# Why do you love your Shig?



## dannynyc (Oct 23, 2013)

I've never tried a Shigefusa gyuto but these knives clearly have a devoted following here. Trolling around the site, I've clearly seen the love, but haven't been able to get a handle (no pun intended) on what it's about.

Anyone care to share their thoughts?


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## cord_steele (Oct 23, 2013)

1. Painstaking attention to detail in fit and finish. 
2. Beautiful grinds. In years of following his stuff, I've heard only 1 report of an overgrind.
3. He's the best polisher in the business--especially on single bevels. If you ever get a chance to fondle one of his yanagibas or mukimonos, you'll be hooked.
4. His knives are great cutters.

I wish he worked in stainless, but you can't have everything.


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## Brad Gibson (Oct 23, 2013)

the steel and edge retention is amazing. and what the heck is it?!??!?!! i think thats part of the fun that it is a mystery. the only shig i own is a KU finish so i dont know about his polishing but from pics they just look amazing. I have also heard that his yanagis are slightly thinner than most and that makes me want one so much more badly than i did in the beginning. 

shigefusa is just badass. its like get a lamborghini or something, it just looks cool and performs like a super knife!


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## Justin0505 (Oct 23, 2013)

Honestly, I don't think that you could make a quantitative argument as to why they are that much more special than many other knives in the same price range. They have virtues and trade offs just like any other knife, but for some people (myself included), the whole is more than just the sum of the parts / specs. It's unquestionably an excellent tool from a functional perspective, but it's the intangibles and the things that really don't have much to do with function that I think make them so special to some people. 

When you enter into the shig price range for any knife, emotion and warm, tingly, intangible feelings start to play more of a part in the decision making process than any practical reason. 

Some knives just have an "x" factor, just like you hear car reviews talk about soul and passion when explaining their love for a car that's really nothing unique on paper, I think the same applies to knives. 

I think that "art" is an easy thing to understand because it has nothing to do with utility, or function and everything to do with emotion and experience.
"Tools" are also easy to understand because they are defined by their function and utility.

Where things get tricky is when we start to mix our tools with our art. The dialectic of reason and emotion is difficult thing to get your head around and articulate well. 

For me, the beauty in shig is that it's perfect and flawless in a way that's still distinctly organic, and human. When really analyzing the components there's nothing that's radically different from many other makers, yet they are still unmistakable and distinctive. The feel in-hand and then feed back on stones or when gliding though product is also just somehow "special"; it just feels really nice.


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## turbochef422 (Oct 23, 2013)

It has something special that's hard to explain on top of being a great cutter and great edge retention. My sous chef who is recently getting into jknives the last few months and looks at all my stuff. He imidiately was drawn to the shig and Marko gyutos for the way they felt in hand, looked and the X factor. First he picked out the shig as his favorite and I let him use it. A few weeks later the Marko and he said this reminds me of the shig. That's coming from someone in the business but not yet one of us. It just has "it"


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## Lefty (Oct 23, 2013)

Intangibles.


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## K-Fed (Oct 23, 2013)

Lefty said:


> Intangibles.



I feel the same way about my rehandled tanaka... there's just something about it that makes me reach for it more often than most.


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## panda (Oct 23, 2013)

easy as hell to sharpen (feels awesome on stones) and takes the most keen edge. let mine go as i didn't feel it was durable enough for workhorse duties. it's a finesse knife and i cant afford to keep luxuries like that.


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## Sack of lemons (Oct 24, 2013)

I think that they are just the ultimate tools. Beautiful and functional. I have 7 of his knives from muki to debas x3, custom wa handle honesuki maru to gyuto and yanagiba all in kitaeji and I don't think I will ever need any other knives. I use them day in and out in the pro kitchen, that is what they are for.


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## RRLOVER (Oct 24, 2013)

If they did a san mai in SS in would be END GAME!!!!


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## NO ChoP! (Oct 24, 2013)

I think that back when they became the "it"knife, obtaining one was no easy task. Some waited over a year. Reminiscent of the KD. Now it's a bit easier with Maxim, but still definitely limited. Maybe once cktg has an infinite stock, the mystique will wither...


