Customer Reviews

MAC Brand Mighty Chef Knife 8 Inch Blade #Mth80

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This knife is not sharpened on one side of the edge only , like a chisel, a Yagagi bi or many other traditional Japanese knife, as the first reviewer stated. Maybe he meant it was not a double edged knife but I don't think any kitchen knife is. This is a Western style Japanese knife but still has the harder steel and small angle bevel of Japanese influence. It is a double bevel edge. All production knives are sharpened on belt sanders and buffers and the edge may be barely perceivable as being asymmetrical. Maybe that is where you got that idea. If it is resharpened, other then with the crock stick or steel, it should be sharpened on Japanese water stones and given a double bevel of 15 degrees per side or 30 degrees included, unlike German knives which are usual 20 degrees per side or 40 degrees included. If you are not familiar with that you should go to a good professional sharpener who is familiar with Japanese knives.

As far as cutting the sponge, try laying a wet washcloth down on the edge of the sink and wipe the blade off wiping away from the tip. I understand what you mean though, it is sharp!

I have the MTH-80 Mighty Chef Knife with Dimples. It came extremely sharp out of the box and stays that way. I have only honed it lightly a few times with a borosilicate glass steel after smacking the cutting block with my poor style. This thing rocks. With my Chicago Cutlery knives the same abuse would put very slight dents in the edge barely visible as a glint of light under a bright light and I could feel the loss of sharpness after a few cuts. The edge on the MAC is so acute and fine that I didn't want to take a change and loose anything with a steel (which is not recommended) or even a 1200 grit ceramic steel (which is recommended) so I went with the borosilicate glass rod which is finer. It still cut fine and I didn't notice a difference but I could feel a slight change in the razor edge. The rod brought the edge back to new or better every time. This thing is tougher and holds an edge better then good non-stainless carbon steel knives I have used.

This knife is thinner, lighter, the steel is harder, it holds a edge better, and is more nimble then a comparable Western knife like a Wusthof or Henckel. It cuts most things you cut with a chef's knife with less force. Some may not like that. I do, although I wouldn't recommend using it like a clever and you probably could get away with that with Wusthof or Henckel. They both have their place but I like the MAC for basic slicing and light chopping better. I think you should be prepared to sharpen any new knife before use if you want a really sharp edge. This is the nicest cutting knife I have used. It is also the sharpest out of the box.

Some have recommended the Forschners from Victorinox . I tried the paring set for $10 and the serrated parer or sandwich knife. They are sharp but not as sharp as the MAC's. Also, the Fibrox handle, at least on the paring knives, is so small it gets lost in my hand. I cut a hard crusty French bread with the serrated knife and the points were showing signs of blunting or rolling over. A little steeling brought that back but I don't think the Forchners are all they are cracked up to be. I would agree they are probably the best knives for the money (for example those 3 knives for $10). They are pretty amazing for the price but the MAC's are about the best cutting experience you can buy. You can pay more for something to look at but the MAC's seem to perform the best.

I am looking foward to getting the MAC PK-30 paring knife and the SB-105 bread knife to replace some of my other inferior knives. Those 3 (plus maybe a Santoku) are really all I need.

The MAC's are not real fancy with silver inlays or high polish or anything but it cuts like a razor and stays that way better then any of my other knives. The fit and finish is good too. As for the chemical stain I think you should expect that with any high carbon or very hard stain resistant blade. This is made for one of the super steels. It is about all out cutting ability and you have to take care of it a little.

The steel, edge angle, finish, and sharpness is very similar to the Globals but I don't like the feel of the Globals and I think the handles on the Globals would get slippery when wet or greasy. I like wood or micarta for the handles. Also, the MAC came very sharp out of the box. They say Globals are that way too but some I looked at in the store had a burr on the edge and need some attention before use.

To keep it sharp, I would recommend anyone with a knife like this, the Shun's or the Global's either get the MAC or Idahone ceramic steel, a Idahone 2 or 4 stick sharpener, or a Spyderco Sharpmaker. Amazon has the Idahone listed a "not available" but you can get one at Sonoma Cutlery. The Sharpmaker also has the 15 degree angle available and is sold here on Amazon but is hard to find. Do a Google search on "amazon spyderco sharpmaker" it is at http://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-204MF-Triangle-Sharpmaker/dp/B000Q9C4AE if they let me show the URL. These are easy to use and you get the correct angle just by holding the knife vertical and stroking. the 4 stick model also has a 15 and 20 degree angle for the sticks. I would use the 15 degree slots for.

I don't usually come back and rate something I bought but I did a lot of research and after using the knife through Thanksgiving I have become passionate about it and MAC knives in general and want to share them with everyone else. They are kind of a secret and fairly hard to come buy. Also MAC's are not sold in sets and you may not even be able to build a set from one style of MAC (like Classic, Professional, Superior, etc). You may have to mix styles. This is apparently in Japanese tradition even though these are Japanese made western style knives. What you get with most Japanese western knives is Japanese steel and Japanese style sharpening and profile. To make a knife this thin work with such a fine edge you have to have harder steel then western manufactures generally use or the blade would quickly dull from use.

For other references check out Cooking for Engineering Chef knife test.
(do a Google search on it) and also see Knife Forums. For KF do a Google search with the knife you want to explore with the KF in the search. For example search " best chef knife site: and put knifeforum. com ". Leave off the quotes and spaces. Sorry if that was a little cryptic. It looks like Amazon won't let me put the URL's here.

