Conversation with Shiva Ki

Doberman_Dave

Doberman_Dave

Joined
Nov 13, 2004
Messages
650
I've been trading the odd email whith Shiva Ki since purchasing one of his Spirit blades a little while ago. I'm very happy with it. I'm no knife tester but I find it fascinating visually (visible layers, temper line, etc.) and in the hand (seems lighter than it is, fast, very much sort of goes where I look). And of course it's extremely sharp.

The notes below speak for themselves, so please take them as you like. I've got no interest in getting involved in a discussion about stuff I know nothing about.

From self:

...I've seen the pics of the rope cutting on your website and read the articles. That's pretty amazing stuff. Google turned up more crap on the forums than I've ever seen before. Seemed like all chaff and no wheat. Was that Beaucant doing the cutting? I assume it takes a rare combination of beef and skill as well as the blade to do something like that.

...Did you ever come to any conclusions worth mentioning?

Cheers,
Dave


From Shiva:

That was Beacuant. He is a short order cook, not a martial
artist. He is a small man at 145 lbs.. I taught him my cutting technique over the phone, and he got it 100% right. He sent me video of his cuts, and his technique was perfect.
He was a man on a quest, so he was driven, and would wait untill he was psyched and then go for it. It was quite an experience for us both. He did those over 50 - 10 rope cuts, over a period of months. Thats how he worked up the chi to go for 14 - 3x, 15 - 3x, and then 16 - 11 times straight, untill he ran out of rope.
He and I have no relationship. He tested my work for over 9 months and got many great photo`s and video as well for me. He earned some
free knives, as he talked of these big cuts, I played on a little good old fashion greed to motivate him. To earn a free knife he not
only had to make the cuts, he had to get great photo`s, or keep cutting.
He did the impossible, almost casually, with my blades. Great ego trip for both of us.
This is the untold story from the masters fingertips.
Post this for me on the appropriate sites. It`s about time the true facts were posted. Thanks

shiva
 
That was a great article. those cut were spectacular to say the least. The edge geometry and heat treat had to be absolutely perfect to perform that well.

Thanks for sharing
Chuck
 
Oh crap, not again. But then I suppose I really should not be surprised given his illustrious history here. :rolleyes:

Roger
 
I'm not going to comment on Shiva again, but I have to ask - did you actually mean to right this:

tlmzdac said:
[His knife] seems lighter than it is
Click to expand...
 
Dominique Beaucant is a BS Artiste of the highest magnitude.
I have no doubt he did whatever he could "do" to make those pictures happen. That is not a knock on Shiva Ki or his knives-I have the greatest respect for his craftmanship and the performance of his blades, but Dominique Beaucant is not a man of integrity by any measure of mine and nothing he does will ever matter much to me or many people in the knife world that I am acquainted with. I refuse to work for or buy any magazine that publishes his merde.
 
I find it interesting that Shiva would let everyone know that there were free knives given for the testing, but only if certain criteria were attained. The giving of free knives removes all objectivity from the testing. Would anyone here trust the results of an automobile test where the tester was given a free car?
 
Keith, I think you hit this one head on! Mike---And thanks for the heads up Anthony!!!
 
...Any publicity is good publicity aye?!?!

"...there were free knives given for the testing, but only if certain criteria were attained..."

Something like shaving your head, giving him all one's worldly possessions and making posts on the internet about what a guru he is - that about right?

:D
 
Timzdac

Addition Information
N/A


SO once again, we have all this valuable information, perhaps extraordinary, from a person who, at the very least, does not exist???!!!!!:rolleyes:
 
I know nothing about Beaucant, nor do I give much credence to the real world utility of cutting hemp ropes all day. But the evidence of my own eyes in using Master Shiva's knives is that they are GREAT knives. They are as sharp as any I've ever seen, to include Jimmy Fikes' knives, and hold an edge as well as anyone's. Frankly, I've never heard of anyone who actually owned a Shiva Ki knife ever saying otherwise. He may rub you the wrong way, especially with his marketing, but the guy has seen the elephant and he makes superb using knives. If anyone reading this has one and doesn't want it, pm me about selling it!
 
jbravo said:
But the evidence of my own eyes in using Master Shiva's knives is that they are GREAT knives. They are as sharp as any I've ever seen, to include Jimmy Fikes' knives, and hold an edge as well as anyone's. Frankly, I've never heard of anyone who actually owned a Shiva Ki knife ever saying otherwise. He may rub you the wrong way, especially with his marketing, but the guy has seen the elephant and he makes superb using knives. If anyone reading this has one and doesn't want it, pm me about selling it!
Click to expand...

1. Mr. Bravo, many here in Customs like Shiva's knives. I purchased one earlier this year. Comments below, in a minute.

2. There is a whole passel of knife knuts who swear by the sharpness and edge retention of the knives from the maker of their choice. Makers such as the afformentioned Fikes, Phill Hartsfield, RJ Martin, Murray Carter, Tai Goo...the list is almost endless. Until all knives have gone through the same tests, it is tough to say if there is an absolute.

