpened blade. See Edge Condition.

Secondsmarket Second position in line if the primary buyer falls through; establishes backup priority on an “I’ll take it”.

Serial Numbermarket Individual identification number for a Shirogorov knife. Most serials are on the box or the COA, not the knife; Custom Division pieces have markings inside on the scales and/or backspacer. Used for authentication and provenance; a serial that does not match the documentation is a stop sign.

Sharpening Choiltechnical A small notch at the heel that lets a stone reach the full length of the edge. See Choil.

Shirocollector Short for Shirogorov.

Show Sidetechnical The non-lock side of the knife, the side shown in photographs, usually the left with the blade pointing away. On a Hati this is the carbon fiber or G10 scale.

Show Specialcollector A knife made for and released at one show. See Table Price.

Sinkevich Design Toolstechnical The Sinkevich-designed drivers that ship with the Touch sets (Cyber tool, Ambi-Tool, Capsule Tool), carrying the bits for the collaboration’s body and pivot screws.

Sinkevich Touchmodel A show edition rather than a joint design: a serial model (the F95 first, then the NeOn Zero, Stellar, Astrum and Q95) with Sinkevich hardware, anodizing and engraving. Sold at the California Custom Knife Show in runs of 38 or 50 since 2018, and from 2021 with a Sinkevich-designed tool and a leather pouch.

Skeletonizingtechnical Cutting windows through liners or frames to remove weight. See Lite.

Skrepki (скрепки)Russian “Paperclips”: the Russian board’s name for the F95 Braces series. See F95.

Slimmodel A thinner handle on the same blade and lock: the F95 Slim is a Custom Division configuration in S90V on single-row rollers, and the Hati Gen 3 Slim is a run of 100 in M398.

Snail Trailsmarket Light scratches on titanium scales, most visible on bead-blasted surfaces where the stippled texture becomes burnished through normal carry and handling. See Bead Blast.

SOLD SPFmarket Sold pending funds: agreed, payment not yet received.

Special Editionmarket A themed or material-specific build of an existing model; the meaning varies by maker.

Spinetechnical The unsharpened back of the blade, its thickest section. A crowned spine, rounded over evenly from ricasso to tip, is finishing time most serial knives do not get. See Blade Stock.

Sprint Run (SR)model A numbered limited pre-series, typically 30 pieces, mostly SRRBS, on a new design or a material variant of a serial model; the Stellar SR of 2021 is the first the workshop called a Sprint Run. See Sprint Runs.

SRBS (Single-Row Ball Bearing System)technical A single row of loose or caged steel balls per side, the workshop’s first bearing system after bronze washers. See Caged Bearings.

SRRBS (Single-Row Roller Bearing System)technical A single row of loose cylindrical rollers per side, riding on line contact rather than a ball’s point contact. Used on Custom Division pieces and some collaboration projects; a Custom Division F95 carries 17 rollers per side. Rollers are loose, not caged. See Bearing System.

Standoffstechnical Posts between the scales in place of a backspacer, two or three on most frame locks; sometimes anodized. The open back is lighter and rinses clean, and lets pocket lint in. See Backspacer.

Steel Inserttechnical The replaceable hardened steel piece in the lock bar that meets the tang, so the titanium does not wear. See Lock Face.

Stellarmodel Serial model of 2023 with a 90 mm blade and a liner lock with an apron, between the NeOn and the F95 in size. The Stellar SR of 2021 preceded it.

Stepped Cutouttechnical A cutout in the blade flat that follows the blade profile, on the 111 Gen 5 in place of the fuller.

Stikhii (стихии)Russian “The elements”: the Elements editions. See Elements.

Stonewashtechnical Tumbled in abrasive media until reflections scatter and carry marks disappear into the surface; the workshop’s standard titanium finish. See Bead Blast.

Stop Pintechnical The hardened pin that halts the blade at full open, full closed or both; a worn one shows as vertical blade play.

SV/TVmarket Sale value and trade value: a listing gives both, with the trade figure set above the sale figure.

Swedgetechnical A bevel ground along the spine, partial or full length, unsharpened.

T

Tabarganmodel The workshop’s 100 mm budget-line folder, discontinued: Benchmade AXIS-style lock, 3D G10 handles over titanium liners.

Tablemarket A maker’s or dealer’s table at a knife show. A table knife is one bought there, which carries direct provenance and often asks a small premium; see Table Price.

Table Pricemarket The price asked at the maker’s or dealer’s table at a show, before any secondary-market markup; the reference point for a show edition’s later trading.

Tab Locktechnical A lock released by a separate external tab, seen on some of Sergey Shirogorov’s full customs; no serial, Custom Division or collaboration model uses it.

Tangtechnical The part of the blade inside the handle, around the pivot; the lock bar meets it.

Tantotechnical An angular tip with a second, shorter edge plane meeting the main edge at a corner. The Flippin’ Tanto collaboration brought it to the workshop.

TechnoCarbotechnical The branded composite from Carbo-Ti (Italy): many layers of fine-weave carbon fiber set in resin with colored elements running through it. Used by the workshop for inlays and scales in black, blue, purple and white, in copper and bronze, and in the earth-toned “Rare Earth” pattern; the 111 Terrus wears the bronze.

Temperingtechnical Reheating quenched steel to reduce brittleness while keeping hardness. Powder stainless is tempered low, around 200 °C, because the high range near 540 °C buys wear resistance at the cost of corrosion resistance. See Austenitizing.

Thionmodel An F7 model, numbered as a series. Built on the earlier F7 handle, with the lock bar insert screw moved outside where the earlier F7 hides it. See F7: Sergey Shirogorov’s full custom design.

