Masahiro Nakiri MC-80 10302 160mm Japanese kitchen knife

Main parameters of the Japanese kitchen knife Masahiro Nakiri 10302 160mm:

Country of origin - Japan
Manufacturer - Masahiro Co., Ltd
Manufacturer series - 103XX (MS-80)
Hardness - 60HRC
Blade type - laminate
Blade shape - Nakiri
Sharpening - double-sided
Total length - 285mm
Blade length - 160mm
Blade height - 48mm
Blade thickness - 1.8mm
Central layer steel grade - Shirogami2
Cladding steel grade - SUS410L
Handle material - pressed stabilized wood
Weight - 150g.

The Masahiro Co., Ltd company is focused mainly on the middle price segment of knives. However, the exceptionally high quality of Masahiro knives can compete with the premium class. Masahiro's popularity is so great that 90% of all knives sold in Japan for professional use (chef's and those used in the food industry) are produced by this company. Carbon steel knives have significant advantages in most respects over stainless steel knives. However, their main drawback is low corrosion resistance. A compromise option is laminated blades, where the central layer is made of carbon and the linings are made of stainless steel. This greatly simplifies the care of the knife and allows you to partially combine the advantages of these competing solutions.
The blade of the Masahiro Nakiri 10302 160mm knife is a three-layer laminate with double-sided sharpening. The central layer of the blade is made of popular Japanese carbon steel, which is called white paper or Shirogami (Shiro Kami, Shirogami). This is a traditional steel used for a wide range of different knives, capable of providing the best sharpening. Even more expensive types of carbon steel such as Aogami (Ao Kami or blue paper) cannot provide such sharpness characteristics. Various types of Aogami steel hold an edge better and resist blunting, but are inferior to Shirogami in the sharpness that can be achieved on the blade. The outer layers are made of SUS410L stainless steel, which makes it easier to maintain and prevents damage to the central core. The instability of the central steel layer to corrosion is partially compensated by the fact that it is perfectly polished and sharpened. However, long-term use of the knife will lead to a slight darkening of the area around the cutting edge. This will not damage the knife or worsen its characteristics, but will give a pleasant visual contrast with the outer layers of stainless steel, revealing the joint line - an uneven pattern of which will resemble the hamon line, as on Japanese katanas. Due to the unusual shape of the Nakiri blade, it is often considered an exotic oriental knife and is most often purchased as an addition to an existing set of Japanese knives. However, this is an excellent, very convenient and multifunctional kitchen knife, the main purpose of which is slicing and shredding vegetables. The straight line of the Nakiri cutting edge allows you to cut food with greater comfort, and also greatly simplifies the sharpening process. The wide shank of the Nakiri makes it possible to use the blade as an improvised spatula for moving chopped vegetables and allows you to easily adjust the thickness of the cut food by safely resting your knuckles on the blade and eliminating hand contact with the table surface on the knife handle.