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## Lefty (Oct 24, 2013)

I have a few pieces that I can't really explain what it is about them exactly, but I love, and reach for without thinking. I won't say which knives so I don't start anything, but they all have similar traits. They are:

Understated
Have impeccable craftsmanship 
Intelligently designed
Tall
Hefty
Thin
Unassuming
Calvin Klein


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## Marko Tsourkan (Oct 24, 2013)

Love this thread, as Shige is probably one knife that I studied in depth, and tried to understand the reasoning behind every step in the process (some on a theoretical level, of course) 

It's also one maker I have a lot of respect for - level of worksmakship, attention to detail, consistency. I haven't come across many J. makers (in fact very few) who painstakingly shape and taper the tang (invisible part of the knife) even though it results in a clean handle installation. Things like that speak volumes to me. 

Steel is a simple carbon steel probably from Uddeholm. Holds a good edge but the steel has no alloys that would contribute to great edge holding, though on the other hand, the knife sharpens very easily to a screaming sharp. 

A transition between the tang and the spine is very nice (forged and filed/scraped by hand), geometry is great, weight would put it in mid-heavy or medium knives, depending which Shige you get. Early ones were heavier and thicker in geometry. 

Very thin at the edge, planes brought down to zero on most knives I have seen. Very easy to initiate a cut and food separation is superb, especially on thin knives. Easy to thin down the road.

Finish is very good on kasumi and great on kitaeji knives. Some of the nicest hand carved kanji I have seen. 

In all, this knife does look and feel like a quality hand-made knife. In other words, it need no "help" to sell. 

Reactivity, microchipping, and easy to bend (on thin knives) are the things that make it a less than perfect knife, but folks find these a manageable trade-off compared to other things the knife offers.


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## Lefty (Oct 24, 2013)

Good post, Marko. i agree 100% that the edge retention is average/good. This is even from a home user...however, thy're special, and that's all that matters. 

I will say that Marko's is in the category I mentioned in my previous post. That is all....


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## NO ChoP! (Oct 24, 2013)

Wait...he's tall, hefty, thin, unassuming, Calvin Klein?


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## chinacats (Oct 24, 2013)

The only Japanese maker that I've owned more than one of their knives (3 Shigs). To me the best combination of cutting ease, release, sharpness. I care little about reactivity but ime it is not much different than other carbon I like. Of those I've used, the only ho wood handle worth keeping.


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## mpukas (Oct 24, 2013)

I agree with Marko's post - very well said, and more than I know. It's not the perfect knife, but my 240 gyuto is the one I reach for the most because it's the best feeling knife to me to use. Shape, balance, weight, size, profile, grind, etc. all come together to be an amazing tool to use. 

I've found edge retention to be fair-poor. Actually quite disappointed at how quickly the edge degrades, and I have been doing any outside work with it, just home use. Strops up nicely, but looses that initial keenness quickly. even though it's not the sharpest knife in my block, it's still the first one I reach for. 

I love the D shaped handle, and it was lovely when it was new. Sanded to a very fine grit. But as soon as I used it and it got wet, the gain raised and it's not the same - almost has a rough texture. The ho wood almost feels a bit soft. As far handles go, my Yusukes have the nicest ho wood that I used used by far.


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## Justin0505 (Oct 24, 2013)

Marko summed up the tangibles very well. I must agree that the transition from spine to tang / the area where the steel meets the handle is on of my favorite parts and, is perhaps the most beautiful example of that section of any wa-handled knife that I've seen. 
It's a great example of something that takes extra time and skill to execute, doesn't make a huge difference in performance (just a tad towards balance and rigidity maybe), but makes a huge impression on the user when they have it in hand.


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## mpukas (Oct 24, 2013)

Justin0505 said:


> Marko summed up the tangibles very well. I must agree that the transition from spine to tang / the area where the steel meets the handle is on of my favorite parts and, is perhaps the most beautiful example of that section of any wa-handled knife that I've seen.
> It's a great example of something that takes extra time and skill to execute, doesn't make a huge difference in performance (just a tad towards balance and rigidity maybe), but makes a huge impression on the user when they have it in hand.



+1,000,000


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## TB_London (Oct 24, 2013)

RRLOVER said:


> If they did a san mai in SS in would be END GAME!!!!



