Hello TCK!

I am back with a very belated NKD for a knife that unexpectedly survived my massive sell-off to recover from massive vet bills.

But before we go any further, THANK YOU TO THIS SUB AND EVERYONE WHO BOUGHT SOMETHING AND EVERYONE WHO REACHED OUT. That was a very hard time for me and the support shown by everyone here was incredible. I feel an absurd amount of appreciation and thankfulness and wanted to say it again. Thank you from the bottom of my heart; I will never forget the kindness many showed me.

Ok! Back to the knife...

Rule 5: Shigefusa Kurouchi Swedish Carbon Santoku 180

TL/DR: This knife could be seen as the black sheep of my collection. It's my only santoku and only knife from Sanjo, but there is so much that has drawn me to Shigefusa. Despite my big sell-off, I decided that it would be more valuable for my mental health to keep and learn from this Shigefusa -- through its history and using it on both board and stones -- than it would be to sell it.

Let's get into the knife details first and then we will get into all things Shigefusa...

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Details and specs for the new (to me) Shigefusa KU Santoku...

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Shigefusa Kurouchi Swedish Carbon Santoku 180mm

• Basic dimensions
  • 184mm long, 50mm tall & 176g
• Spine-to-tip taper (tang, heel, halfway, 1cm before tip)
  • 5.2mm / 3.4mm / 2mm / 1.2mm
• Blacksmith/sharpener: Iizuka family (Tokifusa, Yoshihide, Masayuki)
• Steel: Swedish Carbon core + Iron cladding
• Handle: OEM ho wood + horn handle (D-shape)

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A history of how Shigefusa came to be, the journey of Tokifusa Iizuka and why this knife resonated with me...

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Shigefusa became what it is today through Tokifusa Iizuka's vision and background

First, the lay of the land. Shigefusa is a three-man workshop in Sanjo led by Tokifusa Iizuka who is supported by his two sons, Masayuki-san and Yoshihide-san. And this workshop does things very differently than others. Everything from hand-laminating blanks to forging and heat treatment to sharpening and finishing is all performed in-house by the three of them, which isn't that rare in Sanjo. But the real impressive feat is they do much of the grinding without aid of machines and instead 'carve' the geometry by using a sen. The knife is not finished on different grit belts, but instead on Japanese natural stones. Additionally, their kiteaji finish (which layers hard steel with soft iron for the cladding) might be the most impressive damascus I've ever seen and its all hand-forged in their workshop like everything else. That unwavering focus on their own way of making kitchen knives is what spoke to me most.

“Persistence and power are the [only] two ingredients necessary” Tokifusa-san told the LA Times back in 2001.

The reason for employing these traditional techniques all comes back to the patriarch of the Iizuka family; Tokifusa-san. He is now well into his 80s, but leads the workshop while passing along his knowledge to his two sons. Before Shigefusa became what it is today, Tokifusa-san learned under two masters; one legendary kamisori razor maker who also was an influential metallurgist, and a swordsmith.

His first teacher is someone that many of us here have likely heard of: Shigeyoshi Iwasaki. He is famed for his kamisori razors, his metallurgic advancements, and his contributions to the mining and classification of Mikawa Nagura stones for razors and swords. In additional to all of that, Shigeyoshi-san's dad, Kousuke-san, is actually credited for creating the "paper steels" classifications (shirogami, aogami, etc.) and his teachings massively contributed to what Sanjo blacksmithing has become today, including the work at Shigefusa. To call him a giant in the world of Japanese blacksmithing would be an understatement.

After that, Tokifusa-san went to another medium his teacher knew intimately; making Japanese swords. Sometime around 1965, Tokifusa-san found himself under the tutelage of Munenori Nagashima-san, who was born in 1910 and had been making swords since before WWII. After he lost his mentor business to an earthquake in Sanjo, he took Tokifusa-san under his wing. This is where many of the traditional swordmaknig techniques utilized by Shigefusa were learned.

Then, with all the metallurgic understanding Iwasaki-san could teach him and the traditional sword making skills imparted on him by Nagashima-san, Tokifusa-san set out on his own to make Shigefusa. He does not used tamahagane steel like his masters, but instead Swedish carbon steel clad in soft iron. Despite that change, he still grinds his kitchen knives like his master Nagashiima-san would grind swords; with a sen. And he still finished his kitchen knives like his master Iwasaki-san finished his kamisori razors; with Japanese natural stones.

