mazaki knives

[jonnachang]

2018
Mazaki at his best.

2019 wasn’t bad either.

 

[rmrf]

Personally I think the hate for the triangle profile is a bit overblown; I actually prefer it over for example the Yoshikane - although admittedly their profiles are also somewhat divisive. It's a bit too heavy and tall for my taste - but that's more of an indication that I'm simply not a workhorse guy. And I'm simply not a fan of the iron cladding; I have the same dislike about my Y. Tanaka... but again that's a personal preference. However for the price you get a very well-finished great looking knife, with excellent F&F, a fat spine above the heel that makes just about any knife blush, and a really really nice distal taper.
If he made them in blue or blue super... with less reactive cladding... I don't think people would care about TF anymore.

I agree that the hate for the triangle is overblown. It took a month or so to adapt, but once I did it became my favorite. My JNS mazaki just sits in a box now. However, I'm also a fan of Yoshikane so ymmv. What I love most about mazaki is the distal taper.

I would love if he made knives SS clad or in something less reactive. Thats my biggest pet peeve with mazaki and why I keep a yoshikane and a blazen around.

 

[Gregmega]

I think a few things play a role:
-Hype is always a bit temporary....in the past the forum had phases for plenty of other knife makers... usually they tend to fade mostly because anyone who cares about it has one (or more); the cheaper a knife the faster it happens because it's less cost-prohibitive.
-I think some editions didn't necessarily implode on him, but did hurt enthusiasm: the honyakis and damascus were ludicrously overpriced, the triangle gyutos were not everyone's cup of tea, and then on top of that a lot of those triangles (and some of the expensive knives too) came with those crappy walnut bolster handle that pretty much no one liked.

Personally I think the hate for the triangle profile is a bit overblown; I actually prefer it over for example the Yoshikane - although admittedly their profiles are also somewhat divisive. It's a bit too heavy and tall for my taste - but that's more of an indication that I'm simply not a workhorse guy. And I'm simply not a fan of the iron cladding; I have the same dislike about my Y. Tanaka... but again that's a personal preference. However for the price you get a very well-finished great looking knife, with excellent F&F, a fat spine above the heel that makes just about any knife blush, and a really really nice distal taper.
If he made them in blue or blue super... with less reactive cladding... I don't think people would care about TF anymore.

I have 3 in blue (1&2) & one in blue super. All fine specimens. And every range from bullnose to triangle, but those early ones are still absolute fuego.

 

[Jovidah]

I agree that the hate for the triangle is overblown. It took a month or so to adapt, but once I did it became my favorite. My JNS mazaki just sits in a box now. However, I'm also a fan of Yoshikane so ymmv. What I love most about mazaki is the distal taper.

I would love if he made knives SS clad or in something less reactive. Thats my biggest pet peeve with mazaki and why I keep a yoshikane and a blazen around.

I quite like my Maz 270 suji. Nice and stiff; no flex when cutting denser stuff. It's from the triangle gen as well but I don't see how that could be a problem.

I'm with you on the reactivity; it's a bit too much for me. Not a problem on the suji but on the gyuto it's no bueno.

 

[simona]

Is Mazaki a slow imploding knife maker or is he going strong? From the “normal” initial WH profiles to kind of flat ones, to $2,500K Damascus knives - some of which people returned because of quality - is he still a fan favorite?

Wonder if he has lost his path

I have one of his earlier blue 1’s - fabulous. But since then, would not buy his knives today

Am I mistaken about him?

I bought 2 of his a few months ago - my first experience of his work. Very nice. Shiro #2, KU Nashi-ji finish. The nakiri is extremely well balanced, with a great edge - have not had to sharpen it yet. I only have 1 gyuto - which is his, and that has a light feel to it, fine profile and for a non-gyuto fan quite the revelation. On top of that I think the craftsmanship is superb. I will certainly buy more of his.

 

[Tanalasta]

Whilst I didn’t quite get the Hon-Sanmai knives Mazaki Hon-Sanmai Blue 2 Gyuto 210/ 225/ 240 mm, with K&S Heart-shaped Ebony Handle and Wenge Wood Saya

Someone explain to me why these are that much more special than his regular line.

