Martin Yan Nakiri

My friend asked me to sharpen his 25 or so year old Martin Yan knife. It's Stainless Steel and sharpened pretty easily. Does anybody know what steel this knife was made from. It is engraved with Martin Yan and some logo and it has Japan engraved on the left side next to the handle.

Jack

Jack-

I have a similar knife. Martin Yan had a chinese cooking show on PBS, probably from San Francisco. He marketed these as his personal cleaver design and I think they were made by Messermeister. Mine a 200 x 80 mm blade, nice F&F and Yan's name and etched signature on the left side. Every now and then someone expresses a yen for a larger nakiri and I wonder if they'd like it.


Pavel

jacko9 said:

My friend asked me to sharpen his 25 or so year old Martin Yan knife. It's Stainless Steel and sharpened pretty easily. Does anybody know what steel this knife was made from. It is engraved with Martin Yan and some logo and it has Japan engraved on the left side next to the handle.

Jack

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Are you sure this is a nakiri? Because I picked up a Martin Yan "chef's knife" on eBay that was advertised as being from the late 70's/early 80's. It was unused with all the packing slips. The knife was pristine but the wooden handle had discoloration on the brass bolster and pins. It had Japan on one side and Martin Yan in script on the other side with a square black kanji logo. On the opposite end was a hole for hanging. Looks like a wide nakiri or narrow cleaver. The insert says its a molybdenum/high carbon stain resistant alloy blade honed to a 20 degree V-taper with a "rocker shaped cutting edge" and that the manufacturer is MAC Knife Inc.

HomeCook said:

Are you sure this is a nakiri? Because I picked up a Martin Yan "chef's knife" on eBay that was advertised as being from the late 70's/early 80's. It was unused with all the packing slips. The knife was pristine but the wooden handle had discoloration on the brass bolster and pins. It had Japan on one side and Martin Yan in script on the other side with a square black kanji logo. On the opposite end was a hole for hanging. Looks like a wide nakiri or narrow cleaver. The insert says its a molybdenum/high carbon stain resistant alloy blade honed to a 20 degree V-taper with a "rocker shaped cutting edge" and that the manufacturer is MAC Knife Inc.

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Yes this is probably the same knife and after I put an edge on it it cuts very nicely. I only called it a Nakiri because of it's shape since it's much smaller and thinner than cleavers I've used before (mostly German ones).

My friend and his wife have been very happy with this knife but, he doesn't know how to sharpen so I thought I might get him interested in learning by showing how sharp his knives can actually be if he bought a few water stones (I'll probably give him a few stones if he's interested).

Thanks for the info,

Jack