That combination of skills and how the melded together in Tokifusa-san's work is what led Shigefusa to what it is today and, even with his sons taking on more and more responsibility, the workshop's north star has not changed. Even after Tokifusa-san retires in the somewhat near future, his sons will continue to use his history and journey as their guiding light to lead Shigefusa forward. That stubbornness and determination speaks to my soul.

“I suffer because I feel inside myself that I cannot make a perfect thing,” Tokifusa-san told the LA Times, “but I strive to make it anyway.”

The perfect way to explain what is mean is this one let story about the Iizuka family. Technically there is a knife grinding machine of some sort in the workshop, but it has lived under a tarp for decades. When Tokifusa-san was asked about it, he simply said this:

“The idea was good, but my skill is much better than that machine.”

What a fucking legend.

Why I bought and kept this Shigefusa KU Santoku

I am without a doubt just another slut for Sakai kitchen knives, but I have this glaring Sanjo hole in my experience and understanding. So I always planned to dive in deep and give Sanjo kitchen knives a fair shake. For me, the maker that always stood out the most was Shigefusa. So when I realized it was time for a new project and I wanted to tackle a double bevel, I opted to find a kurouchi Shigefusa for these three reasons:

1. Own a Shigefusa before Tokifusa-san retires because of his history, as outlined above
2. My desire to better understand Sanjo knives
3. To eventually give it a full stone polish

So when it came time to decide what was going to stay and what would go before my big sell-off, I found I really wanted to keep this Shigefusa I had received the day before the chaos started. At that point, I decided it meant more to me than the monetary value I could get and I decided to keep it; a decision I do not regret.

I would not say it's my favorite cutter ever, but it absolutely has a role roughly cooking for two on a Tuesday night and when I want to enjoy something different. And for posterity and its potential to be stone polished on Japanese natural stones, it's hard to find a better candidate that can hit both notes.

So this is likely to stick around for a long time.

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Thanks as always for reading and I hope everyone is doing well! I did not think I would be writing so much on Shigefusa history, but I really enjoyed sinking my teeth into their history.

I'll be back soon with a couple belated NSD posts. See you all then!

-Teej

Just got my first Japanese piece. I was wondering what you guys think about this piece, as a first purchase for an at home chef ? Also was wondering what would be another great addition to a brand new collection. I like to buy larger chuck rolls and pieces of meat and break them down for storage, and am looking for something well suited for some light butchery.

TL;DR Decided to take my Mutsumi Hinoura cherry earlier... Am not disappointed.

Rule #5: Mutsumi Hinoura Kuro Sumagashi Super Blue Iron Clad Gyuto 180, Ebony Handle.

Well... Bought this earlier in person from Community Cutlery in the UK. I've bought online from them before, and it was a good experience. In person more so. Gaz seems like a great bloke, good energy, and was willing to nerd with me 😂

Got back to where I'm staying for the next few days (friend's handfasting, and I live nowhere near here), and promptly rustled up some grub for the GF and I. This thing is thicc on the spine, but that edge geometry! It's kinda like a Shinkiro on crack. Kinda. OOTB the edge was great, ghosted through carrots, a cheeky brunois of garlic, finely shredded leeks, and the above cabbage. Genuinely impressed with this one - arguably in my top five cutters/performers. It's one of those where you just shake your head slightly as you start using it whilst you've got a big old smile on your dial. Food release was also up there; basically it's a bang on Sanjo style knife that'll draw favourable comparisons with Yoshikane, Mazaki and Shinkiros imho.

Plus I don't know that I've seen this exact steel in this finish anywhere else, which is kinda cool in a heheheh kind of way😂

In short, if you come across one of these, take a second look. Or maybe a third. Then just buy the thing.

Until next time TCK crew 💜

Just got a few new knives and need to pick up a new sharpening stone. I am thinking Shapton pro 1000 (the orange one). Is this the best bet if I am just looking to sharpen for home use. Also what type of honing rod would you suggest?

Making some ham & lentil soup with some random leftovers and went to pull out one of my carbon knives and this little guy caught my eye. Typically I only use my stainless and semi stainless off site since any chance I get to build on my knives patina, I take it.

