Hand forged and hand ground with traditional sen and stones in Sanjo, Niigata by the Iizuka family under their Shigefusa brand. Shigefusa knives are hand forged with Swedish 26c3 or “spicy white” steel, a very pure, high-carbon steel. In the hands of a skilled Iizuka smith, this steel is capable of taking an amazingly fine edge while still retaining a lively, bitey feel. The cladding is a handmade, free-forged “kitaeji” suminagashi (gyuto), made with iron and mild steel. Because these are all made by hand without mechanical grinding, the output is very limited and very in demand, we receive Shigefusa knives in very small batches, years after ordering.