Miyabi 5000MCD Knives

The Miyabi 5000MCD, also known as the Miyabi Birchwood collection, is one of Miyabi's premium powder-steel ranges, and the one to look at if you want serious edge performance in a knife that is as beautiful as it is sharp. It is handcrafted in Seki, Japan, and like all Miyabi knives takes more than 100 steps and 42 days to make, backed by a lifetime warranty. This is a range for a cook who wants a high-performance Japanese blade and appreciates the craft behind it.

What sets the range apart is the combination of steel, finish and handle. The cutting core is SG2, also called MC63, a micro-carbide powder steel among the hardest and highest-performing available, ice-hardened using Miyabi's CRYODUR process to around 63 HRC for outstanding edge retention. That core is wrapped in 100 further layers of steel to create the range's distinctive flower Damascus pattern, while the edge is hand-finished using the traditional three-step Honbazuke method to a razor-sharp 9.5 to 12 degrees per side. Completing the knife is a traditional D-shaped handle in Masur birch, a rare and prized wood, with an engraved end cap for balance and a refined finish.