Miyabi Paring Knife Stainless Steel 3.5-inch
By Miyabi · Kitchen Knives · Kitchen & Cooking · More from Miyabi
- 3.5-inch blade
- SG2 micro-carbide powder steel core
- 63 Rockwell hardness
- Tsuchime hammered finish
- 9.5-12 degree edge angle
Price not listed
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Summary
A hand-made Japanese paring knife with SG2 powder steel hardened to 63 HRC, for cooks who want premium materials rather than a bargain. Check the $154.99 manufacturer list price against the $12 Victorinox and $70 MAC picks from Wirecutter’s guide before you buy.
Strengths
- SG2 powder steel at 63 HRC is a genuinely premium core for a paring knife.
- The tsuchime hand-hammered finish over a mirror-polished blade looks striking.
- The Cocobolo Rosewood Pakkawood handle has brass and red spacers, a mosaic pin and a concealed tang.
- The hand-honed 9.5-12° Honbazuke edge leaves the factory sharp.
- A lifetime limited warranty covers defects in material and workmanship.
- The knife is handcrafted in Seki, Japan.
Weaknesses
- 63 HRC steel rewards careful use; poorly heat-treated Japanese steels have a reputation for brittleness.
- Hand wash only, and the Pakkawood handle can warp in a dishwasher.
- ZWILLING offers no repair service — a qualifying warranty claim gets a replacement, not a fix.
- Wirecutter’s guide argues there is little reason to spend a lot of money on a paring knife.
- No independent instrumented test of this exact knife was found.
- The manufacturer lists it at $154.99 (ZWILLING, 2026), many times the cost of guide-recommended knives.
Verified specifications
| Collection | MIYABI Artisan (6000MCT). |
|---|---|
| Blade core steel | SG2 (MC63) micro-carbide powder steel. |
| Hardness | 63 HRC (Rockwell). |
| Heat treatment | CRYODUR ice-hardened. |
| Finish | tsuchime hand-hammered; mirror-polished blade with sandblasted katana edge. |
| Edge | hand-honed, 3-step Honbazuke; edge angle 9.5-12°. |
| Handle | D-shaped, Cocobolo Rosewood Pakkawood; brass and red spacers; mosaic pin; stainless-steel end cap; concealed tang. |
| Country of origin | Japan, handcrafted in Seki. |
| Care | hand wash only. |
| Warranty | lifetime limited warranty against defects in material and workmanship (US). |
| Dimensions | 7.99 × 0.79 × 1.10 in; blade 3.54 in, handle 4.53 in; 0.19 lbs. |
| In the box | the knife only; no sheath or sharpener is documented. |
Full research notes and sources
Steel performance and edge retention
Its CATRA edge retention estimate places SG2 below S35VN and above VG10 and 440C, in the same approximate property range as Elmax. The author concluded that neither VG10 nor SG2 stands out as an amazing performer.
Care and maintenance
The manufacturer requires hand washing, and Wirecutter’s general knife-care guidance — while not model-specific — says to wash by hand in warm soapy water, dry promptly, store the knife off loose drawers on a magnetic strip, and hone the edge with a steel. Sharpen only when honing no longer restores it. Pakkawood composite handles can warp in a dishwasher. There are no user-serviceable parts; ZWILLING replaces qualifying products rather than repairing them.
Value and alternatives
Wirecutter’s paring-knife guide, updated November 25, 2025 after 45+ hours of research and two rounds of testing on 20 knives, names a $12 Victorinox as its top pick and a $70 MAC Professional as its upgrade pick. The guide’s verdict: there is really no reason to spend a lot of money on a paring knife, because inexpensive stamped knives with plastic handles perform small jobs as well or better. The MIYABI Artisan was not part of that test pool.
Is it worth it?
At $154.99, this is a luxury paring knife. The premium buys SG2 powder steel at 63 HRC, a tsuchime finish, a Cocobolo Rosewood Pakkawood handle and Seki craftsmanship, and nothing measured: no independent test of this exact knife was found, and the leading category guide points the other way on value. Buy it for the materials and the craft if those justify the money; a $12 Victorinox does the same kitchen jobs.
Which model this is
The retailer title “Miyabi Paring Knife Stainless Steel 3.5-inch” matches the MIYABI Artisan 3.5-inch Paring Knife, manufacturer item 34072-093, sold through ZWILLING. The Amazon listing is ASIN B00GCCT70O. Do not confuse it with the MIYABI 5000MCD 3.5-inch paring knife, which uses a dark-wood handle and is a different collection.
Sources
Manufacturer:
Independent reviews:
- The Best Paring Knife — Wirecutter (NYT)
- VG10 and Super Gold 2 – Takefu Stainless Steel Properties and History — Knife Steel Nerds
Owner reports:
- No owner discussion with verifiable text was retrieved in this session.
