Halcro, If Brakemeier gets back to me with any new info, I'll post it.
You throw Raul under the bus in defense of...? You're the one who should be ashamed.
ct0517,
The shibata was the first extended contact tip. It preceded the line contact. The diamond is cut with a different facet on the front and back surfaces. This gives a curved contact area as the record spins, and is characterized by an extended and slightly softened high end.
There are two sizes of shibata. The review made reference to the original shibata, but was unclear whether this was in reference to size or shape. Tip dimensions were not given.