Fujiwara x Sugi Cutlery 240mm Kyoto Shirogami 1 Review: A Rare Collaboration Knife

Introduction

Some knives are interesting because of how they cut. This one is interesting because of how it came to exist. The Fujiwara x Sugi Cutlery 240mm Kyoto is a collaboration between master smith Teruyasu Fujiwara and Joe Maroney, known in the knife community as Joe Bone of Sugi Cutlery, and it is genuinely rare: only 42 knives were made in the entire collaboration run, and this particular 240mm Kyoto profile accounts for just 12 of them.

At first glance it is easy to mistake for a Fujiwara Denka, since the Denka is the only knife in the standard Fujiwara line that carries the same dark kurouchi finish. But look closer and the differences run deep, from the steel to the stamp to the bevel work.

What Makes This Collaboration Different

This is not a simple custom order with a tweaked blade length. It is a Shirogami 1 carbon steel knife with a kurouchi finish, a combination that had not existed in the Fujiwara lineup before. The collaboration came together because Fujiwara was a genuine admirer of Maroney’s custom handle work, so when Maroney proposed the project, the shop was happy to take it on.

One of Maroney’s stated goals was to address the fit and finish criticisms that some Fujiwara knives occasionally attract. To that end, all 42 knives were sent to Andrew at 40 Knives in New Mexico, who hand finished and polished each blade on stones to remove low spots. The result is visible immediately: the bevels are remarkably flat and symmetrical, with no obvious high or low spots, even compared with a Denka.

The example reviewed here belongs to collector Michael Lee, who lent it out for testing. The handle is figured nara with marbled buffalo horn ferrule, copper spacers, and what appears to be a stone spacer between the copper. One small note: in very dry, cold conditions the copper spacers can sit slightly proud of the wood, likely a temperature-related expansion difference rather than a build flaw.

Another meaningful detail sits on the blade itself. The kanji is not the Fujiwara shop mark but the Sugi kanji. That matters because Fujiwara effectively put Maroney’s identity ahead of his own on this knife. It also explains a practical difference: there is no finger notch at the heel, since on a Teruyasu Fujiwara knife that feature is reserved for knives bearing his own mark.

Specs at a Glance

• Blade length: 240mm
• Steel: Shirogami 1 carbon steel core, kurouchi finish with tsuchime pattern
• Hardness: 64-65 HRC
• Spine thickness at heel: 2.1-2.2mm
• Heel height: 55mm
• Weight: 219.6g
• Handle: custom, buyer’s choice; this example is figured nara with marbled buffalo horn

How It Compares to the Fujiwara Denka 210mm

The closest point of reference is the Fujiwara Denka 210mm, and the numbers tell an interesting story. The Denka measures roughly 4mm at the spine at heel, meaning this collaboration blade is about half as thick despite being longer. The heel height is also deeper here at 55mm versus the Denka’s 50mm, giving a noticeably taller belly. In the hand it weighs 219.6g against the Denka’s 164.3g, and the balance point sits just slightly forward of the pinch grip, comfortable even for larger hands.

In terms of positioning within the Fujiwara range, this knife sits between the two flagship lines. It borrows its Shirogami 1 steel from the Maboroshi line, which uses the same steel with a tsuchime finish, but takes the kurouchi finish from the Denka line, which is Aogami Super. When the knives were sold, they were priced closer to the Denka than the Maboroshi.

A Week of Real Use

Before testing, the blade was sharpened on Shapton Glass 1000, finished on Shapton Glass 6000, refined on a Japanese natural stone, and stropped on leather to remove the burr. With that fresh edge, cutting performance was very strong. The thin spine, tall belly, and flat profile make rock cutting easy, and the added length and height were genuinely appreciated in day-to-day prep.

One nuance worth knowing: Shirogami 1 is often loved for its aggressive bite through food, and this knife does not seem to carry quite the same bite as other Shirogami 1 blades, though overall performance was excellent. A telltale detail confirmed the steel during use: after a week the blade developed the yellow-leaning patina typical of Shirogami 1, rather than the darker blues and blacks that Aogami Super tends to show.

Where the knife falls short is the spine and choil. For a knife priced near a Denka, the unpolished spine and choil are the same complaint many Fujiwara enthusiasts raise about the Denka itself. Flat bevels with no low spots matter most when flattening or sharpening, but a polished spine and choil are what you feel every day in a pinch grip. It is the one area where the improvement in fit and finish does not go far enough. The choil itself, for what it is worth, is very flat and symmetrical, again better than the Denka in that respect.

Who Should Consider This Knife

This knife suits collectors and enthusiasts who want a genuinely unusual piece of Fujiwara craftsmanship: a one-of-twelve blade with hand-finished bevels, a custom handle, and a story behind every detail. It is less compelling for buyers who place a premium on polished spine and choil at this price point, since that is the one compromise here.

Conclusion

The Fujiwara x Sugi Cutlery 240mm Kyoto is a rare, thoughtfully executed collaboration that delivers flat, symmetrical bevels, excellent cutting geometry, and a truly one-of-a-kind custom handle. The unpolished spine and choil are a fair criticism at this price, but they do not outweigh the knife’s craftsmanship, performance, and sheer uniqueness. If you ever come across one of the 42, it is worth a very close look.