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Member Reviews => Reviews of Accessories, Gadgets and Tools => Topic started by: pmillen on April 25, 2024, 01:46:40 AM

Title: Four Mcusta Zanmai Beyond Aogami Knives
Post by: pmillen on April 25, 2024, 01:46:40 AM
Introduction
At no point should you get the impression that I have anything more than a rudimentary comprehension of Japanese knives and Japanese knifesmiths.  I don’t speak Japanese, I am not a metallurgist, I don’t have a time machine, and I am a middling cook.  But I have been fascinated by knives, having almost a reverence for them, since I started working alongside my father in his custom butcher shop.

A few years ago, I refocused my attention from US manufactured knives to Japanese knives.  Japanese knifesmiths had started making major changes to their wares as the Japanese diet changed because of Commodore Matthew Perry’s arrival in Japan.

On a quiet 1853 July evening, he and his fleet of gunboats chugged into Tokyo Bay to pressure Japan, which had kept its borders closed for hundreds of years, to trade with the United States.  Soon after, Japan opened its doors and through them came elements of the Western lifestyle including red meat in the diet.  The single purpose, single bevel, Japanese knives used on fish and vegetables weren’t suitable.  Bladesmiths responded with new designs.   The most popular is their version of the chef knife, the gyuto, for preparing proteins and vegetables.  They also adopted the chef knife’s double bevel (50/50 grind).

Japanese knives have always had lighter blades with narrow bevels (15° per side 30° combined); Western knives have always had wider bevels (20° per side, 40° total angle).  Where a Western utility knife can take on beef and cabbage, there is a separate Japanese knife for each.  Even though each Japanese knife is meant to do less, many argue that specialization makes them better at what they do.

Because Japanese and Western knives lead different lives, they do not dull or wear down in the same way.  Western knives—moving from chicken to dicing onions—require a durable edge made of softer steel that won’t crack or chip if the knife encounters a bone.  Japanese knives have been less forgiving, made with a harder steel that’s brittle and prone to chip, under the assumption that the cooks know what they are doing, at least enough to keep the vegetable knives away from the fish.

A Western knife stays sharp as long as you hone it often.  Old Japanese knives stayed sharp as long as you didn’t misuse them.  The first is designed to take a beating and to bend instead of break, and the second was designed to keep its edge when properly used—but they chipped.  But relatively recently, Japanese knife fragility has been reduced as Japanese metallurgists developed an incredibly hard steel providing excellent edge retention and resistance to narrow bevel chipping.

I’ve wanted a knife, or knives, made from Japan's best high carbon steel, Hitachi’s Aogami Super (Blue Super), since I first heard of it.  Blue Super is renowned for its edge-holding, behind the edge thinness, and resistance to chipping.  It occupies the apex position on the knife steel list.

I looked for a knife with a specific core (edge) steel, Aogami Super (Blue Super).  I passed on all Damascus finished knives because (1) I didn’t find any using Blue Super steel for the core and (2) they add about $200 to each knife—I tried to be at least somewhat prudent/sensible.  The Damascus look doesn’t add anything useful, and they aren’t truly Damascus blade construction, they just look like it.

I bought these four Mcusta knives immediately after learning of them.  They are forged in the modern Japanese way; the edge steel is the core steel (hagane) sandwiched between layers of soft cladding (jigane).  They are Mcusta’s top of the line.

Product Names
(https://onedrive.live.com/embed?resid=F0F93C30BD30E64F%21180493&authkey=%21AEUgKEyh17dU6OY&width=423&height=295)

From top to bottom–
Product Purpose
These are kitchen knives.
Product Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
My Impressions and Other Thoughts
(https://onedrive.live.com/embed?resid=F0F93C30BD30E64F%21180501&authkey=%21AEUgKEyh17dU6OY&width=529&height=365)
Would I Recommend this Product
I would recommend them to anyone who will understand their idiosyncrasies. 

