The nakiri — Japans dedicated vegetable knife — is built around one purpose: clean, efficient cuts through produce without the rocking motion or curved tip of a chef knife. The flat edge profile allows full contact with the board on every stroke, which means more consistent slices, less wedging through dense vegetables, and a rhythm of cutting that experienced cooks find hard to give up once they have tried it. MAC has been making knives in Seki City since 1964, and the MJU-65 brings the same steel and standards from the Professional line to this classic Japanese format.
The blade is crafted from MACs proprietary chrome-moly vanadium steel, hardened to 60 HRC — a meaningful step up from most entry-level stainless steels, delivering better edge retention and a finer geometry without brittleness. The double bevel edge is ground to 15 degrees per side, producing a precise, acute cutting angle well suited to the push-cut technique that the nakiri format encourages. At 47mm blade height there is generous knuckle clearance for comfortable board work, and the 2.5mm spine provides enough rigidity to work through harder root vegetables without flexing. The riveted handle is made from resin pakka wood with a steel bolster that improves balance and keeps the knife feeling grounded through extended prep sessions. At 5.6 oz the knife has more presence than MACs lighter petty knives, appropriate for a format designed to handle serious vegetable work.
Care Instructions: Hand wash and dry after each use — this knife is not dishwasher safe. The chrome-moly vanadium steel responds well to water stones and ceramic honing rods; regular maintenance on a honing rod between sharpenings will keep the edge performing at its best. Use wood or rubber cutting boards only to protect the edge geometry. Avoid hard bones and frozen foods.
The blade is crafted from MACs proprietary chrome-moly vanadium steel, hardened to 60 HRC — a meaningful step up from most entry-level stainless steels, delivering better edge retention and a finer geometry without brittleness. The double bevel edge is ground to 15 degrees per side, producing a precise, acute cutting angle well suited to the push-cut technique that the nakiri format encourages. At 47mm blade height there is generous knuckle clearance for comfortable board work, and the 2.5mm spine provides enough rigidity to work through harder root vegetables without flexing. The riveted handle is made from resin pakka wood with a steel bolster that improves balance and keeps the knife feeling grounded through extended prep sessions. At 5.6 oz the knife has more presence than MACs lighter petty knives, appropriate for a format designed to handle serious vegetable work.
Care Instructions: Hand wash and dry after each use — this knife is not dishwasher safe. The chrome-moly vanadium steel responds well to water stones and ceramic honing rods; regular maintenance on a honing rod between sharpenings will keep the edge performing at its best. Use wood or rubber cutting boards only to protect the edge geometry. Avoid hard bones and frozen foods.
- Maker: MAC Knife, Inc.
- Location: Seki City, Japan
- Founded: 1964
- Construction: Mono Steel
- Steel: Proprietary Chrome-Moly Vanadium
- HRC: 60
- Edge Grind: Double Bevel
- Bevel: 15 degrees per side
- Handle: Resin Pakka Wood, Riveted
- Blade Length: 163mm
- Total Length: 297mm
- Spine Thickness at Heel: 2.5mm
- Blade Height: 47mm
- Weight: 5.6 oz (182g)
