Mazaki Hon-Sanmai White 2 Gyuto 240mm Snakewood Handle 2023 Version

Mazaki 2023 delivery, hon-sanmai White 2 steel, comes with snakewood handle, wenge saya as standard.  

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Hon Sanami Gyuto

Rare hon-sanmai (本三枚）Gyuto. Hon-sanmai here means the sanmai (3-layer, for double bevel knife) billet is cladded by the maker using traditional forge welding method rather than using a pre-cladded billet from the steel factory. These days, most makers are using pre-cladded billets in order to speed up the production and reduce the chance of failure, because forge welding the iron clad with the steel is a point of failure during the knife making process, as the welding could fail if not done properly resulting in a crack forming between the cladding and steel, sometimes even a total split. (Another point of failure is during the heat treading process). As a result, cladding a sanmai billing can inherently be trickier than just doing a nimai (2 layer; for single bevel knife) billet.

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We have just received the first batch of Mazaki knives in 2020. Pleasently surprised, the quality of his knife has improved again. The surface finish of his knife use to be quite rough (albeit still hand finished), but this batch it is quite noticeable that the finish quality has improved again. Along with a better polished spine and choil.

It is very promising to see the quality of Mazaki's knife is getting better and better. 

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Mazaki is a one-man operation based in Sanjo, Niigata. His knife is artistically beautful, and from the very beginning with very high level of Fit and Finish. I didn't look further into it as its cutting style was not my preference. 

A while ago I was able to sample his latest work and was thoroughly impressed by how much it has improved. His knife now cuts much better than his earlier ones. I am particularly impressed that Mazaki's knife is largely finished on a stone by hand, while it is a much more time consuming process, such process ensures the knife is straight and flat with minimal low spots. We are talking about a type of finishing that is very much like Shigefusa's final handle sharpening process (albeit not the same level of polishing), rather than a water grinder sharpening process, which creates uneveness and low spots along the blade road, and sometimes even worse: over-grind. Given the effort that Mazaki-san has put in, the production is understandably very limited, and given the low price, I am sure his work will be highly thought after veyr soon. 

I would confidently rate it amongst some of the best Sanjo knives out there because:

• Trained under Kato-san, excellent white 2 heat treatment;
• Tall and long profile, edge has excellent sweet spot;
• Signature Sanjo grind, with thick spine at the heel, and aggressive taper;
• Thin behind the edge with excellent cutting performance and food release;
• Iron cald, will rust if care is not taken!

I am super happy that I can offer you, my fellow knife enthusiasts, another top quality knife from Sanjo. 

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