This


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## daddy yo yo (Oct 25, 2013)

Marko Tsourkan said:


> (...) food separation is superb, especially on thin knives. Easy to thin down the road.
> 
> Finish is very good on kasumi and great on kitaeji knives.


marko, or any other experienced shig-owner/User: does food separation differ from kasumi to kitaeji finish? I would guess food separation is "better" on kasumi finished blades?!


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## Justin0505 (Oct 25, 2013)

The onlu benifit that I've heard mentioned is that kitaeji is stronger and less likely to warp on single bevels like yanagi, allows him to make single bevels thinner and that the finish is even heigher. 
I own both, and i cant say that i noticed a difference in food release as that kitaeji is very smooth and lightly etched (i actually think that the contrast comes form the polishing stones, not an etchant). 
But there is a difference in magic aura.


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## Marko Tsourkan (Oct 25, 2013)

daddy yo yo said:


> marko, or any other experienced shig-owner/User: does food separation differ from kasumi to kitaeji finish? I would guess food separation is "better" on kasumi finished blades?!



No, finish has no effect on food separation on the Shige, it's all in geometry of the knife - height, distal taper and thickness above the edge. Better finish will make a carbon knife more resistant to rusting - the finer the finishing scratches, the slower the rust formation. 

Stainless would a completely different animal to forge, heat treat and finish by hand. And Shigefusa really doesn't need to produce stainless knives - their order list is probably months long. So, don't hold your breath. 

M


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## Sambal (Oct 25, 2013)

Calvin Klein? Ah I geddit! It's because nuthin' comes between you and your . . . . .


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## gic (Oct 25, 2013)

I have a lot of knives now and besides its awesome cutting ability, my yo shig handle is just somehow "right" - when I use it I feel the knife is truly an extension of my hand and none of my other yo handles have that magic feel.

My wa shig is nice and cuts equally well of course, but, at least for me, not quite that feeling of perfection in my hand...


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## Phip (Oct 26, 2013)

I don't know enough about knives to articulate what makes the Shig spectacular. I was curious and finally snagged a lightly used 210mm a few months ago. I'm a long time laser fan, but this is no laser. And the 210 is not my preferred length, but it's stayed on top as my favorite go to knife despite the length disadvantage. Others, especially Marko, have given great specifics in more tech detail than I could. I'll just say I kind of play with knives, looking for "the perfect" fit for me. Hearing so much about Shigs, I was skeptical but finally went for one. And the hype was proved out. There's nothing wrong with it--you have to know me to understand I always find something wrong, so this is highest praise--and everything was thought about and works as planned. It's pretty much poetry in hand.


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## kannamaster (Oct 26, 2013)

I own 5 shings and love them all - especially after getting to know them. I use them almost daily. I agree with everything said before and would add, that as a professional maker of objects myself (furniture) I appreciate the integrity and clarity of intention that you can just feel in his knives from the moment you pick them up. There is a rightness to them. I also appreciate that the weight, handles and balance seem to work well with larger hands like mine well. There is a very "solid" feel to them in use that makes them feel more like a part of my hand than most knives, and I have found less inclination to make changes to the Shingefusa knives to suit my own taste. I find that in time the logic of these knives comes thru even if I am not 100% sure at the start. The knives also need less setup than most knives and the hand sharpening they come with is a useful indicator of what sharpening bevels work best with the steel (not true with many knives)


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## Jagjit (Oct 28, 2013)

my shig was one of my first knives that really felt like a high end cutter, effortlessly cutting whatever laid in its path


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## Justin0505 (Oct 29, 2013)

kannamaster said:


> knives also need less setup than most knives and the hand sharpening they come with is a useful indicator of what sharpening bevels work best with the steel (not true with many knives)



You make an interesting point there. Many makers hold back a bit with the awareness that their knives may fall into the hands of a less than careful or experienced used. They may back off a few points on RHC or raise the angle on the edge a few deg from the limit or they make compromises in material like a less reactive cladding, just to protect their knives and reputation from potential damage by users who dont understand them. 

Shig is one of the makers that just makes what they feel is optimal / best fits their vision without hedging or concern for the lowest common denominator or users. 
The knives are tools that show an assumption/ expectation of competence in the user. 
No warning labels or idiot proofing.


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## quantumcloud509 (Oct 29, 2013)

I was one post away from getting a shig, but didn't. got a Kato Workhorse instead. Next paycheck....next paycheck....


