Shigefusa

NOTE: I do not take any preorders or custom orders for Shigefusa or Yoshiaki Fujiwara knives !

Please read more about it here: Kato and Shigefusa 

Shigefusa is made by Tokifusa Iizuka and his two sons in a small workshop in Sanjo, Niigata. Three people. Everything by hand. No machines.

I have visited the workshop myself and seen the way they work. I went through many knives as a chef and Shigefusa is in my opinion one of the best and most unique in Japan.

Iizuka-san trained first under Kosuke Iwasaki and later under the legendary Nagashima-san before starting Shigefusa. He uses Swedish carbon steel — a very pure, high carbon steel capable of taking an extremely fine edge. Instead of a grinder, he uses a traditional sen — a small blade with a handle on either side — to shave steel from the blade with total precision.

For Kitaeji knives, the cladding is forged in house by the Iizuka family themselves from iron and mild steel — a true hand-forged suminagashi that almost no one else makes. The final finish is done on Japanese natural stones.

The result is a knife with a thick spine that is still incredibly thin behind the edge. It falls through food with very little effort. Both Kurouchi and Kasumi finish knives leave the shop only when the lines are perfectly smooth and the edge is razor sharp.

These knives can rust — this is carbon steel and needs basic care.

Because everything is made completely by hand the output is very small. Wait times are long and stock is rare. When we have them, it is worth it.

I am very proud and humbled to distribute Shigefusa.