The Ultimate Blade for Chefs: Mikuri Knives
My knife journey started when I began cooking professionally. I’ve travelled through countless kitchens and countries, and I have firmly landed in Japanese knife territory. Here, I found exceptional performance, albeit with a bit of extra care, that truly changed my game.
While I’ve collected many handmade masterpieces over the years, I always had a dependable workhorse knife in my kit. It wasn’t the prettiest or the sharpest, but it was the most reliable knife I had. I could slice through cases of veg, trim tenderloins, and fillet salmon with it. I could lend it to a fellow cook without fearing they’d f*ck it up, and I could put it away wet without coming back to a rusty knife the next day.
Mikuri knives start with that exact purpose: They come from a need for a durable daily driver—a trusty steed for the demanding jobs found in a professional kitchen. These are knives that can survive tough kitchen use and be everything you want out of a Japanese knife without the concern of damaging it.
The new Ume series from Mikuri is exactly that knife. Simple, dependable, and affordable on a cook’s salary. Made in Seki, they’re designed with practicality in mind. They only make the shapes most useful to chefs: Gyutos, Sujihikis, Petties, and Bread Knives. The entire line is stainless steel, but they use multiple types: tough yet sharp VG5 for the workhorse blades and DSR1K6 stainless for the 135mm Petty and Sujihiki. This gives these blades a little flex, so they’re perfect for trimming meat and filleting fish.
Mikuri knives allow you to make the food the star of the show, not steal it. It doesn't matter if you are doing offsite catering, cooking with a reckless inlaw, or getting your dishwasher to help with the prep shift: these will do the work without worry.