Three Bearsmodel The factory’s Bears classification of 2016 rated serial knives with one to three bear symbols by bearing system, materials and finish. Three Bears, “Tri Medvedya”, was the top category and the source of the 3M suffix. It was a quality marking, replaced by the tier structure the workshop sells today, and the 3M suffix was dropped from model names in March 2022. The full story is on How the designs evolved.

Thumb Studtechnical A post on one or both sides of the blade for opening with the thumb. The thumb drives the blade the whole way, so it tolerates a softer detent than a flipper, which has to launch the blade off the detent. See Flipper Tab.

Tikrontechnical Russian pattern-welded titanium, tighter and subtler in pattern than Timascus; on the hardware, clips and backspacers of some of Sergey’s customs. See Timascus.

Timascustechnical Pattern-welded titanium alloys, heat-colored to show the layers; used for collars and accents on collaboration and Custom Division models. See Pivot Collar.

Timestampmarket A dated photo of the knife with the seller’s username, required on most marketplaces as proof of possession.

Tip-Down Carrytechnical Clipped near the pivot so the blade tip points down in the pocket. The hand meets the spine first, which makes it the safer way to carry a knife with a weak detent; clip wear shows at the pivot end. See Tip-Up Carry.

Tip-Up Carrytechnical Clipped at the butt so the blade tip points up in the pocket; the usual setup on a modern flipper, because the knife comes out ready to open. It relies on the detent holding; clip wear shows at the butt. See Light Detent.

Tirazh (тираж)Russian Run size, the number that backs a limitka. See Limited Edition.

Titanium (Ti)technical The light, corrosion-proof metal of frames, liners, clips and hardware; the workshop’s handles and liners are VT6, the Russian designation of Ti-6Al-4V.

Tochilsya (точился)Russian Sharpened; ne tochilsya is never sharpened. “Rodnoy ugol” and “zavodskaya zatochka” claim the factory angle or edge. See Edge Condition.

Torg (торг)Russian The price is negotiable; “bez torga” means it is not. See OBO.

Tumbledtechnical Finished by tumbling in abrasive media. See Stonewash.

Turtlecollector The F95T, named for the hexagonal T-pattern milling on its handle, which resembles a turtle’s shell; the workshop’s most recognized pattern. See Model suffixes.

U

Unsharpenedmarket The factory edge has not been touched up. See Edge Condition.

Ursusmodel The working line: the same designs in Elmax or Cromax PM with G10, Micarta or plain titanium handles, from the all-titanium Quantum Ursus NL of December 2021 to the Q95 Ursus and F95 Ursus.

Usermarket A knife with carry and use marks; the opposite of a safe queen.

USNcollector Usual Suspects Network, a private, invitation-only collector community; the USN Gathering editions come from it.

V

Vanax 35technical Uddeholm nitrogen-alloyed stainless, 20% chromium and 1.9% nitrogen; on the TechnoBamboo at 59–60 HRC.

Vanax 37 (Vanax SuperClean)technical Uddeholm nitrogen-alloyed powder stainless (1.53% nitrogen); an F95 option and on the Pero, Jeans and Dr. Death at 59–60 HRC. Higher corrosion resistance than the carbon-based steels, at lower hardness.

Very Goodmarket Condition grade: light use marks, nothing that affects function.

Vinlandtechnical A Damasteel pattern, distinct from Björkmans Twist, which is a separate pattern in the Damasteel catalogue. It appears on the 111 Ti Bronze CD and the F3-B CD, both runs of 50, on the TiHatium Damasteel and on part of the thirty-piece Quantum SR, which also ran in Björkmans Twist and Ægir. See Damasteel.

Vyborka (выборка)Russian A milled relief in the scales or on the blade; translators give “sampling”. See Relief Milling.

Vystavochny (выставочный)Russian A show edition. See Show Special.

W

Walk and Talktechnical The feel and sound of a blade through its full open-and-close cycle. See Action.

Washerstechnical Flat rings the blade rides on in place of bearings. Slower than bearings and more tolerant of dirt; see Phosphor Bronze Washers.

WKMmodel Special edition designation on Quantum and other models; the collector expansion is “White Knife Monday”.

WTB/WTS/WTTmarket Want to buy, want to sell, want to trade.

WTTFmarket Want to trade for: the poster names the models wanted in trade. See WTB/WTS/WTT.

Y

YOLOmarket You only live once: forum shorthand for a purchase made on impulse.

Z

ZDI Damascustechnical Layered stainless Damascus from Zladinox (Russia). ZDI-1016 is a laminate of the Russian stainless steels 140Kh18 and 60Kh14 at 58–62 HRC; ZDI-E is the Elmax-based line. On the MidiQ SR (ZDI-1016), the Astrum SR (ZDI-E) and select Custom Division pieces; the CannaBis Ice is in ZDI-V.

ZDI-Etechnical Zladinox’s Elmax-based Damascus (ZDI-Elmax), not a monolithic steel; on the Astrum SR. See ZDI Damascus.

ZDP-189technical Hitachi Metals (Japan) powder stainless, 1996, with 3% carbon and 20% chromium; on the Koordinal at 64–65 HRC. Not a component of the Zladinox ZDI Damascus.

Zeromodel A plain titanium handle with the pivot or blade geometry reworked. On the NeOn the pivot moves forward to put a longer blade in the same 110 mm handle; the F95 Zero of January 2022 is a Gen 5 configuration in M390.

Zirconiumtechnical A metal used for backspacers and clips on Custom Division pieces; heat treatment gives it a black oxide finish. See Pivot Collar.

ZircuTitechnical Pattern-welded zirconium and titanium from Chad Nichols. Heat turns the zirconium layers near black while the titanium takes color, a darker contrast than Timascus; on backspacers, clips and collars, a ZircuTi backspacer on Sergey’s custom NeOniX among them. See Timascus.