Miyabi Kaizen Paring Knife Complete Review

Miyabi Kaizen Paring Knife Features

The Kaizen line from Miyabi is one of the best lines of knives on offer from the brand. You get a VG10 steel core covered in 64 layers of damascus, all traditionally Japanese hand sharpened. The Miyabi Kaizen paring knife comes extremely sharp out of the box. Also, the blades are CRYODUR hardened at 60 HRC. It is basically a hand sharpened, stainless steel blade with a high edge retention.

The VG10 steel core is a high carbon stainless steel material that basically contains 1% Carbon and 15% Chromium. These 2 materials in the alloy make it hard and rust resistant. But also, small percentages of Molybdenum, Vanadium and Cobalt are added in order to strengthen the material and make it even more rust and corrosion resistant. This core is covered in 64 layers of laminated steel creating a beautiful damascus pattern on the blade.

All paring knives from Miyabi are forged and tempered in Zwilling’s CRYODUR process. Here blades are heated up in vacuum ovens then frozen at 196 Celsius. This will result in a blade with a edge at 60 HRC hardness which is not brittle.

The handle of the Kaizen paring knives is made from linen micarta. This is a composite material obtained by applying pressure and heat to resin drenched linen. The resulting material is very hard and does not get impacted by water damage making it perfect for knife handles. The design of the handle is basically a rounded, ambidextrous, traditional Japanese D-shaped handle.

The sharpening of the blade is done through the Japanese Honbazuke 3 step method. Here knives are first ground and sharpened on rotating whetstones before being polished on leather belts. This ensures you get a very sharp knife out of the box.

Types of Kaizen Paring Knives

The Kaizen line offers 2 types and 2 sizes of paring knives. Thus you can choose from a 3.5 or 4.5 inch paring knives, or the 3.5 inch straight blade paring knife. The first two are normal paring knives while the straight paring knife is a Japanese type paring knife also known as a sheep’s foot paring knife.

Kaizen 3.5 inch Paring Knife

The Miyabi Kaizen 3.5 inch paring knife is the best size and probably the best decision when it comes to choosing from the three on offer. The short blade makes it possible for you to easily peel or do delicate work on fruit and vegetable. Also, the knife comes extremely sharp out of the box and the 60 HRC will make that edge hold for a very long time.

Kaizen 3.5 inch Straight Paring Knife

The Kaizen Straight Paring Knife can be used for all the same tasks as the normal 3.5 inch knife. The only difference is in style preferences. A straight paring knife has the tip rounded with a straight edge. This is a typically Japanese paring knife that might be preferred by some users.

Kaizen 4.5 inch Paring Knife

The 4.5 inch paring knife is more of a small utility knife. Of course you can peel or pair fruit and vegetables with it. But, with its longer blade, the knife can also be used as a utility knife. Thus you can easily slice your favorite sandwich meats with it. These are great knives of a exceptional quality provided by Miyabi.

Pros of the Kaizen Paring knife

• 60 HRC Edge Hardness
• VG10 Steel Core
• 64 Layer Damascus Pattern
• Honbazuke 3 Step Sharpened
• Linen Micarta Handle
• 2 Different Sizes and 2 Types of paring Knives
• Very Sharp Out of the Box
• Lifetime Manufacturer Warranty
• Good price for such a exceptional quality

Cons of the Kaizen Paring knife

• We have seen a complaint of someone receiving a damaged handle

Do you like the Kaizen paring knives? Visit the whole Miyabi Kaizen knives line to get a complete view.