Miyabi Kaizen Prep Knife

A prep knife is essentially a smaller version of a chef's knife, usually ranging from 5 to 6 inches. While a paring knife is designed for intricate, in-hand work like peeling, the Miyabi Kaizen prep knife is built for board work, such as slicing small vegetables, mincing garlic, or trimming meat.

Extremely sharp. The blade is hand-honed using the traditional Honbazuke method to an angle between 9.5 and 12 degrees, which is significantly sharper than standard Western kitchen knives.

The D-shaped handle is designed to fit naturally into the palm of your hand, providing a secure, ergonomic grip. While it is traditionally oriented for right-handed users, many home cooks find it comfortable regardless of their specific grip style.

The FC61 steel is ice-hardened to 61 Rockwell, which makes it exceptionally hard and capable of holding a razor-sharp edge. However, because of this hardness, you should avoid using it on bone, frozen foods, or extremely hard surfaces like glass cutting boards to prevent chipping.

To maintain the Honbazuke edge, you should hone the blade regularly with a fine ceramic honing rod or a high-grit whetstone. Avoid using pull-through sharpeners, as they can be too aggressive and may damage the fine edge geometry.

No, you should always hand wash this knife with mild soap and dry it immediately. The dishwasher's high heat and harsh detergents can damage the pakkawood handle and dull the precision-honed edge.