However, I do love the first Mazaki I ever bought. It’s super thin and the tip. And we don’t buy iron clad knives to hate patina. Perhaps I should have put a lighter handle on it.

 

[OkayMode]

Thought i'd resurrect this thread as the hype definitely seems to have died down despite the latest profile seemingly going back towards the less pointy triangle days.

Here's the latest profile from Knifewear, the stock at from the drop earlier this year at Carbon is pointier though, oddly.

I'm very eagerly looking for one of the BBQ or blue steel 240's currently, so DM me about that if you want.

 

[ReiHamono]

I swear I saw a video of his shop and he had at least 6 spring hammers in there.

My guess is he has his crew do all of the prelaminated stuff and then he does all the specialty orders and Katos himself?

This was written years ago when these just appeared and never changed. JNS doesn’t even carry mazaki anymore, so you can’t go by this for current production. With the numbers of vendors and knives out there, how can he possibly hand laminate all of it?

 

[NotAddictedYet]

Thought i'd resurrect this thread as the hype definitely seems to have died down despite the latest profile seemingly going back towards the less pointy triangle days.

Here's the latest profile from Knifewear, the stock at from the drop earlier this year at Carbon is pointier though, oddly.

I'm very eagerly looking for one of the BBQ or blue steel 240's currently, so DM me about that if you want.

View attachment 252002

I have his triangle profile gyuto. I thought I would love the ultra flat profile but I didn't, maybe it's a technique thing but I found it to accordion more than I expected. This new profile is a welcoming change for me, maybe it's time to try one of the newer profiles or find an older bbq one.

 

[SwampDonkey]

This was the 2022 K&S one. I actually really liked the profile, just had issues with the grind so sold it. I'd like to try another at some point.

 

[dehory]

Another data point in the name of science… My 240 from the Dec 2022 K&S release. Perhaps a little more upsweep approaching the tip than SwampDonkey’s copy. I actually really enjoy the profile and have no grind complaints…

 

[Cliff]

I got mine from KnS in 2020, with a similar profile. It's a great profile. The grind was pretty chunky. I've been dialing it in over time. Still needs some work.

 

[instantramen]

I used to own a 150mm migaki petty from Mazaki, and after thinning it was the crispiest knife I owned. I eventually sold it because of the reactivity (and realizing I don't like 150mm petties) but I kept my 240mm kurouchi from 2022 with the intention of keeping it a bit thicker. The grind is great as it gracefully shoulders food out of the way, but I'm gonna try not to thin it out to the point of being as crispy as my old petty or indistinguishable from my thinner knives (e.g. Tetsujin) -- feels like it would lose its "Mazaki"-ness.

 

[OkayMode]

Another data point in the name of science… My 240 from the Dec 2022 K&S release. Perhaps a little more upsweep approaching the tip than SwampDonkey’s copy. I actually really enjoy the profile and have no grind complaints…

Oof this one is nice - is it the standard prelam W#2?

 

[dehory]

Oof this one is nice - is it the standard prelam W#2?

Yep, standard white 2 migaki.

I think @instantramen makes a good point — what makes a Mazaki “chunky” to one person is also what gives it that Mazaki-ness to someone else. If I wanted a thinner knife, I’d probably reach for something else, but there’s something quite satisfying about Mazaki’s authoritative OOTB cutting feel.

 

[Cliff]

I gather some of them have gotten quite thin. I have a 2019 JNS version with what is to me a perfect grind, authoritative but quite thin behind the edge, broadly similar to a Konosuke MM. Then I have a more recent KnS version that's quite a bit chunkier and has required quite a bit of thinning to get close to a similar place.

 

[RevJoe]

How do you know if you have a prelaminated?

 

[Markcg]

How do you know if you have a prelaminated?

He engraves honsanmai on the reverse for the double bevels he forge welds. If it’s without engraving, I’d assume it’s from prelaminated stock.

