Miyabi Artisan vs Birchwood

Hi. I purchased a Miyabi Artisan 2-piece set at SLT last night but one of the blades has a mark that I want to exchange today. They had the Birchwood on display but none available for purchase, but its still on my mind

Which of the two would be a better buy? I've been googling all morning and know there are other Japanese contenders (Konosuke and such) but I like the look of these two and the blade seems to be decent enough for the money, plus I can buy locally.

I'm not sure if they have the same blade or or not, SG2? Anyway, would like to eventually own a set of one of these, but need to know which one to start with

They are both made with SG2 but the blade is not the same. The Artisan has a medium-thickness, more workhorse grind while the Birchwood has a thin laser grind...the Artisan also has a differently shaped profile, and is a good bit taller than the Birchwood (though not as tall as the Evolution line), the result of these factors is the Birchwood is a lot lighter (and thinner) than the Artisan. The cosmetics of both blades are also different, with the Artisan having a combination tsuchime (hammered) and sandblasted look (not damascus, even though it's described that way) and the Birchwood has a polished, layered damascus blade....both knives are clad.

The handles are also quite different, not only in color and shape obviously, but the Artisan has a Rosewood pakkawood handle that is stablized and resin-impregnated whereas the Birchwood is untreated wood, which feels great to the touch, but it's not as durable and can stain. Over time stains will lessen and start to fade, and you can also help protect the handles with mineral oil like you would a cutting board.

Most here would try to steer you away from getting a set, and while I have a Miyabi Artisan 8" and I like it, not getting a whole set would probably be my advice as well...but it's your money and you could certainly do worse. The Birchwood is a special knife...I would suggest getting one in the 8" chef size if you really like it, as that's a good size and that one is on promo from Zwilling right now. But that's a really pricey line to be collecting a whole set of, i.e. the bread and slicer knives are $300 each vs. those knives are $189 for the Artisan vs. myself I'm only prepared to spend ~$100 for a bread knife, and there are some really good slicing/suji knives out there for $200-300 and you aren't limited to 9.5" size (the only slicing knife size Miyabi makes).

Anyway hope you find this info useful.

Welcome to KKF!

Choosing between the Artisan and Birchwood comes down to your personal preference.

Both blades have an SG2 core, which should give them decent edge holding. The cladding is different - the Artisan is a hammered polished finish, while the Birchwood is a matte damascus.

As you say, there are other contenders available. Why not fill out the "Which knife should I buy?" questionnaire and let the forum suggest some?

http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/s...hich-Knife-Should-I-Buy-quot-Questionnaire-v2

Rick

Pensacola Tiger said:

while the Birchwood is a matte damascus.

Click to expand...

I'd say the Birchwood is a polished damascus look; the Kaizen or Fusion line is more matte damascus...and as I've outlined, the Artisan and Birchwood have quite a number of differences besides the look.

I've handled both, and would take the Birchwood, hands down. It just feels better, and the profile felt a lot nicer as well. Just a gut feeling thing, but I liked it far more than the Artisan line.

I have a birchwood (5000MCD-B) Parer and have seen them side by side with the artisan (6000MCT?) at the local shop. I don't care for the handle shape on the artisan and the blade almost seems too flashy for my liking. I really like the handle on the birchwood, but I've treated mine with wax/oil for protection too (also enhances the appearance).

richard summed it up pretty good in the first comment

Has anyone tried Tru-Oil on the Birchwood? Might work wonders.

spawn_x said:

Hi. I purchased a Miyabi Artisan 2-piece set at SLT last night but one of the blades has a mark that I want to exchange today. They had the Birchwood on display but none available for purchase, but its still on my mind

Which of the two would be a better buy? I've been googling all morning and know there are other Japanese contenders (Konosuke and such) but I like the look of these two and the blade seems to be decent enough for the money, plus I can buy locally.

I'm not sure if they have the same blade or or not, SG2? Anyway, would like to eventually own a set of one of these, but need to know which one to start with

Click to expand...

for the amount of money a birchwood costs, i would be looking at different knives .