This Kitchen Knife Is Both Functional and Frameworthy

Miyabi makes its knives in Seki, the home of Japanese samurai-sword makers. The brand’s $280 chef’s knife—usually an 8-inch-long blade with a 5-inch handle— is a favorite among professionals, including Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, who endorses two Miyabi cutlery series. A scalpel-sharp blade is protected by 100 layers of stainless steel, forged into a Damascene pattern, that provide added durability. It’s immersed in liquid nitrogen, a strengthening technique known as cryogenic tempering, and hand-finished in the Honbazuke three-step method to give it a polished edge. The Karelian birch handle offers a beautiful, easy-to-grip surface.

Miyabi is owned by Zwilling J.A. Henckels, a cutlery manufacturer based in Solingen, Germany. (Henckels also sells knives under its own name.) Its biggest Japanese competition, Shun, which is owned by Kai USA Ltd., sells similar models for $240 and is also based in Seki. German-made Nesmuk uses a special Brazilian metal to justify the $550 price tag for its 7-inch chef’s knife. Another German brand, Wüsthof, offers a $150 model that’s popular and well-respected. For a more exclusive experience, sign up for one of knife master Bob Kramer’s auctions, where cutlery connoisseurs bid on five-figure, one-of-a-kind items.