Miyabi is top of the line when it comes to knives, and if you are in the market to buy a set, then any of the options below would be perfect.
Why do I need a Miyabi Knife Set? Is it worth the money? These knives are expensive - do they live up to their name? What is different about Miyabi?
Read all about it below ...
And if you already know which set you are considering, feel free to click any link below, otherwise, keep reading for the whole review ...
Reasons And Options
There are many “life hackers” in the world who say that buying a set of knives is a waste of money, but this cannot be further from the truth. There are plenty of reasons why getting a knife set is a better choice.
Some tell us that all you need is one or maybe two knives that you would buy individually. Sure, you can peel a vegetable with a chef’s knife, but it would be a lot simpler with a smaller knife that has more control, like a paring knife.
As a cook, you need to have your options open, when a certain task falls before you. Each knife has little tweaks to their design, that makes them better for specific tasks than other knives.
Plus, if you were to buy them individually, then where would you keep them? In a drawer, where they will be Damaged? At this cost? No way!!! You could buy a block separately to hold them, but that is just an added expense, for just one or two knives.
Will you use one knife more than another?
Of course, you will, but that is not the nature of cooking. Maybe if you cooked the same thing over, and over, and over again. Anyone who has ever prepared their own meals at home will tell you, that variety and improvisation are just as important as the recipe.
The point is that you will never know what knife you will need, to fulfill a specific purpose at any given time.
What does Miyabi Mean?
Miyabi, like Wabi-sabi, is a traditional Japanese aesthetic ideal, which told the aristocratic class what was tasteful and beautiful. It has a few meanings, roughly translated, such as “elegance,” refinement,” or “courtliness.”
The ideal sought to get rid of anything vulgar, or absurd, to polish your manners, and diction in an effort to achieve the highest grace. It was part of Japanese history known as the Heian period, which started about 800 AD to the late 1100s.
This period was the peak of Japanese imperial court and brought forth some of its most noteworthy art, especially poetry and art.
What is a Miyabi Knife
Miyabi is a line of knives manufactured in Seki, Japan by a company called Zwilling JA Henckels. Seki is THE place where the art of Japanese blades was developed going back 800 years.
Back then, Motoshige migrated to Seki, for its natural resources of iron sand, charcoal, water, and soil. This access to materials allowed him to craft the best katanas, but in the late 1800’s a law was passed, to stop people publically carrying weapons.
To stay in business, the craftsmen used their knowledge to design and create, smaller versions of the blades. In other words, they made knives.
How good are Miyabi knives?
They are considered the Ferrari of knives. Hand-crafted all the way from the forging to the final sharpening.
You can tell that a lot of thought and attention to detail, went into making each one of these knives.
Except for the Fusion series, they all have a mosaic pin, that looks like it is one piece but is actually 15 to 20 individual pieces of copper, bronze, and stainless steel that have been pressed into the handle.
All the parts of the knife fit perfectly flush with each other, making it nice and smooth all the way around.
Let’s look at the qualities and characteristics that you will find with the blade of every Miyabi knife that is mentioned in this article.
Steel
The core of each blade is forged from steel that is either classified as VG-10 or SG2.
The VG-10 is a stainless steel that is considered the “gold-standard” in kitchenware. It is a “high carbon” steel, even though the actual carbon content is relatively low.
Its combination of carbon, molybdenum, chromium, vanadium, and cobalt, gives this metal the ability to hold an edge, withstand rust, and be very durable. It has a Rockwell hardness of 60.
The SG2 steel is haphazardly referred to as “Super Gold” even though no gold is present. It is also a high carbon steel but is made with a different process.
It starts out in powder form then it is sintered to melt each particle together. It has a Rockwell hardness of 63, which gives it the ability to be really thin without breaking. See how this can be good for knives? All this technicality really boils down to increased performance and ease of use for us!
You can get these blades down to a 9-degree edge which is half of what most knives are capable of.
Cryodur Process
Each blade goes through what is known as the Cryodur process which involves heating the metal then freezing it to a temperature of -196 degrees Celsius (-320 degrees Fahrenheit) until it hardens.