3. I study under a Japanese Sensei who is an 8th degree black Belt in Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iai Heiho, and a 7th degree black belt in Shito Ryu Karate, who was just 2 weeks ago, inducted into the Black Belt Magazine Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He will answer to Sensei, Shima Sensei, but not Master. He feels that he will always be a student, and has mastery of nothing, only striving, every day towards excellence. In both martial arts, OR in blade crafting, to refer to yourself, or allow yourself to be referred to as a Master, is to say that you have nothing left to learn.

4. I like my Shiva Ki small Spirit blade, but frankly, it looks like it was finished on a 100 grit brick, and the blade has waves in it(it is straight, but obviously forged). The upper swedge bevels were forged in, and barely cleaned up. The fit is just fine, no better or worse than expected, but the finishing is very "forged blade, circa 1988", and frankly, it should be better, although the argument could be made that a fine finish adds nothing to the use of the knife, and Shiva Ki makes his knives for using, and not collecting. I suppose this is fair enough, but just like Phil Hartsfield's A2 knives, with a very basic low grit belt polish, these knives cost dearly.

5. Having people come on the Forums to trumpet your work is counterintuitive, and tiresome. We get it with Fowlerites, the Striderites, the Hogs and Pigs, the Sebenzenistas, and we even have our own little group here, the Andrews Brothers.:D But we don't take it on the road. Think about it.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
I certainly agree with all of what you say, Steve, and respect your background enough to know it is well-founded. Probably, I should have just pointed out that his knives are great users that stand up well over time.

(As an aside, I think that refering to oneself as "teacher" or "Master" carries the same connotation in this context - it denotes the position of that person vis-a-vis others less high in learning. Master Shiva's use is semantically equivalent to "8th Dan", and it is really MY compliment to use the honorific)

My post instead addressed the ever-constant problem seen here in Customs (at least in the 6+ years I've been around here) of opinions being expressed through second- and third-hand knowledge, rather than first hand experiences. Those are the Johnnies we need to discourage from taking it on the road, or encourage them to simply hit that selfsame road.
 
You all know me, er, know how I feel on the Shiva Ki issue.
I should first apologize,for the way I came off sounding when
I first joined and started a flame war on this issue, SK had just been banned. He is among my favorite knifemakers.I was a total,first day on the
internet was Bladeforums, newb.
OK.
STeven,by name, I know how much you dislike this so, no need to respond
if you deem it not worth a response. But. How did you find the small Spirit
blade to cut and retain it's edge? I know how you feel on it's finish it seems. He forges very close to shape. I like that. :cool:
Did you get a hamon with it?

I also posted for SK several times,I understand that was detrimental for all concerned as well.
Just about done. :o
I am familiar with his small and large Spirit blades and his Merc's only,
each are very different from each other.

Doug :)
 
I think it would be nice if people just posted their impressions of Shiva's knives (as STeven and Doug have just done) without the often provocative and sometimes just plain nutty direct quotes submitted at the request of "the Master". That is where things usually go downhill in a screaming hurry.

Roger
 
leatherbird said:
STeven,by name, I know how much you dislike this so, no need to respond
if you deem it not worth a response. But.

How did you find the small Spirit blade to cut and retain it's edge? I know how you feel on it's finish it seems. He forges very close to shape. I like that. :cool:
Did you get a hamon with it?
Click to expand...

Doug,

It cut very well, and continues to hold an edge with some small deformation, probably due to the fact that I hit some bamboo knots with it.:D

I expected it to come with, and hold an edge exceptionally well, and it has and does. However, the scariest edges that I have ever personally seen come from Tony Marfione at Microtech. I shaved off a small part of my thumb checking the edge on a Splash colored OTF of his in 1995.

The Small Spirit came with a hamon, which you cannot see very well in this scan. The cocobolo handle is gorgeous, but I had to Garssonize it because it was too(about almost an inch) long for my stubby hands.



Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
[rant mode]
:thumbdn: GOOD LORD! Enough with this sharpness crap.
ANY knife can get ultra sharp with the right angle!
I'd bet anything that my gilette razor is sharper than any Spirt Blade!
:yawn:
[rant mode off]
 
Walking Man said:
[rant mode]
:thumbdn: GOOD LORD! Enough with this sharpness crap.
ANY knife can get ultra sharp with the right angle!
I'd bet anything that my gilette razor is sharper than any Spirt Blade!
:yawn:
[rant mode off]
Click to expand...

As I skwintch up my eyes, and do my best Slingblade voice:

MMMhunhhh, but kin yeh cleave a man's arm off wit' yer Gilettte raizor, and shaive wit' it after?:D

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
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