MSRP
Sujihiki, $365.00
Kiritsuke Gyuto, $336.00
Nakiri, $276.00
Petty, $228.00
Title: Re: Four Mcusta Zanmai Beyond Aogami Knives
Post by: Kristin Meredith on April 25, 2024, 07:36:43 AM
Wow!  What a great and thorough review.  I learned so much.  In fact, I learned enough to know I don't have the skills and patience to use these knives, but I so appreciate knowing about them.  Thank you Paul and I hope you enjoy these spectacular knives for a long time!
Title: Re: Four Mcusta Zanmai Beyond Aogami Knives
Post by: BigDave83 on April 25, 2024, 08:06:27 AM
Very informative post about these. I like and have to many knives, and would love to have a set of these, but the way I hack and chop at things they would be ruined in no time, so I would just have to display them. Also I am a cheap A so I could not see me dropping that kind of money on something I would surely enjoy, but also destroy them in the process.

Thank you for sharing these with us.
Title: Re: Four Mcusta Zanmai Beyond Aogami Knives
Post by: Bentley on April 25, 2024, 09:33:41 AM
Now that's a review!  I should have the Weber sent to you!
Title: Re: Four Mcusta Zanmai Beyond Aogami Knives
Post by: Brushpopper on April 25, 2024, 10:01:51 AM
I love sharp knives and they love my fingers.  We couldn't have anything that sharp here.  I keep my Pampered Chef knives very sharp and I too cringe when my wife grabs one because she doesn't treat them well.  Thankfully she has one old Chicago Cutlery knife she likes because I seldom sharpen it for her and she likes it that way.  It doesn't cut fingers as bad when it's dull she says.
Title: Re: Four Mcusta Zanmai Beyond Aogami Knives
Post by: pmillen on April 25, 2024, 11:26:07 AM
I learned enough to know I don't have the skills and patience to use these knives...

Except for the patina forming on the barely exposed Super Blue cutting edge, they should look and cut the same as the day you took them out of the box.  They aren't indestructible, I suppose the dishwasher could ruin the handle, but your typical kitchen knife use and clean-up is sufficient.

They aren't fragile.  To the contrary, Super Blue is the toughest knife steel available.
Title: Re: Four Mcusta Zanmai Beyond Aogami Knives
Post by: pmillen on April 25, 2024, 11:45:30 AM
It doesn't cut fingers as bad when it's dull she says.

My dad repeatedly told me that I was more likely to cut myself with a dull knife than a sharp one.  I could never figure out the reasoning behind that statement but I never asked.  He wasn't fond of "Why?" questions, especially in a production environment.

I do know this about using a dull knife—in butchers' jargon you're "pushing a dull knife."  Your hands and forearms will cramp unbearably after a few hours of it.

I have a sentimental attachment to a 45-year old replica of a Chicago Cutlery butcher's knife from dad's shop.  I found it, new, in a strip mall discount kitchen supplies shop.  It was a regularly used carving knife until few years ago.  I should resurrect it.  It'll still do the job—but it's ugly (beautiful when considering functionality).

(https://onedrive.live.com/embed?resid=F0F93C30BD30E64F%21175091&authkey=%21AFMFWa10N7jAORI&width=393&height=79)

The Chicago Cutlery knives are examples of aWestern knife's edge made of softer steel that won’t crack or chip when hitting bone, the edge just bends over slightly and is easily straightened by honing on a butcher's steel.
Title: Re: Four Mcusta Zanmai Beyond Aogami Knives
Post by: Brushpopper on April 25, 2024, 11:52:59 AM
I was always told you'll cut yourself worse with a dull knife also but I can't get her to understand that.  My uncle owned a slaughterhouse and I spent a lot of time there as a kid.  I sure wish I had some of the knives those guys used.
Title: Re: Four Mcusta Zanmai Beyond Aogami Knives
Post by: pmillen on April 29, 2024, 01:25:09 PM
Here's their home–

(https://onedrive.live.com/embed?resid=F0F93C30BD30E64F%21180514&authkey=%21AEUgKEyh17dU6OY&width=660)
Title: Re: Four Mcusta Zanmai Beyond Aogami Knives
Post by: pmillen on April 29, 2024, 01:56:49 PM
Now that's a review!  I should have the Weber sent to you!

That's very kind of you to say, Bentley, but I couldn't write a good smoker review.  I can most easily talk and write about things I know and I don't know smokers/grills as well as you.  You are certainly better equipped to write those performance reviews.