# Shigeki Tanaka



## Jaredc911 (Feb 2, 2016)

I probably should have asked here first but I just bought these 2 knives off 330mate on eBay and shigeki tanaka 150 vg10 petty octagon buffalo wa handle as well as the 165 nakiri then found them on chef knives to go for 3 times the price I notice the ( forgive my ignorance new to j knives) kanji (side lettering looks to be different ) does anyone here have experience with these knives or. This seller did I buy fakes? If they are fake does anyone here have them do they perform well I love my miyabi kaizen gyuto made of similar material would love to get some info about these knives here are the seller photo links http://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/391374565103 


http://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/201342234417 

Thanks in advance for any info


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## Timthebeaver (Feb 2, 2016)

330mate is a long time seller of Tanaka at budget prices. If you went with the cheap shipping they will take a while to arrive.


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## chinacats (Feb 2, 2016)

I trust 330mate more than cktg...Tanaka makes great knives though you'll have to do a bit of work to ease the spine and choil. Eventually you also may want to get a new handle as I find the plastic ferrule rather cheap. Next time you want a Tanaka, check with James at Knives and Stones.

And Welcome!


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## Jovidah (Feb 2, 2016)

Don't worry. 330mate is a reputable seller that plenty of people here have bought from before. Shipping from Japan might be slow though (depending on the option you chose).

A big price difference with ChessKnightsToGo isn't too weird; Japanese sellers are often cheaper than those 'closer' to home. Other good examples are metal-master and japanesechefsknives.


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## Jaredc911 (Feb 2, 2016)

Wow all this feedback in 20 minutes thanks guys feeing much more confident in my decision and am excited to start my journey into j knives !


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## Jaredc911 (Feb 2, 2016)

Is there often different kanji for different distributors. Or are some made for the Japanese domestic market and some for export market?


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## AllanP (Feb 2, 2016)

Jaredc911 said:


> Is there often different kanji for different distributors. Or are some made for the Japanese domestic market and some for export market?



for Tanaka? no. There is a Kanji difference between Ginsanko knives and VG-10/Blue 2.

one is the Shigeki Kanji the other one has his cousin or uncle's Kanji


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## Lefty (Feb 2, 2016)

Could be Shigeki Tanaka vs. Hideyuki Tanaka. Same "brand", if I'm not mistaken, but basically they are cousins who work together and do a lot of the work side by side (from what I was told). 330mate sells a good product. You'll love the knives. Tanakas are terrific knives.


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## Jaredc911 (Feb 2, 2016)

So they are the black smiths signature?


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## AllanP (Feb 2, 2016)

Jaredc911 said:


> So they are the black smiths signature?



yes, it actually says "famous smith, Shigeki made"

but yeah they are actually one of the best bang for the buck knife out there.


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## Jaredc911 (Feb 2, 2016)

Thanks everyone for all the great info


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## Jaredc911 (Feb 7, 2016)

I decided to pick up the 240 gyuto as well off Metalmaster


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## spoiledbroth (Feb 7, 2016)

note that the nashiji gyuto from metal master is now vg-10


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## Jaredc911 (Feb 9, 2016)

spoiledbroth said:


> note that the nashiji gyuto from metal master is now vg-10


 what do you mean or what are you infering?


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## ThEoRy (Feb 9, 2016)

I believe it used to be ginsanko.


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## spoiledbroth (Feb 9, 2016)

Yeah there was a reference earlier in the thread to the Ginsan nashiji , which seems now to be sold by metal master advertising a Vg-10 core. It's not by any means an inferior steel, I just find the Ginsan easier to sharpen. anyway the geometry should be the same as the old Ginsan knife, so really my comment was apropos of nothing.


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## Jaredc911 (Feb 10, 2016)

They came in and I'm very pleased/ impressed 
ootb push cuts through new paper handles are decent enough for what they are I can not believe how cheap these are 

330mate is good in my book answered all my emails tough to communicate with assumably the language barrier but got my stuff here and it looks better than in his photos 


<img src='https://drscdn.500px.org/photo/139791001/m%3D900/a2646e6e9789c4b242b4d786c5360f6d' alt='IMG_2449.jpg by JARED CARMICHAEL on 500px.com'>
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<script type='text/javascript' src='https://500px.com/embed.js'></script>


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## Jaredc911 (Feb 12, 2016)

Does anyone know why I can't post pictures?
The photos I posted are available here I was very impressed 
https://500px.com/jaredc911


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## AllanP (Feb 12, 2016)

looks nice!


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## Pensacola Tiger (Feb 12, 2016)

Jaredc911 said:


> Does anyone know why I can't post pictures?
> The photos I posted are available here I was very impressed
> https://500px.com/jaredc911



Refer to this thread for information about posting pictures:

http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php/10093-How-do-I-post-an-image


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## Jaredc911 (Feb 13, 2016)

Thanks !


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## Jaredc911 (Feb 21, 2016)

So a few weeks of use happier than ive ever been with a knife the petty is amazing have 


And love the nakiri for chopping tasks my fiancé did use it to cut some cheese and put a nasty 1/4 inch chip in the blade
After I took back the ring and kicked her out.... jk I removeved the chip and 
Resharpened the edge its back to work And am still happy with the knives I am still waiting on the gyuto from metal master ordered on Feb 7th And I still haven't received my ems tracking # 2 weeks later but this seems normal from what I've read this is pretty typical ? But it sounds like everyone always ends up with there items eventualy sorry for the disorganization typing on a phone


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## chinacats (Feb 21, 2016)

Nice to hear about the knives...good job on getting the chip fixed and back in action. 

If you order from Metalmaster and choose the slower shipping it can take a while...the upgrade in shipping is actually worth it in my book as you'll have your knife in about a week from my recollection...that said, you'll get yours soon enough.


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## Jaredc911 (Feb 21, 2016)

So I paid for the faster shipping with tracking its been 2 weeks and he hasn't confirmed that he's shipped just the auto invoice from the purchase 
And he's not answering emails


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## chinacats (Feb 21, 2016)

So, I went back and looked. Metalmaster sent me an email two days after my last order to let me know the knife had shipped. Any chance the email found your spam folder? 

FWIW, I've ordered a bunch of stuff from Japan, it always gets here, communication is not always great, best not to stress.

Cheers


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## spoiledbroth (Feb 22, 2016)

chinacats said:


> So, I went back and looked. Metalmaster sent me an email two days after my last order to let me know the knife had shipped. Any chance the email found your spam folder?
> 
> FWIW, I've ordered a bunch of stuff from Japan, it always gets here, communication is not always great, best not to stress.
> 
> Cheers


This is not the typical experience with (takeshi?) from metalmaster. He's a great guy, I think he even will rehandle knives but he's notorious for not answering emails, slow to ship and having somewhat of a language barrier to work through as well it seems. 

AFAIK aside from maybe 330mate he's got the best price on Tanaka (the dealer who must not be named marks them up quite a bit more than MM and obviously the K&S versions are different products to be considered in their own right) and in my most humble of opinions the delay in communication and shipping is worth the discount. I bought two knives from him and had no complaints about them, the tanakas were devoid of the sharp choil and spine you read so very much about. Both purchases were delayed despite purchasing EMS, but ended up arriving and all emails were answered... eventually!

He's probably got a day job.


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## Jaredc911 (Feb 24, 2016)

Thank you guys for the reassurance the communication from everyone here is great I appreciate everyone's input and experiences


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