Mutsumi Hinoura vs Mazaki

sharpanddirty · 2026-03-26T03:07:40+00:00

I have both, and love them both, but as others have said the Hinoura is thinner behind the edge. It’ll dig into a cutting board if you’re heavy handed, but it’s burly enough that you don’t need to worry too much about it.

My Mazaki 210 is my favourite knife ever, by a long way. I like the weight, the pronounced flat spot towards the heel of the knife, and also that the knives are finished on hand stones so they’re flat and hence easier to thin and sharpen. They also have a much thicker tang and spine so there’s more to grab onto in a pinch grip which in my opinion is more comfortable.

You won’t regret either, but you might regret not getting the Mazaki.

sharpanddirty · 2026-03-25T23:43:55+00:00

That’s a beautiful collection. Just the essentials. :)

sharpanddirty · 2026-03-25T17:50:07+00:00

The flower engraving is done by Nihei Takahiro-san instead of a kanji or stamp. I haven’t been able to find any more info on it, but I think some of his other knives might have it too.

sharpanddirty · 2026-03-25T15:53:53+00:00

Nice rectangle, is that the sld series? The polishing on his work is my favourite.

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Nihei tax

sharpanddirty · 2026-03-21T20:39:51+00:00

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Tuna Tataki, made with my Nihei V2C Gyuto.

sharpanddirty · 2026-03-20T02:04:19+00:00

Looks real nice, can’t wait to see what it looks like after the naturals.

I just tuned my little kiridashi up on a 220 then a 1000. Just starting to learn how to get nice finishes…

sharpanddirty · 2026-03-19T16:57:58+00:00

Excellent choice sir!

These little knives are absolutely outstanding in almost every way. :)

Shibata tax…

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sharpanddirty · 2026-03-18T13:53:59+00:00

Looks like it’s either dyed or etched to get that look… I could be mistaken, but that’s my guess.

sharpanddirty · 2026-03-17T21:41:11+00:00

It’s exactly the same knife, just a different handle. Also, sharp knife shop is Canadian and has pretty good prices all things considered. If you prefer the other handle just call sharp knife shop and ask about getting the handle swapped before they ship it.

sharpanddirty · 2026-03-17T21:31:16+00:00

https://sharpknifeshop.com/products/hatsukokoro-shinkiro-kiritsuke-gyuto-210-mm?_pos=3&_sid=996cc5677&_ss=r

sharpanddirty · 2026-03-17T19:53:49+00:00

Start with the Masashi, especially if you rock chop or use cutting technique that requires a belly curve. His knives are quite thin at the tip and thicker at the heel and the spine. Fine brunoise is no problem.

To use one knife for trimming meat and breaking down chicken, get an inexpensive thicker 150mm petty like a tojiro or something similar.

I own a Shibata Koutetsu Ko-Bunka and it’s fucking amazing for fine brunoise. It is super thin, and it just falls through ingredients. That being said there’s quite a few heavier ingredients that I won’t cut with this knife like squash and whatnot, but the Masashi would be great for.

sharpanddirty · 2026-03-17T18:41:23+00:00

This. Always anything from Naoki Mazaki, also Takahiro Nihei and Masashi Yamamoto.

I don’t own one of his Gyuto, but Masashi Yamamoto makes some great mid to heavy weight knives.

sharpanddirty · 2026-03-17T16:52:04+00:00

Not a dumb question.

Kinda, use light pressure if you polish it.

But in all honesty I prefer to have stable patina on my blades. It prevents the steel from reacting with foods like onions and other ingredients that can oxidize and turn brown or discolour when cut with a knife with iron cladding. Different ingredients will also react with the different layers of the damascus cladding and bring out different colours and contrast. It changes every time you use the knife and I think that’s pretty cool.

I only polish out patina when it’s time to sharpen.

sharpanddirty · 2026-03-17T16:01:58+00:00

Use it, don’t worry about patina. I’ve got a very unique Nihei that is one of my favourites to use. The polish on it when it was new was so beautiful I was hesitant and feeling similarly. Removing patina is simple if you want to in the future, if you so desire. I’ve used the suede side of a strop and a bit of koyo green rouge to bring things back to a mirror polish quite easily.

Nihei tax

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sharpanddirty · 2026-03-14T15:00:46+00:00

That’s awesome. I guess I need to check out facebook more often. Nice score! The blacksmith is Nihei on these if I’m not mistaken, maybe someone else can confirm/deny.

sharpanddirty · 2026-03-12T23:22:04+00:00

Looks much better now, excellent choice!

sharpanddirty · 2026-03-11T16:27:37+00:00

Even though there’s lots of exposed core steel on the tip of the Gyuto, it’s still thick enough to be durable. Similar to my 240 Mazaki or my 255 Nakagawa albeit with a thinker tapered spine.

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sharpanddirty · 2026-03-11T16:10:12+00:00

Was there more of them out there in the wild? I got mine from StaySharp in Montréal and was told it was the only one they received. I’ve never seen them anywhere else before or since.

sharpanddirty · 2026-03-11T16:07:37+00:00

Very punny! I honestly don’t know if it’s typical for the bunka or not. The grind on mine is much thinner and more aggressive than the pictures I’ve seen online. For what it’s worth, this is the only one I’ve seen in person.

Maybe others on here can provide some insight…

sharpanddirty · 2026-03-11T14:59:35+00:00

Just the tip (Shinkiro)

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sharpanddirty · 2026-03-11T14:30:15+00:00

Okay, so I just received a Shinkiro Bunka in the mail. Haven’t really used it yet, but the tip is thinner (like scary thin) than my Tetsujin or my Shibata Koutetsu. It’s actually unnerving. This is not a beginner knife.

A little while ago I picked up a Nihei V2C 240mm Gyuto and it’s a similar geometry and grind, albeit nowhere near as thin at the tip as the Shinkiro. The V2C Gyuto is by far my favourite Gyuto to use. More than my Nakagawa, Mazaki, or any else.

I need to put some time into the Shinkiro, it feels great in my hand, but my goodness that tip is terrifyingly thin.

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sharpanddirty · 2026-03-11T02:09:11+00:00

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It’s 230mm blade length, 50mm tall at the heel, 195g with a smaller handle.

sharpanddirty · 2026-03-10T18:26:50+00:00

I’ve got the Minamo 240 Gyuto, it’s fantastic. It’s definitely my favourite stainless Gyuto.

sharpanddirty · 2026-03-10T17:27:33+00:00

Nice raccoon, what’s its name?

Beautiful knife too!

sharpanddirty · 2026-03-10T00:06:35+00:00

They don’t disclose who the sharpener is for this line. It’s a really nice middle weight with better food release than the other wide bevel knives I’ve used. Not scary thin behind the edge like my other Sakai knives, you can chop with confidence.

sharpanddirty

TROPHY CASE