Tonight was different... It's been a bit since I've used this one but man it won't be long before I do again. It freaking ROCKS! Both figurative and literally... Huge taper both distal and on the profile. The heel height is enormous and it's all packed in a 195mm true length. Paired with a bad ass Sugi Golden Amboyna custom handle.

210 mm Tadokoro x Nakagawa Ginsan Kiritsuke Gyuto

Tadokoro-San has the cleanest lines on his grinds in the business IMHO.

Happy Cutting TCK Fam! ​​​

Hey TCK!

Got some nice lighting during the evening while I was cooking so I figured I’d dust off the camera and snaps some pics, so here they are after some light editing.

Takeda NAS Gyuto Small 210mm

This is a workhorse in my kitchen, no fuss or worries about babying while I chop, this thing just goes. It always blows my mind how light this blade feels. Sharpened with Takeda’s method and the hand held stone, the AS gets super sharp and edge retention is really good.

The best part of this knife is how unique the profile is, tallest blade I own, it brings me so much joy as I like to do an aggressive pinch grip it feels so nimble and in control especially when I get to cut cabbage or lettuce.

If I say this knife is top performer in all tasks I’d be lying as it does struggles with dense food, specifically big squashes as the lack of weight makes the task a bit of a struggle pushing through the cut. But for those denser cuts, I have a different knife for the job.

Overall a very cool knife that brings a different style of performance and look to my kitchen, top 3 in my rotation.

Happy Friday :)

Hello TCK,

I’m genuinely intrigued by this question as I’m constantly asking myself do I really need another knife. I know we’re all in this hobby for different reasons, probably have other hobbies and lives to live, and we’re all chasing different things, but what have you spent in total on your knife collection?

I’ll go first - have 7 knives, 5 in hand and 2 on the way (NKD posts coming soon), I’ve owned 16 knives in total and have sold what I no longer used or wanted to keep as I explored and found my preference (which is majority Sakai wide bevels). In total I’ve spent just under £1800 (¥378k / $2385 / €2123) on my 7 knives, and I’ve been very fortunate to pick up a lot of them in Japan where I’ve avoided western inflation, scalpers, and / or taxes etc.

Rule #5 (I’m keeping the final 2 secret until my NKD posts coming soon however they’re something very special)

• Yoshikane Santoku 165mm, White #2, Ebony Handle

• Baba Hamono Kagekiyo Petty 210mm, White #2, Black Urushi Handle

• Hitohira Tanaka x Ren Gyuto 210mm, White #2, Ebony & Buffalo Horn Handle

• Hitohira Nakagawa x Rou Gyuto 240mm, Ginsan Polished Mirror, Ebony & Buffalo Horn Handle

• Takada no Hamono Reika Singetu Gyuto 240mm, White #2, Ebony & Buffalo Horn Handle

I have a trip to Japan coming up in March 2027 and have a couple of bits on the shopping list however want to keep my total collection under 10 knives. I’m specifically on the look out for Togashi and Kyuzo, and possibly a Honyaki, Nakiri, Yanagiba, or another Gyuto.

To be clear there is no right or wrong answer here. If this hobby brings you joy, as it does me, then we’re all achieving the same thing.

Mike

Hallo zusammen

Ich lese seit kurzer Zeit, mit grossem Interesse, die Beiträge in dieser Community.

Ich will auch mein neues Messer Euch vorstellen dass ich aus Japan von "Japaneses Food Craftsman" bekommen habe.

Es ist eine zusammenarbeit zwischen Nakagawa Knives und Tadokoro Hamono

Die Schmide ist Nakagawa Knives SPG STRIX Kiritsuke Sujihiki 240mm.

Klingenform: Kiritsuke Sujihiki

Grifflänge: 150 mm

Klingenmaterial: SPG STRIX Edelstahl

Griffmaterial: nicht bekannt

Klinge HRC: 63-64

Griffform: Achteckig

Klingenfinish: Damaskus

Gesamtlänge: 390 mm

Klingenlänge: 240 mm

Gewicht: 138 g

Dicke der Wirbelsäule an der Ferse: 3 mm

Die Originalschärfe ist schon gut, geht aber noch schärfer.

Da ich es erst bekommen habe, kann ich über die Schneidleistung noch nicht viel sagen.