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## dannynyc (Oct 31, 2013)

Marko Tsourkan said:


> Reactivity, microchipping, and easy to bend (on thin knives) are the things that make it a less than perfect knife, but folks find these a manageable trade-off compared to other things the knife offers.



How reactive is the Shig steel compared to, say White #2?


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## EdipisReks (Oct 31, 2013)

dannynyc said:


> How reactive is the Shig steel compared to, say White #2?



It's not the core steel that's super reactive, it's the cladding. I actually never thought the cladding was all _that_ bad for reactivity, on the two Shigs I've owned, as long as one wipes the blade down regularly. I also found that the reactivity calmed down, as the knife was used.


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## maxim (Oct 31, 2013)

I have been experimenting a lot with Shig. And just to clear up all confusion about reactivity and stuff. 
I will say that reactivity people experience from Shigefusa knives come from Jnat finish ! and how knife is polished. 
It is nothing to do with steel ! in fact the cladding Shig uses is used in many other knives that you guys think is not reactive  

The hazy finish Jnats gives will react much quicker then buffed finish. Also many makers buff knives witch lives grassy and shiny finish that is much less reactive. 

But for me i never funded them that reactive i clean my knife and wipe it as i do with all other knives, i never had to adjust my routine to Shig knives


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## EdipisReks (Oct 31, 2013)

I have certainly noticed that Shigs are a lot less reactive after I've refinished them, for sure.


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## Marko Tsourkan (Oct 31, 2013)

Core steel reactivity is comparable to white steel reactivity.

Once the soft cladding patinaed, it becomes less reactive, but you still need to watch it, as leaving a knife wet (often it's near the handle) is likely lead to discoloration or rust spots. But that can be said of any carbon steel that doesn't have any chromium in it.

Another point of caution is air humidity. Definitely need to watch for that, particularly if knives haven't built up patina. 

M


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## DeepCSweede (Oct 31, 2013)

For those of us who like patina - once that forms there is no reactivity or smell whatsoever. Even after I sharpen it, I run it through some warm meat right away to build it up again and have no issues.


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## augerpro (Oct 31, 2013)

EdipisReks said:


> I have certainly noticed that Shigs are a lot less reactive after I've refinished them, for sure.



How did you refinish them?


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## stereo.pete (Oct 31, 2013)

augerpro said:


> How did you refinish them?



Blow Torch, rubber bands, glow sticks and a good quality quick hardening epoxy.


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## EdipisReks (Oct 31, 2013)

augerpro said:


> How did you refinish them?



stones, sand paper, stones.


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## sj9603 (Nov 5, 2013)

For some reason I could never get myself to like the custom handles I saw on the web. The original handle looks massive, yet perfectly balances the blade at the point of pinch grip. The knife is simultaneously large and agile in your hand, giving you a sense of control. The kitaeji is just pretty. I can stare at it for a long time and not get tired. There is a pattern, but not quite an order, that reminds me of percolation. I like it much more than those damascus blades with highly ordered patterns. It seems the kitaeji is not as hard as blue 2, and does not give a burr as easily, but the blade goes through green onions without stressing them, and easily passes the tomato skin test. Really a joy to use.


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## kannamaster (Nov 6, 2013)

I think it's that beautiful swedish steel that produces such a slippery edge - and just hard enough - yet not so brittle that you can sharpen them to a really acute point that might crumble if the steel where just a bit harder. It's a balancing act and a series of choices - not all of which seem to make sense at first - and as you use the knives you keep coming back to them because, though they may require a little more frequent sharpening than some, they work so well when cutting and feel so right, you want to sharpen them just to feel them at their best. Personally I enjoy sharpening my Shigefusa's because they are easy knives to sharpen and I actually feel they give more feedback and conform to my "intention" more easily than most other knives.They don't fight the stone and wear so smoothly that I always feel relaxed and at peace sharpening a Shingefusa. For me the magic of these knives is that they may not be first place in any single category but the choices made and the priorities chosen are evident in every knife: exceptional finish, balance, blade stiffness and a solid feel, ease of sharpening, a slick edge, harmonious geometry, and fine grained steel hardened just to the point of perfection - at least perfect for this knife.


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