A chef’s knives are arguably the single most personal piece of equipment they own. Yet for decades, the standard way to move them around has been a rolled-up canvas wrap that does roughly nothing if the bag it’s tossed into hits the ground at the wrong angle.
Matt Abergel apparently got tired of that. The chef and co-owner of Hong Kong’s Michelin-starred Yardbird has spent the last ten years quietly developing Shinogi, a new gear brand whose first product, the Case 15-25, is a hardshell knife case.
But we’re not talking about just any knife case. It’s been engineered with the same kind of approach we’ve seen for high end tactical and outdoor brands, and honestly, it’s about time someone in this category took the job this seriously.
A Working Chef’s Side Project
Abergel is no stranger to obsessive detail. He trained under Masayoshi Takayama at Masa in New York before opening Yardbird with business partner Lindsay Jang in 2011, and the restaurant has since racked up a Michelin star and a long-running spot on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list. So when he started sketching out a knife case in 2015, this is everything we’d expect.
The name Shinogi is borrowed from Japanese sword anatomy, referring to the ridge that runs along the side of a blade where the geometry shifts and the cutting edge begins. Fitting for a project that lived on the bench for a decade.
A Decade of R&D for a Box
The “15-25” in the name is a timestamp: development started in 2015 and wrapped in 2025. The case body is constructed from ABS paired with an internal aluminum frame, and every component carries its own product code, from the silicone mats (SC-14-SM) to the bamboo splint that runs across the inside of the lid (SC-12-SP).
The bamboo splint anchors twelve elastic nylon cords that secure scissors, peelers, microplanes, and any other prep tool that usually rattles around loose in a drawer. The main compartment holds eight to ten knives standing vertically, separated by nine accordion-style dividers that compress to fit anything from a 90mm petty to a long yanagiba.
Fidlock For All
The latches use mild steel with PVC coating, which is standard fare, but the secondary closures use Fidlock magnetic snap pulls. And few people love a good Fidlock buckle as much as we do.They’re satisfying in a way that’s hard to describe until you’ve used one.
The paracord handle is woven nylon with zinc alloy connectors, and there’s a removable paracord shoulder strap for longer hauls. Both feel more like climbing gear than kitchenware, which is definitely the point.
Spec Sheet
Brand: Shinogi
Model: Case 15-25
Capacity: 8-10 knives
Case Dimensions: 57.5 x 18 x 15cm
Case Weight: 3kg (6.6 lbs)
Shell: ABS plastic with internal aluminum frame
Latches: Mild steel/PVC with Fidlock magnetic snap pulls
Interior: 9 accordion dividers (PP1100), 2 silicone mats, bamboo splint, 12 elastic nylon cords
Carry: Removable paracord handle (zinc alloy connectors), paracord shoulder strap
Origin: Hong Kong
Pricing & Availability
Case 15-25 is up for pre-order now at HK$3,300 (~$421 USD), with deliveries estimated for the end of August 2026.
Recap
Shinogi Knife Case 15-25
A decade-in-the-making hardshell knife case from Hong Kong, built with an ABS-and-aluminum body, Fidlock magnetic closures, and an accordion divider system that holds 8-10 blades. Pre-order at ~$421.
