MAC Chef Japanese Bird's Beak Paring Knife 6.5cm

MAC manufactures knives in Seki, Japan, a town renowned for its quality cutlery production over the centuries.

Model:

This MAC Chef 6.5cm bird's beak knife can be used to cut small fruits and vegetables, but you can also peel them and easily remove damaged parts thanks to its small curved blade.

The blade:

The blade of this knife is made of AUS-8 stainless steel, which has been enriched with carbon, tungsten, molybdenum and vanadium :

- The carbon and tungsten affect the blade's hardness, making it more rigid, and the rigidity of an alloy ensures that its cutting edge holds up over time. Stiffness also makes it possible to work with a strong cutting edge, since steel is able to hold it.

- Molybdenum and vanadium also have a small impact on rigidity, but while vanadium increases steel's elasticity and impact resistance, molybdenum increases its resistance to corrosion.

The alloy proposed by MAC is therefore high-performance and durable, and ensures pleasant, intuitive use. What's more, this alloy is easy to work with, so you can easily maintain it with a whetstone.

Finishes :

Final sharpening is done by hand, on a water stone. The craftsman's skill ensures a razor-sharp edge from the very first use.

The cutting edge has a hybrid shape, between a Japanese angle (unilateral) and a Western angle (V-shaped symmetrical). The result is an ideal combination of razor-sharp edge and longevity.

What's more, the finesse of the cutting edge ensures clean penetration that reduces fatigue over the long term, as you don't need to force it.

Handle:

The handle is made from Pakkawood, a composite material that combines laminated wood and hot-compressed resin. The end result is resistant to humidity, impact and temperature variations. It is completed by 2 rivets that hold the Pakkawood to the half-silk blade.

All in all, it remains lightweight, making it a pleasure to use over the long term.

Care and maintenance :

Hand-wash the knife in lukewarm water with a soft sponge. Then dry it with a soft cloth, to avoid leaving any traces of moisture on it. In this way, you'll preserve its original performance and appearance over the long term.

A few words about the manufacturer:

The brand was born in the 60s, after its founder had studied in the USA, where he took a part-time job as a cook to supplement his courses.

It was there that he had the opportunity to test knives that weren't necessarily the best. He was using a dull, heavy and very sharp German knife when he dropped it, narrowly missing injuring his foot. Instead, the knife stuck in the ground, and when he tried to pull it out, about 3cm of the point had broken off.

To remedy this, he fixed the blade with a whetstone, making the point "rounder". Gradually, he realized that this modification had significantly increased the knife's efficiency, and with it his own output.

When he returned to his homeland, this experience inspired him to set up the MAC company, with the aim of creating knives with a formidable cutting edge that were safer, longer-lasting, lighter and therefore easier to use. The brand has several patents to its credit, and is known the world over. It is particularly recommended for professional chefs who need to work fast and well!

The brand name comes from the term "Macrocosm", which in simplified terms means "immense universe" (linking it to the founder's ambition to equip every country in the world with his knives). The first 3 letters of the word have been retained.

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