Masakage Mizu

If you like thin blades that cut like lasers then you’re gonna love Masakage’s Mizu. Hand forged with#2 Aogami steel, this line is super thin and super affordable. Everything to keep this line affordable has been done, from the super-inexpensive handle, to using less steel. Dubbed Mizu (water), these blades have a blue/black kurochi finish giving the impression of cold, deep water. Paired with an oval cherry handle and a not too fancy plastic collar, these knives represent an excellent ‘bang for buck’ agenda.

Aogami (blue) carbon is my kind of steel- super easy to sharpen, takes a brilliantly sharp edge, cuts like silk and is very rugged for its hardness. The extremely hard blue carbon steel core is laminated between softer layers of carbon steel. Since the blade is not stainless it requires a bit more care. Keep the blade dry to avoid tarnish and if you ever see a bit of rust on the blade remove it immediately with a coarse dish scrubber and soapy water.

“Iron is alive, it can live or die depending on the blacksmith.” – Serious words from a serious blacksmith. With over 50 years of blacksmithing under his belt, Katsushige Anryu doesn’t mess around. He’s always striving to make better knives to please the cook who is lucky enough to use them. After graduating in 1959 he started apprenticing under his father, in a family that has been forging knives since 1870. Awesome.

 All Masakage Knives are handmade in Japan by blacksmiths chosen for their excellence. Shibata San, Hiroshima’s top knife sharpener, selects and design these knives. All Masakage knives are hand sharpened by Shibata San with his unique technique of using a different grit on each side of the blade. This gives a smooth, sharp edge that stays sharp longer than standard sharpening.