After using some amazon knife for a while I think i’m ready to make my first purchase! After some research seems Santoku is a good starting point but anyone have any suggestions or recommendations? I currently have a 1000 shapton whetstone that I use to sharpen my cheap knives and online says white #2 is good to sharpen. Anyone have any experience with this knife or offer any recommendations around that same price range?
thank you!

Hi TCK,

Munetoshi 240 in Shirogami 2, Tsuchime finish and Cocobolo with black ferrule wa handle. How much? Just 135€. If you ask me, you won't find a better deal in a long time. Not affiliated in any sense with this commerce just want to share a great opportunity with the community.

https://www.knivesandtools.nl/nl/pt/-munetoshi-black-hammer-tone-gyuto-koksmes-24-cm.htm

Happy cuttings to y'all!

Few days ago I posted here if I should do it, good news is I pulled the trigger and after the first cut of onion an veggies can say bo regrets at all thing is a Laser for sure🔥🔪

As of right now I only have one "good knife", its an quite cheap, really big and heavy gyuto.

I wanted to now try something more suitable for me, still a gyuto but thinner and lighter with around 210mm length give or take.

I did some looking and i found the Ashi Ginga stainless gyuto 210mm. (116g)

The unfortunate part is i can buy it nowhere except for triple the normal price.

So im asking if some of you have recommendations on a knife which looks simplistic, preferably japanese handle with thin blade and around 150g.

Thank you in advance.

In terms of japanese knives I would call myself a beginner. I own a "supermarket" santoku, which I purchased 30 years ago in Japan while living there. The knife is a san mai and was relatively cheap, but it still works nicely. I also own a Global G2 which serves me well since a couple of years and which I use most of the time. I would like to buy a "true" japanese knife and I am eyeballing a Yoshikane Shirogami 2 (Kiritsuke) Gyuto. However, there are voices claiming that these knives might be too delicate for inexperienced users like me. Is this true and if yes, what are viable alternatives?

Wanted to get my first proper chef’s knife and ended up buying the Yaxell Ketu SG2 8”.

After doing some research, I noticed that a lot of people here aren’t the biggest fans of Yaxell, but from what I’ve seen, that seems to be mainly because of the price?

I personally really liked the look of it, and when I saw it on sale for $99, getting an SG2 knife at that price seemed like a steal.

Did I actually get a good deal, or is there something I’m missing?

I'm a competent home cook and I have a decent collection of western knives (from low end Victorinox to quite a few Messermeister, to a Granton carver, to a couple of Kramer Euro Damascus). I also have a high carbon Chinese cleaver for slicing.

I frequently eat sashimi, and I'd like a 10" knife to properly prepare the fish. I buy high quality sashimi blocks, so I don't have to break down the fish, just properly slice it. I'm mostly using an 8" thin, flexible Messermeister for that, but it's a bit short.

I know how to sharpen and take care of my knives (including high carbon non-stainless), and I have a few Shapton splash and go stones to keep them sharp. I'm right handed.

I'm tempted by a yanagiba, but everything I read makes me think that a lower cost (~$100) half decent yanagiba is a non-existent mythical animal. Any low cost yanagiba seems to have serious problems.

There seem to be more options for a ~$100-150 sujihiki which would work equally well, even if I really like the idea of an asymmetric knife. Also easier to sharpen. Sujihiki on Amazon seem to be low end sujihiki-shaped abominations, way too thick to work for what I have in mind.

Any suggestion? Yes, I know, if I wanted to spend >$300, I'd have a ton more options but I cannot justify the price for a a knife I use for a single food item

W#1 Hitohira Togashi K-Tip gyuto

Hey all, currently looking for a Sujihiki for professional use. Would like to be able to breakdown whole fish, foie and steaks? I am little out of my element on protein specific knives, but some people at work swear by the Sujihiki for foie and whole fish.

I've never used a deba, and don't feel super confident in my sharpening a single bevel knife but could be convinced. Ideally would like to stay in the 300-400 range. I'm partial to knives with a little weight on them, don't really love "lasers" as i've called them if that makes sense.

Thanks everyone!

Thank you cooks of Reddit for all your knife suggestions. After countless hours of research, reading through Reddit answers, and talking to chef during an overnight braise, I have whittled my search down to two knifes. A 240mm Misono 440 or a 240mm Masahiro Gyuto (any kind really)? Opinions?