 

[RevJoe]

What's the symbol look like. I think all my Mazaki knifes are marked on both sides. If memory serves me right they are also all pre 2020 except maybe my 90mm petty.

 

[Markcg]

What's the symbol look like. I think all my Mazaki knifes are marked on both sides. If memory serves me right they are also all pre 2020 except maybe my 90mm petty.

本三枚　then the steel type

 

[dehory]

What's the symbol look like. I think all my Mazaki knifes are marked on both sides. If memory serves me right they are also all pre 2020 except maybe my 90mm petty.

Source: Mazaki Hon-Sanmai Blue 2 Gyuto 210/ 225/ 240 mm, with K&S Heart-shaped Ebony Handle and Wenge Wood Saya

 

[OkayMode]

How do you know if you have a prelaminated?

It would have been more expensive if it was hon sanmai too.

 

[OkayMode]

Yep, standard white 2 migaki.

I think @instantramen makes a good point — what makes a Mazaki “chunky” to one person is also what gives it that Mazaki-ness to someone else. If I wanted a thinner knife, I’d probably reach for something else, but there’s something quite satisfying about Mazaki’s authoritative OOTB cutting feel.

Agreed, I love using the knives I have that are super thin at the edge (TxK, Nakagawa x Myojin, Yoake etc) but I do have to adapt how I cut to avoid sticking in the board.

I end up doing a kind of up and down chop motion with a slight backwards draw for most produce, or have to be a bit more careful with push cuts when you need the extra force for harder ingredients.

With my Mazaki and other workhorses I can just go to town on the push cuts with some good rhythm and even keep the forward motion going once I’ve hit the board in order to ensure there are no accordion cuts whilst moving quickly. I haven’t worked in a pro kitchen for a while now so my technique is probably not as good as it used to be.

It’s fun to change up between both types of grind and appreciate their different pros and cons.

 

[simona]

These were just sold, have not seen Mazaki ginsan before

https://www.jauce.com/auction/p1097826803https://www.jauce.com/auction/v1097832824

 

[Choppin]

These were just sold, have not seen Mazaki ginsan before

https://www.jauce.com/auction/p1097826803https://www.jauce.com/auction/v1097832824

I believe JNS did a Mazaki Ginsan series a few years ago.

 

[Patinated]

This was the 2022 K&S one. I actually really liked the profile, just had issues with the grind so sold it. I'd like to try another at some point.


View attachment 252373
View attachment 252374

What was the issue with the grind??

 

[SwampDonkey]

What was the issue with the grind??

I made a few posts about it back in January with more explanations but it was super wedgey and performed poorly/mediocre on both soft and hard produce. I thinned it a fair amount and that improved performance, but it was still the least effective cutter of any of my knives whilst being the most expensive, at the time. I'm fine with a workhorse grind, Munetoshi is one of my very favorite knives, but the maz just wasn't effective. Especially since everyone up to that point said there's were thick spine and super thin BTE and mine was decidedly not, with much less distal taper than advertised too.

Good experience learning how to thin and add convexity though, it was a fun project knife and I loved how reactive the cladding was.

 

[OkayMode]

Yep, standard white 2 migaki.

I think @instantramen makes a good point — what makes a Mazaki “chunky” to one person is also what gives it that Mazaki-ness to someone else. If I wanted a thinner knife, I’d probably reach for something else, but there’s something quite satisfying about Mazaki’s authoritative OOTB cutting feel.

I think I was a little shocked the prelam looked so good purely because the stock handle looks so bad and it’s massively improved with some nice ebony.

 

[dehory]

I think I was a little shocked the prelam looked so good purely because the stock handle looks so bad and it’s massively improved with some nice ebony.

If you end up picking up that hon-sanmai blue on CKTG forums, I’d love to know how you like it. I was very curious about it myself, but wasn’t sure about how heavy it is for a 240!

 

[OkayMode]

If you end up picking up that hon-sanmai blue on CKTG forums, I’d love to know how you like it. I was very curious about it myself, but wasn’t sure about how heavy it is for a 240!

I hadn’t gotten a notification he had replied… thanks for the heads up!