Shirogorov and Lee Williams Create 110 with Unique Flipper Mechanism

Shirogorov‘s latest release is the 110 Kickstop, a limited run custom folding knife. This high end piece revisits an older Shirogorov model, updating the entire design and incorporating a piece of knife tech from custom maker Lee Williams, who collaborated on the project as a whole.

The 110 originated as Shirogorov release from the last decade. It was so named due to the blade length: 110 millimeters, which translates to a considerable 4.33 inches. As with its predecessor, the 110 Kickstop’s blade shape is an elongated drop point, running to an acute tip and sporting the hyperclean Shirogorov look. Williams and Shirogorov reached into the upper echelons of current knife steels for the blade, making it out of S90V.

As the name indicates, Lee Williams implemented his Kickstop opening mechanism on this knife. While it looks like a standard flipper tab, the setup is quite unique. The tab itself is not a part of the blade tang, and is instead attached to the frame by a separate pin. This means that when the blade is closed the tab sticks out from the spine in the normal place, but after the knife opens (on Shirogorov’s famous Single Row Roller Bearing System), it rotates on its pin to conceal itself within the handle. The Kickstop has been a frequent sight on Williams’s own custom work and now it has been incorporated into the Shirogorov 110 design.

Ergonomically, the designers kept the lines simple and the details intensive. The 110 Kickstop has a single finger groove located under a mild guard, with circular knurling on key points along its length. The frame lock benefits from Williams’s particular steel lockbar interface component and his fresh approach to lockbar relief design: instead of a large single cutout, it has a stylish series of five linear grooves. The titanium frame and conscientious milling keep the 110 Kickstop’s weight reasonable at 5.43 ounces.

In a big difference to most other Shirogorov releases, the 110 Kickstop run will total 300 pieces, divided evenly across three different versions. Each version has a different color scheme for the pivot collar, backspacer, pocket clip, and handle screws but are otherwise the same. The color choices are Sapphire Blue, Amber Brown, and Anchor Grey. All three can be acquired through knife lottery, the first of which – for the Sapphire Blue version – is live now.

Knife in Featured Image: Shirogorov/Lee Williams 110 Kickstop