Miyao Cutlery Blue #1 Santoku

Right out of the box the Miyao Blue #1 has a lot of typical and traditional signs it's going to be a quality knife, immediately you can see the thin edge profile and mid thickness workhorse shape are going to be durable but initial cutting performance out of the box is already good and care has been taken to ensure the edge is of a high standard. 

Cutting feel is nice and toothy on softer ingredients and with a quick pass on a higher grit stone and strop you'll enjoy this one a lot. 

These are rustic knives, entirely forged by hand and made by Hon-Warikomi which is a traditional Japanese knife construction technique, literally meaning "true insertion" or "genuine split-forging." It's a high-skill method used to make sanmai (three-layer) knives, but with a more traditional and labor-intensive forging process than modern laminated steel production.

It gives each knife a unique finish with slightly varying tapers and hammer markings and a connection with Miyao-san's forging. 

The blades are moderately thick at the spine just above the heel but quickly taper and are a typical weight for the steel and shape and we've opted to fit them with some fairly lightweight olivewood handles which keeps a nice balance point just around the heel for easy daily use.

Blue #1 is a great choice if you're prioritising edge retention and this knife holds an edge well thanks to the quality heat treatment and profile. 

We would certainly recommend following our carbon steel care tips when caring for this knife as it's quite a reactive carbon steel while you develop a patina on it. 

These knives are also coated with a protective (food safe) lacquer commonly used to keep the knives from rusting during initial storage and shipping so while it's ok to use them out of the box, we would recommend taking a little time to remove the lacquer.