When we talk about knives that are made from the knife- making capital of Japan in Seki City, there are very few on the list and one of this are Misono knives. It seems that there are a lot of similarities between knives made from Seki City but what makes a misono knife stands out is the quality, sharpness and design with a western style inspiration.

Though these knives are made using the basic and traditional craftsmanship, it has added several processes that have become their trade secret in making these high quality knives.

Why Buy This Brand?

One of the qualities that makes a misono knife a special cutting tool for chefs is their sharpness and bevel. Most of their knives have a sharpness ranging from 50 to 60 on the Rockwell C Scale or HRC making them very sharp. All knives have a bevel which is the slanted edge of a knife blade where it dictates the type of cutting and ease of slicing.

They have produced different angles of bevel that is designed for a specific way of cutting which gives you several choices of knife models. Their signature model is the UX 10 which uses high pressure special stainless steel from Sweden.

This well-balanced knife is rust resistant with an extremely sharp edge that can easily be re-sharpened. The basic misono UX 10 knife has a sharpness of 59 to 60 HRC and a two sided bevel of 70/30 which gives you long lasting edge retention. It also has a riveted nickel silver bolster which adds to the overall durability of the knife.

Misono Knife UX10 Series

Gyutou

The popularity of the UX 10 model has created a series of specialty knives that has become a flagship of misono craftsmanship. The 310 millimeter long UX 10 Gyutou is a versatile knife used for cutting meat, fish and vegetables.

This lightweight and thin knife has a blade thickness of 2mm and width at 40mm. The blade length of this knife is 185mm and handle at 127mm weighing a total of 154 grams where most chefs consider this perfect for preparing western dishes.

Sujihiki

Similar to the western style yanagi knife, the Misono UX 10 Sujihiki is longer than the gyutou with a total length of 370mm and thicker blades at 2.4mm making this the prefect knife for slicing hams and making fish fillets. The shorter width of the blades at 28mm creates less friction and easily goes through the meat when slicing giving you the chance to use the entire blade in just one stroke.

Santoko

Meaning three virtues, the Misono UX 10 Santoko is an all-purpose knife with a high blade profile making it suited for kitchen with a small space. Having a total length of 310mm, blade length of 185mm, thickness at 2mm and width of 47mm weighing a total of 170 grams, this knife gives you easy handling when cutting meat, fish and vegetables.

Misono Knife 440 (molybdenum)

Another signature model is the 440. It uses molybdenum steel that is topped with concentrated chromium which gives longer edge retention. It has a curved and water resistant handle designed for thinner handling.

The 440 model also has a series similar to the UX 10 model where you choose either the 440 gyotou, 440 Sujihiki and 440 Santoko where all blades are very sharp ranging from 58 to 59 HRC and bevel of 70/30.

Misono knives are so special that history tells us that its name come from a cutting tool used in an emperor’s garden. What is really good with these knives is that you can customize the handles. Set initially for right hand use, left hand users can custom made the handle giving them the right handle shape and angle ultimately giving you ease and comfort while slicing through your favorite farm ingredient.

If you would like more information on Japanese sharpening techniques and tips, then please read our interview here with Korin's Master Sharpener Vincent.