Knowledge Graph / Service and care
Troubleshooting after reassembly
Symptoms a Shirogorov can show after a teardown, the likely cause of each, and what to do before sending the knife for service.
On this page
Most problems after a teardown come from pivot tension, a bearing that is missing or not seated, dirt or the wrong lubricant, or a lock bar that was moved. Before you chase any of them, compare the knife with the record you made before opening it: how the action felt, where the blade sat when closed, where the lock bar sat on the tang. Make one change at a time, in the 1/8-turn then 1/16-turn increments from Disassembly, reassembly and pivot tuning, and cycle the action before you judge it. A freshly serviced knife also settles over the first few hundred cycles, so a slightly tight action off the bench often corrects itself.
Symptoms, causes and fixes
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Lateral play (side to side, blade open) | Pivot too loose, a bearing not seated, or grit in the race | Tighten the pivot 1/16 turn at a time; if play stays, open the knife and check that every ball or roller sits in its race. |
| Vertical play (up and down at the tip, blade open) | Dirty or damaged lock face, loose pivot, or worn stop pin | Clean the lock face and tang with isopropyl, check the pivot, then inspect the stop pin and, on the 111, the insert. |
| Gritty action | Debris in the races, too much oil, or the wrong lubricant | Re-clean bearings and races with 91–99% isopropyl, dry fully, and relubricate with one small drop of thin pivot oil. |
| Stiff action | Pivot too tight, scales binding, a washer doubled up, or bearings misseated | Loosen the pivot 1/16 turn at a time; if it stays stiff, back off the body screws and retighten them in the cross pattern. |
| Inconsistent detent | Dirt on the detent ball or in the hole, a dry detent path, or changed lock bar tension | Clean the ball and the hole, put a trace of thin oil on the detent path, and confirm the lock bar sits where it did before. A closing that stalls part way is on the service and care FAQ. |
| Off-center blade when closed | Uneven scale pressure, uneven bearing seating, or misaligned scales | Back all body screws off slightly and retighten in the cross pattern; adjust the pivot while watching the centering. |
| Centering that drifts | Screws settling or a pivot without thread locker | Check every screw with the factory bit, finish tuning, then put blue 242 on the male pivot threads and leave it 24 hours. |
| Lock stick | Friction between the lock face and the tang, common on a freshly cleaned face | Clean both faces and break in; if it persists, a trace of graphite, then Gunny Glide, then a heavier oil as the last step. Keep graphite out of the pivot. |
| Early lock engagement (bar sits less far across the tang than before) | Lock bar tension raised in handling, or a stabilizer tightened too far | Back the stabilizer off if it was touched; compare with your before photo and leave the bar alone unless it clearly moved. |
| Late lock engagement (bar travels further across the tang than before) | Lock bar tension lowered, a worn lock face, an obstructed bar, or on the 111 a shifted insert | Clean the lock bar channel, confirm free travel, check the insert position, and keep any tension change minimal. |
| Uneven MRBS resistance through the arc | A row out of alignment, a ball missing or swapped between sides, or oil in one row only | Open the knife, count the 1.5 mm balls per side against your photo, reseat the rows, and oil each row evenly. |
| SRRBS action lost after service | A roller missing, tilted or not flat in the race, or too much oil | Lift the scale straight up, lay the rollers out, reseat each one flat with non-magnetic tweezers, and use less oil than on balls. |
Bearing seating and lock bar tension are covered in Bearings and locks by system.
When to stop
Stop when a fix calls for more than a couple of minimal lock bar adjustments, a screw shows any sign of stripping, a roller or ball is missing or damaged, or the same symptom returns after two clean attempts. Send the knife to the factory or the dealer who sold it, with your notes and photos, as described in Service, warranty and storage.
Questions answered: Service and care FAQ.