This knife is the perfect chef's knife--light weight, solid, and razor sharp. It cuts the most delicate vegetables without damaging them, falling through green onions without them even bending and cutting tomatoes thin enough to be transparent. And the dimples prevent the food from sticking to the blade. The handle is the ideal size and material--it feels like the knife is an extension of your hand. Plus, aesthetically, this Mac knife is beautiful. It's an investment worth every penny!

I know people say don't buy a knife based on reviews alone; get to a dealer and try them out, which I too would recommend. However, I can say I took the gamble and purchased the knife without handling first and I couldn't be happier with my purchase.

It was packaged nicely. Quit attractive looking in the box. It came with care directions, warranty information, as well as directions for sharpening.

After removing it from the package I grabbed the cutting board and started cutting a carrot...and then another...and another. Next I cut a potato and effortlessly made slices paper thin. The real test was could I do the same with a tomato and the answer was yes. It went through them all like I was cutting butter. In fact I cut through everything with just the weight of the knife alone and either a single pull or push with the perfectly balanced Mighty Chef. My first impressions of the MAC - Mighty Chef were "OMG this is a crazy-razor-sharp knife." I can't wait to use this again.

I will be buying another MAC soon.

I spent several months looking at the various chef knives on the market as I wanted to update/upgrade my previous knives. I started out looking at your Shuns, Torijos, Henkels and Wusthofs of the world (and a few other brands for good measure). At the end of the day, the Mac was the right knife for me, and now, 2 months later I can say its simply amazing.

So how did I reach this conclusion? The first step for me was trying all the knives out. I am left handed and my hands are small. The Wusthof Culinar didn't feel right in the hand, the Shun I found felt ok but he weight seemed a little off and the Torijo felt pretty good. But the Mac, oh the Mac just slipped into my hand like it was custom made for me. Your results may vary, but to me this was love at first touch - after all how a knife feels in the hand is arguably the most important thing - all other factors being equal (which with knives at this level, should be the case in theory).

After this, I did some cutting tests - and from my very unscientific tests at the cutlery store the Shun and the Mac were close to equal and the Torijo and Wusthoff were close behind. Throwing caution to the wind, I grabbed the Mac.

Over the past month I've been throwing everything at it and its been working like a champ. It goes thru everything cleanly, the difference between the Mac and my 5 star Henkels is like night and day. And this was after having the henkels sharpened and not having honed the Mac (yet).

What's equally wonderful is how well the Mac holds its edge, I'm completely converted to stamped knives.

After 5 years and two of these exact MAC Mighty 8.5" Chef Knives, I am buying my fourth. (One I gave as The Best Gift Ever to my dear friend). This knife is a workhorse. Why is it so great? For me, 5'4" 115 lb,it's the right weight and leverage length for the petite chef. As an Organic Chef, I cut vegetables all day long and this knife soars through them- the blade is thin, the tip precise, the handle is ergonomic. I hold this knife for 6 hours a day- it's become an appendage. Only issue I've had with them is #1 chipped mid-blade when the housekeeper pried an inappropriate material with it. It's been accidently ran through the dishwasher and the wood handle gracefully survived. In Aspen, the water is hard and the climate dry- no issue on the handle unlike other wooden handled knives I've had.
Best usage: vegetables, fruits, precise cutting (i.e. chiffonade, matchstick)
Worst usage: meats (get a different heavier / 6" blade knife), scraping burnt stuff, or prying random stuff
It's a great gift for the petite foodie and a indispensable tool for the chef.

p.s. sharpen it yourself, do not give to a stone-grinder- they have ground it down to a blunt french knife multiple times. It's a lithe Japanese knife!

Birthday present for one of my favorite people. He loves it and uses it all the time. Worth the price. Go for it!

I keep slicing my dish sponges in half on accident when I wash this thing... it comes out of the box well-sharpened and has done a wonderful job in the three months I've owned it. FYI, this blade is single-side sharpened.

Although I've been hand-drying it after use, the steel shows subtle signs of discoloration where perhaps some tomato juice sat too long. High maintenance item. Then again, it's still a beautiful piece of cutlery. To my senses, it grips really well.

I was directed to the MAC 8" chef knife by various other reviews and websites. This knife hasn't let me down yet. It was amazingly sharp (sharper than the razor I use for shaving) out of the box and has held its edge over the weeks I've used it since, with no honing/sharpening. It feels great in the hand and is well worth the cost. I would buy this again and again before ever buying the more popular brands you see in the retail stores.

Quick note. This knife is 8.0 inches (hence mth-80). This knife is exquisitely sharp. It has great balance. I have large hands (I'm 6,3") and the way the knife is made is perfect. I have a great deal of control and complete knuckle clearance. The blade feels slightly flexible, as a blade of Japanese make usually does. If you want a side by side comparison of this knife with several others in the $100-$200 category check out the cooking for engineers website, article "chef's knives rated:" [...]

I never write reviews, but Mac knives are wonderful. They're stamped, not forged and may not have the aesthetic appeal of the Shuns, but they are sharp, durable, wonderfully shaped and balanced. Get the MAC Knives Rollsharp Ceramic Knife Sharpener for $15