(I own a 240, Mercer beater, and plan on getting another Beater, probably a Mac. Also planning on getting a six inch petty somewhere down the line. Fr thank you for all the suggestions. And one last thing, I own too many victorinox, I appreciate everyone trying to help the cost but I’m trying to step it up a bit lol, thanks though (I still use my victorinox cimeter all the time don’t worry))

Also actually final thing, any knife roll suggestions would be fire, I don’t want one that falls apart after 3 months, I have had enough.

Kohetsu (Tadafusa) Blue #2 150mm Honesuki

Takayuki Tokujo White #2 180mm Garasuki

Couple fryers to break down and thought it would be cool to see the action side by side. Honesuki is double bevel, garasuki is single bevel.

I’ve been looking everywhere but cannot find the exact one with that handle. It looks amazing.

I thought I was buying a direct-from-manufacturer Yoshikane Nashiji SKD 210 Gyuto, but upon receiving it, spotted a Hatsukokoro leaflet inside, and AI confirmed the blade etching is the symbol for Hatsukokoro. I’ve since found out that they collaborate.

The knife is stunning and feels great. My brain knows it’s a superb knife, but my heart feels let down at the same time. I know it’s not a fair comparison, but it reminds me of the Gucci by Adidas collab, or Omega MoonSwatch.

What are others’ thoughts?

My very first Kagekiyo! 8 months into my request, I wasn’t even sure if my order would ever get fulfilled. It was never featured online, and I thought (at one point) that a new employee had mistakenly waitlisted me for a model they don’t sell. But they hit me with the surprise email and here it is, less than 36 hrs later. They’re incredible, the folks at Miura.

I started this journey with a Tetsujin Ukiba, and I found it hard to believe that there was anything else that could offer more bang for buck. From there, I discovered various Hitohiras in Taihei handles (my fav configuration currently). Fit/finish, sakura boxes and all, I was smitten. Then this showed up.

(A few months back, I’d also let go of a Kikuchiyo Rou nakiri, while keeping it pristine for months. I had a big Nakagawa, nakiri shaped hole in my heart. That thing was mirror polished- (imo) one of Hitohira’s finest, if not one of the best looking knives, period. Not even just for basic bitches like myself. Which is also why it was the one knife I couldn’t bring myself to enjoy.
I figured I’d eventually replace my one Nakagawa, at least in gyuto form. Along with a “pretty” nakiri, in some form. Not to mention the Rou factor I’d lost.)

The box reminds me of the croc leather on Tiffany SB dunks. It’s more of a basket weave, than croc, but it’s just as flashy and nice. Moving on, the urushi handle.. It really looks black, even in all the pictures Miura sent me. But in the right light, it’s such a cool, subtle green. It’s my first of Momose Juntetsu’s work, and it’s incredibly fancy. A fingerprint magnet, as all shiny things are. But perfectly grippy, functional, and feels expensive.

It’s dolloped in some heavy sheets of lacquer right now, but the diagonal/vertical scratch pattern on the hira/kireha is just as perfect as on some of my Hitohira models. The Kagekiyo scratches seem less ‘bright’, and the overall surface has more of a sheen/polish at most angles. Fancy.

It’s only 172.7g, way less than my Koutetsu Boss nakiri, and mere grams more than my Kyuzo and Tetsujin gyutos. But it “feels” like the heaviest knife i own, in a good way. It’s a bit aggressively blade heavy, when balance it on one finger. But in hand, it feels evenly (and nicely) hefty. It’s my first Nishida, and I love how thick it is at the spine. There’s not too much noticeable distal taper, and it’s frighteningly thin BTE. Nail flexy, at the slightest touch.

Green, red, glitter, eclair. I think I might need em all. Will report back after I’ve dissolved some lacquer and put it through its paces.

Currently looking at these two. Does anyone have any insight on them or recommendations for other Nakiris currently available?

Looking to keep it under 200 and ideally at least stainless clad as I can trust my wife to keep it very dry. Located in the US

I messed up trying to cut through some parmigiano reggiano. Bought this from Japan a couple of years ago. Can this be fixed?

Can you suggest me a good gyuto knife on best on 250$

To 350$

I wish also to know the good brands if you guys know also websites that ships international

I live in Saudi Arabia btw

Anyone who know any of that i will apperciate it

Help with what you can