That is cold. Space is -454 degrees Fahrenheit and the coldest temperature recorded on Earth was -128 degrees Fahrenheit.
This procedure creates a steel blade that is highly resistant to corrosion, flexible, and strong enough to last a long time.
"Damascus Kitchen Knives” - What are they?
Damascus steel refers to an old technique that creates a beautiful design that looks either flowery or resembles flowing water. It was named after the capital of Syria and was known to be shatter resistant, sharp, and resilient.
The exact technique has been lost since the mid-1700s but today the decadent look can be created by adding thin layers of stainless steel on each side of the knife.
Tsuchime Method
After the final layers have been added then the top of the blade is hammered, by hand, to create pockets of air, this is so the food won’t stick to the blade, when you’ve used them you will appreciate this forever!
Tsuchime is just a word that means "hammered."
Honbazuke Honing
Last but not least, each knife goes through a traditional Japanese honing technique called Honbazuke.
It is a three-stage process that starts with a sharpening stone that is vertically rotating, then to one that is horizontally rotating, and finally moves to a leather stropping block where it is polished to a sharpnes
Why buy "expensive kitchen knives”?
If you spend a lot of time in the kitchen then you know how important a sharp knife can be.
As you can see from the above process, Miyabi uses the highest quality steel and techniques, to bring you knives that will stay sharp for a long time.
Even if they dull a little over time, which all knives do, then you will be able to hone the edge back to 9 degrees.
Choosing an “expensive knife set”, like Miyabi, is a lifetime investment that is not only practical but is also very decadent. Everyone who comes in your kitchen will be impressed.
What are the “essential kitchen knives?”
Chef’s Knife
The knife that does most of the heavy lifting in the kitchen, out of all the knives to choose from, is the Chef’s knife. It is considered an all-purpose knife, b any other type of cutting, hence all-purpose.
When dealing with Japanese knives they are sometimes referred to as “Gyuto.”
Paring Knife
A paring knife is a smaller knife, around 3 to 4 inches. It is mainly used for peeling vegetables by holding them in your hand, and able knife (for obvious reasons,) petty knife, or for the Japanese a “Chutoh”.
Utility Knife
These knives are usually bigger than a paring knife but shorter than a chef’s knife. They are useful if you have bigger hands for peeling veggies or if the meats are too small for a chef’s knife.
Santoku Knife
The Santoku style of knives can be used for multiple purposes as well. The word “Santoku” is said to mean “three virtues” for its marketed uses which are slicing, dicing, and mincing.
Their design leaves the blade straight all the way to the tip which makes it lie flat on the cutting board. Although this makes it difficult when you need the tip it comes in handy when you have to scoop all your diced onions into the pot.%0ur knuckles flush against the blade.
The Slicer
True to its name, this one does exactly what you think it does. It slices.
You might think to yourself, “I can do that with any knife.” This is true but with other knives there is more of a sawing motion, this leaves your meats not very pleasing to the eye.
With one backward motion, you can present beautiful uniform slices of brisket, roast, or any of your favorite meats, and fish. Especially, sushi!
The Bread Knife
The blade for this particular utensil is serrated, which makes it perfect for, wait for it, slicing bread. However, there are a few uses that many people don’t think about.
The serrated blade is also useful for:
- Cutting tomatoes into thin slices
- Breaking a block of chocolate into smaller piece… cutting cake without having the crumbs explode all over.
Now let’s take a look at some of the sets that contain knives in different combinations …
Top Miyabi Knife Sets
Miyabi Kaizen 7 Piece Block Knife Set
Miyabi Kaizen 7 Piece Knife Block contains ...
The Steel - VG-10 (60 Rockwell Hardness)
Damascus design - 64 layers of stainless steel (32 on each side)
The Handle is made from black linen micarta and features the mosaic pin with red spacers on each end. The metal end cap is engraved with the logo.
Set Includes:
- 5” Vegetable Knife
- 6” Utility Knife
- 8” Chef's Knife
- 5” Bread knife
- 9” Miyabi Sharpening Steel
- Kitchen Shears
- Miyabi Bamboo storage block
Miyabi Fusion 7 Piece Knife Block Set
The Steel - VG-10 (60 Rockwell Hardness)
Damascus design - 64 layers of stainless steel (32 each side)
The Handle is a little different than the others with more of a western style. It has a full tang, which means that there are two pieces of black resin called Duracon, and red accents that are connected on either side with three rivets.
