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valgard said:
[emoji20] far and cold [emoji28]
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loving the snow, suppose to get 35 centimeters tonight, I honestly can't believe shigs are still so hyped, like their good but they arent even close to best in class for their price tag. Honestly workhorse katos are kindof weird, some guys love them and some hate them, I didn't like mine but anton loves it, I remember two years ago I turned down a 330 shig kasumi for $325 usd, should of bought it in hindsight, probably could of got a dammy kramer in trade the way pricing is going.
 
Godslayer said:
loving the snow, suppose to get 35 centimeters tonight, I honestly can't believe shigs are still so hyped, like their good but they arent even close to best in class for their price tag. Honestly workhorse katos are kindof weird, some guys love them and some hate them, I didn't like mine but anton loves it, I remember two years ago I turned down a 330 shig kasumi for $325 usd, should of bought it in hindsight, probably could of got a dammy kramer in trade the way pricing is going.
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Weather is ******* nuts this Winter. roads will be an absolute chaos tomorrow.
I really like my WH 210 for how good it cuts and the balance but the profile isn't my favourite. And I just wanna use the hell out of a darn big Shig gyuto to decide for myself if it's worth the hype or not :viking:.
Kato 240 std is totally worth the hype for me tho.
 
dmourati said:
Curious which knives you'd say *are* close to best in class for their price tags.

Thanks.
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I’d say any Sakai honyaki of good reputation that can be found for $700-$1200(basically shig gyuto price) would be a better buy for the same funds. Ofcourse, if you can score a Shig from maxim for south of $600 then you won the lottery.
 
Keep in mind a lot of the Shigefusa price comes from the F&F (along with rarity). The Mazaki is all about function over form (also easy to get). I believe the point he was making is from a performance standpoint the Mazaki is a bargain.
 
yeah they're all about the clouds. cant be having it touch food cause it turns diarrhea brown so quick.
if there is one shig i would actually use, it would be a suji. S grind is great for slicer duty.
 
panda said:
yeah they're all about the clouds. cant be having it touch food cause it turns diarrhea brown so quick.
if there is one shig i would actually use, it would be a suji. S grind is great for slicer duty.
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Don't want the Honyaki, let me send you my Shig. Sure it's a fancy kitaeji (that I keep polished)... It's also has a custom handle and saya (I know you love bling). I would love to see your honest feedback.

20160107_091743.jpg
 
FWIW, the one which I borrowed/used (240mm kasumi gyuoto) was actually quite a good cutter. Very similar in performance to my Gengetsu. From memory, it came with a mild patina and was not really very reactive (which surprised me).
 
Anybody who complains about Shig cladding doesn’t have the patience to build a proper patina. It’s no worse than most other clads I’ve used. I’ve been saying this for years, julienne a $hitload of onions for caramelizing, soup, pickles whatever, and wipe the blade a bunch. Portioning hot proteins and running the blade under hot water helps speed things up too.
 
brainsausage said:
Anybody who complains about Shig cladding doesn’t have the patience to build a proper patina. It’s no worse than most other clads I’ve used. I’ve been saying this for years, julienne a $hitload of onions for caramelizing, soup, pickles whatever, and wipe the blade a bunch. Portioning hot proteins and running the blade under hot water helps speed things up too.
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I think most of the differences people see in reactivity (in regards to iron cladding) comes from the differences in finishes/polish. Iron is reactive, grass is green, and women have secrets.
 
brainsausage said:
Anybody who complains about Shig cladding doesn’t have the patience to build a proper patina. It’s no worse than most other clads I’ve used. I’ve been saying this for years, julienne a $hitload of onions for caramelizing, soup, pickles whatever, and wipe the blade a bunch. Portioning hot proteins and running the blade under hot water helps speed things up too.
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+1. Not different than Kato or Toyama, at least in my experience.

Mazaki seems less reactive for some reason... Maybe the polishing that Maksim does?
 
bkultra said:
I think most of the differences people see in reactivity (in regards to iron cladding) comes from the differences in finishes/polish. Iron is reactive, grass is green, and women have secrets.
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Finnish does make a difference. Oh wait- you meant Polish right?
 
brainsausage said:
Anybody who complains about Shig cladding doesn’t have the patience to build a proper patina. It’s no worse than most other clads I’ve used. I’ve been saying this for years, julienne a $hitload of onions for caramelizing, soup, pickles whatever, and wipe the blade a bunch. Portioning hot proteins and running the blade under hot water helps speed things up too.
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Couldn't agree more. Every knife needs to be 'opened up' so to speak. And in a pro kitchen, this can be done in an afternoon of work. I do it basically the same way- by washing it down in hot (scalding) water, slicing a warm roasted chicken breast and spreading the juices around it, rinse and repeat. Then send it into prep hell and see how far you can push it. If you buy a carbon knife and not give it the love it needs to really live its full potential, you'd maybe move into ginsan rather than disparage a knife for its reactive cladding. Especially a Shig, which I'm pretty sure wasn't made to cut paper towels when it was forged.
 
Viggetorr said:
The nakiri on JNS is very reasonably priced for a Shigefusa. Are there any major differences in performance between the kasumi/kitaeji and the kurouchis, or is it just appearance? The kitaejis are crazy expensive in comparison.
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Short answer: No.

The only appreciable difference is aesthetic. You wont notice a difference in cutting. All are a joy to sharpen.

Long answer:

Do you consider maintaining the finish a component of 'performance'??

brainsausage said:
Anybody who complains about Shig cladding doesn’t have the patience to build a proper patina. It’s no worse than most other clads I’ve used. I’ve been saying this for years, julienne a $hitload of onions for caramelizing, soup, pickles whatever, and wipe the blade a bunch. Portioning hot proteins and running the blade under hot water helps speed things up too.
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1000 times this ^^

Really. The most reactive thing about Shifefusa knives are peoples opinions on their 'value'. Just use the dang knife. A patina will form and reactivity becomes no big deal. In that sense it is much like cooking with cast iron.



The kitaeji knives are part knife, part art. Surely one of the reasons for getting one is to enjoy the pattern welding - in this case developing a patina might be an impediment to that. Or it might not. It depends on your point of view.

Personally, I think patina on kitaeji knives can get a bit busy. The patterns compete for attention. The kasumi finish is a great blank canvas for chronicling your cooking habits. I think patina can be more beautiful than the pattern welding! It is very personal and changes as you use your knife. There is something intimate about that - and in the wabi-sabi spirit.

And then there is the black sheep of the family. For some reason people don't get excited by the kurouchi knives? They are the most rustic but the level of fit and finish is still high. The oxide and surface are nicely textured. The bonus about kurouchi knives is that the black oxide is not reactive. It is also more rust resistant. In that sense, these knives require the least attention.



Back to 'performance' and why you might want a Shigefusa...

If you want a Shigefusa for the art and are neurotic or precious about the finish then the maintenance requirements might be a point of frustration. If you are happy to let the knife patina and 'age' any will do but I think the Kasumi knives are good candidates. If you want a working tool, the kurouchi models are the best value. Yet... you might not have a choice! Not all knives are made in all finishes!
 
Is there any differences in the grinds between higher models? Ive heard the kasumi and damascus have more of an s grind.
 
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