have mac mth 80, been offered great deal on miyabi 5000mcd 67...i'm not a pro chef

C

canali

Joined
Apr 5, 2005
Messages
7
  1. hi there, newbie here.

    i have mostly german (Wusthof) knives...recently got back into knives, took a 2 hr whetsone shaprening class (loved it) and also bought a bunch of naniwa pro stones...so i further splurged on picking up a Mac mth 80 chef's 8'' recently due to all the kudos I've read on it (got it for a great price).

    but just yesterday I came across a person selling a mint Miyabi 5000 mcd 5000 67 (black ash handle).for a fab (2/3 off) price ....looked at some youtube vids on it...wow it that thing razor sharp (angles 9-12 degrees?).

    but my question:
    i'm no pro chef...how sharp and practical a knife would i need beyond a mac?
    and my further worry on this miyabi: having a rockwell hardness of 67 it's blade would be more brittle...plus harder to sharp (which i'd have a pro do anyway...i'm too green with sharpening...wouldn't even touch my mac knife yet).
    it's one of those things where i'm at ''want vs need'' on the Miyabi.
    can anyone relate?
 
canali said:
  1. hi there, newbie here.

    i have mostly german (Wusthof) knives...recently got back into knives, took a 2 hr whetsone shaprening class (loved it) and also bought a bunch of naniwa pro stones...so i further splurged on picking up a Mac mth 80 chef's 8'' recently due to all the kudos I've read on it (got it for a great price).

    but just yesterday I came across a person selling a mint Miyabi 5000 mcd 5000 67 (black ash handle).for a fab (2/3 off) price ....looked at some youtube vids on it...wow it that thing razor sharp (angles 9-12 degrees?).

    but my question:
    i'm no pro chef...how sharp and practical a knife would i need beyond a mac?
    and my further worry on this miyabi: having a rockwell hardness of 67 it's blade would be more brittle...plus harder to sharp (which i'd have a pro do anyway...i'm too green with sharpening...wouldn't even touch my mac knife yet).
    it's one of those things where i'm at ''want vs need'' on the Miyabi.
    can anyone relate?
Click to expand...
Most of us can relate to "want vs need"!
If you want it and you can afford it, I say buy it!:thumbsup:
 
In the kitchen, the sharper, the better. I love a freshly sharpened chef knife. It glides through things.

If it is an excellent price, I say get it and you can grow into it. If you like knives you will be looking to upgrade from MAC in no time. Your sharpening skills will improve quickly as you practice.

Miyabi is a pretty good knife. Get a wood cutting board, preferably end grain, to be a little easier on the hrc67 steel.
 
canali said:
i'm no pro chef...how sharp and practical a knife would i need beyond a mac?
Click to expand...
It depends on the recipes you use, how often and how much you cook, and your skills and technique.

canali said:
can anyone relate?
Click to expand...
Yes. I have some nice kitchen knives, but I get to use them maybe once or twice a week when I have the time and am in the mood for cooking. I could probably get by with cheaper ones. Sharpness and geometry is what matters. But they are a pleasure to work with and make me enjoy the cooking process more. I am limited by my skills, not my knives.
 
A high end knife in the kitchen means high end pleasure all along, even if you're just a soup cook like I am. Get that Miyabi, you won't regret it. Cooking will go to a higher level of enjoyment ! Wusthof ? Pshaw !
 
herisson said:
Cooking will go to a higher level of enjoyment !
Click to expand...
I've got to agree with this part. Cooking is a chore to be honest. But I go read up on good recipes, get the right ingredients, and follow the instructions, and then - wow, really amazing food that *I* cooked!

Best part is when you get to use a good knife with the right profile that is really sharp because you sharpened it yourself, and just watch it glide through produce. Slice up raw proteins with a single slice. Julienne, dice, and brunoise with the best of them (albeit much slower than a pro). Makes a really big difference when you have a high quality and sharp cooking knife.
 
Canali,
I will green light this purchase for you
Click to expand...
I'll tell you what I will do. If you buy it and hate it you can give it to me; I will take it off your hands.
Win / Win RIGHT ? !
 
You might want to investigate this knife.

From what I've read, the black series uses ZDP-189 run at 66 Rc. It's expensive, handle heavy with a thick blade and the cladding creates a lot of drag. It's going to be a bear to resharpen, unless you have good stones and good skills.

The birchwood series uses SG2, an excellent powder steel run at 63 Rc. It's not as handle heavy or have as thick a blade. And it's a lot cheaper. The 8-inch birchwood chef's knife is on sale at many places right now.
 
Twindog said:
You might want to investigate this knife.

From what I've read, the black series uses ZDP-189 run at 66 Rc. It's expensive, handle heavy with a thick blade and the cladding creates a lot of drag. It's going to be a bear to resharpen, unless you have good stones and good skills.

The birchwood series uses SG2, an excellent powder steel run at 63 Rc. It's not as handle heavy or have as thick a blade. And it's a lot cheaper. The 8-inch birchwood chef's knife is on sale at many places right now.
Click to expand...
I have read those same opinions on forums frequented by pro chefs who are also into knives.

I have a few knives in SG2 and they sharpen up very nicely on my water stones. ZDP might be more of a challenge.
 
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