This set is known as the Morimoto Series, which are designed and a
Set Includes:
- 5” Paring Knife
- 5” Utility Knife
- 8” Chef's Knife
- 9” Bread knife
- 9” Miyabi Sharpening Steel
- Kitchen Shears
- Miyabi Bamboo storage block
Miyabi Mizu SG2 7-piece Knife Block Set
The Steel – SG2 (63 Rockwell Hardness)
Damascus design – 1 layer of SG2 on each side
The Handle is made from micarta and has a D-shaped handle. Complemented with red spacers on both ends and the logo engraved on the metal end cap.
Set Includes:
- 5” Paring Knife
- 5” Utility Knife
- 8” Chef’s Knife
- 5” Bread knife
- 9” Tungsten Sharpening Steel
- Kitchen Shears
- Miyabi Bamboo storage block
Miyabi Birchwood GS2 7 Piece Knife Block Set
The Steel – SG2 (63 Rockwell Hardness)
Damascus design – 100 layers – 50 each side
The Hanin this set are forged steel, and the honing stick is made from a tungsten carbide, which works better on SG2 Steel.
Set Includes:
- 3.5″ Paring Knife
- 5” Utility Knife
- 7” Santoku Knife
- 8” Chef’s Knife
- 9” Bread Knife
- 9” Slicing Knife
- 9” Tungsten Sharpening Steel
- Stainless Steel Kitchen Shears
- 12 Slot Miyabi Bamboo Storage Block
Miyabi Kaizen 10 Piece Block Knife Set
The Steel – SG2 (63 Rockwell Hardness)
Damascus design – 100 layers – 50 each side
The Hanin this set are forged steel, and the honing stick is made from a tungsten carbide, which works better on SG2 Steel.
Set Includes:
- 3.5″ Paring Knife
- 5” Utility Knife
- 7” Santoku Knife
- 8” Chef’s Knife
- 9” Bread Knife
- 9” Slicing Knife
- 9” Tungsten Sharpening Steel
- Stainless Steel Kitchen Shears
- 12 Slot Miyabi Bamboo Storage Block
Miyabi Knife Set Comparisons
Considering Cost
If you are on a budget (if that is a term connected to Miyabi at all?), then the best ones to choose from are either the Kaizen (7 piece) or the Fusion (Morimoto Series.) The deciding factor on which set, would have to be your own personal preference on the handle. If you like the ergonomic western style of the Fusion then that will be better for you.
Or You Want A Lifetime Quality Set?
On the higher end, the Kaizen (10 piece) is a great deal due to the number of knives you get, combined with the quality of Miyabi in general.
However, it is a little more expensive than the Kaizen (10 piece), with fewer knives, but the shears and the honing stick are the most top notch out of all of the sets. Plus, the look to these knives is just gorgeous.
The Bamboo storage block also has extra spaces, so if down the road you want to get those extra knives then you will have a home for them.
Sharpening Steel
Each of these sets comes with the Miyabi Sharpening Steel. We have an article especially on How to Sharpen Miyabi Knives which is really useful!
Word to the Wise
The Mizu set has great quality knives but the shears and honing stick are sub-par quality. This is more of a mid-range price so if you are on a budget then I would stick with the recommendations above. Or if you wish to purchase a single Miyabi Knife, and build your set up that way, we have a review of which Miyabi Knife.
Conclusion
Miyabi knives are some of the best cutlery in the world. Whether it is the steel they use or the handcrafted design, with specific attention to detail.
Most will agree that you should buy yourself a great knife, that will last a long time, even if it costs a few extra shekels.
You will do a lot of cooking in your lifetime and you never know what you will have to slice, dice, cut, chop, mince, etc. Also, cooking is something done with family and friends. Some of them might have big hands or small hands. Others might only be good with one knife over the other.
The point is that you don’t know what you will come across, in your journey through the kitchen in life. So, it is a great investment, to make sure those knives are ready to go, at a moment’s notice, when you need them the most.