# To buy or not to buy - Miyabi 5000MCD 67



## Juztian (May 11, 2018)

I found a guy who is selling a 240 Miyabi 5000MCD 67 with the black handle brand-new for 200$ which I about half for where I'm from. Is it worth the money? I know the forum is pretty split on on the topic of Miyabi, but I still want to here your opinion. Is there a difference between this and the Birchwood handle knife?


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## panda (May 11, 2018)

no


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## DamageInc (May 11, 2018)

They tend to be extremely handle-heavy. I have the 7000MCD in ZDP189 and while the blade itself is nice, I've been considering selling it due to the very heavy handle.


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## charlesquik (May 11, 2018)

the price from store is around 500$ usd. Never used it, but seem like a hell of a deal at 200$ and a stunning looking blade.


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## drsmp (May 11, 2018)

Ive used both Birchwood and Blacks. The Blacks blades are a little thicker and the Damascus causes some drag while cutting. The drag can be remedied with a light sanding with the super fine micro mesh pads. I would reccomend at least seeing a picture of the handle as some of the Black handles are very unattractive. The handle will look much better with an application of mineral oil or board butter. $200 is a good price you should be able to easily flip the knife on eBay if you dont like it. I think the D handle is comfortable, its relatively short and likely heavier to balance the knife


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## Juztian (May 11, 2018)

drsmp said:


> Ive used both Birchwood and Blacks. The Blacks blades are a little thicker and the Damascus causes some drag while cutting. The drag can be remedied with a light sanding with the super fine micro mesh pads. I would reccomend at least seeing a picture of the handle as some of the Black handles are very unattractive. The handle will look much better with an application of mineral oil or board butter. $200 is a good price you should be able to easily flip the knife on eBay if you dont like it. I think the D handle is comfortable, its relatively short and likely heavier to balance the knife



That's what I was thinking: buy it and then if I don't like I can flip for the same price or give it away as a gift to a non-knife nut friend.


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## LucasFur (May 11, 2018)

Are you a professional cook or or a home cook? 

My response would be that ZDP should last about 30-40 hours of board contact with a "use-able" edge. Some light touch ups with strop and rod were done but its there. This is from my own experience, and from talking with people that use zdp professionally. 
And at that $200 its the cheapest ZDP 240mm gyuto you'll find. (from what i can tell)


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## Juztian (May 11, 2018)

Just a homecook, is the 5000MCD made from ZDP. On the website all it says is "MC66" which I guess stands for Micro carbide and the Rockwell hardness.


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## K813zra (May 11, 2018)

Never used the ZDP but I like Miyabi knives just fine. I think often times they are a bit pricey for their performance point but when on sale I think they are a fair value. At less than half retail I think it is worth giving a shot. As others have said, you can turn around and sell it with not loss if you don't like it.


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## esoo (May 11, 2018)

The Miyabi Black MC66 is a ZDP-189 knife. I had the santoku and used it for 3 preps and sold as I found it too thick and draggy. Recently picked up a birchwood MC63 8" Gyuto and its nicer.


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## Juztian (May 11, 2018)

Asked him if I could buy it for 160$ and he said yes. Meeting with him to see it with my own eyes. He is also selling a santoku 5000MCD 67 for the same price, apparently it was a gift from his company but he doesn't like fancy knives, don't know if I'm being hustled &#128514;


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## esoo (May 11, 2018)

Could be a B stock item.

the birchwood I bought was B stock for a visual blemish on the damascus. look near the info for a bit of a indent that was used to identify B stock on my blade.


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## Juztian (May 11, 2018)

esoo said:


> Could be a B stock item.
> 
> the birchwood I bought was B stock for a visual blemish on the damascus. look near the info for a bit of a indent that was used to identify B stock on my blade.



Will definitely do that. What about fake knives, if there is such a thing?


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## Jville (May 11, 2018)

If it's zdp for $160. I would definitely buy it and I would usually not buy miyabi knives. Curious how this one turn out for you.


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## drsmp (May 11, 2018)

If you get the knives sand with very light pressure with micro mesh under running water. If you use a light touch it will greatly reduce the drag from the Damascus etching. OTB the Blacks Damascus high points have a rough surface when new (dont know why Miyabi doesnt fix this) while the Birchwoods highpoints are polished so much less drag .


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## Nemo (May 11, 2018)

How are these to sharpen?


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## DamageInc (May 12, 2018)

Nemo said:


> How are these to sharpen?



Mine slides around on the stones like glass. Takes a long time to sharpen.


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## Nemo (May 12, 2018)

DamageInc said:


> Mine slides around on the stones like glass. Takes a long time to sharpen.


Sounds like a pain.


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## DamageInc (May 12, 2018)

Nemo said:


> Sounds like a pain.



It is. But once sharp, it stays sharp for a long while.


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## K813zra (May 12, 2018)

DamageInc said:


> It is. But once sharp, it stays sharp for a long while.



Sharp, sharp? I know it is a uber steel or whatnot but every time someone talks about an exotic flavor of steel as staying sharp I am disappointed. Such steel always seems to lose that off the stones bite almost immediately and stay "meh" forever and ever.


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## DamageInc (May 12, 2018)

Not like "newly stropped white steel" sharp, but more than sharp enough for cutting tomatoes and grapes.


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## K813zra (May 12, 2018)

DamageInc said:


> Not like "newly stropped white steel" sharp, but more than sharp enough for cutting tomatoes and grapes.



Thank you. Now I am a little more curious about the steel...lol.


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## Keith Sinclair (May 12, 2018)

As Damage mentioned the ZDP189 is not that sharpening friendly. It is ironic because it is expensive and other powder steels like SRS15 and R2 are easier to sharpen and have good retention.


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## Juztian (May 14, 2018)

Just got them both today for 290USD, apparently the guy works for Zwilling/J. A. Henckels in Denmark. Brand new still with the oil on for transporting. Checked the side for marks of being b-stock there is none. Already holding it in my hand I can see what Damage Inc means by "Handle heavy" but it doesn't bother me.


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## esoo (May 14, 2018)

Yeah, the Miyabi's are handle heavy.


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## panda (May 14, 2018)

we told you it's crap and you bought it anyway, why ask for advice at all?


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## drsmp (May 14, 2018)

Thats a really good price for those knives! Panda if he doesnt like them he can sell both on eBay, make $150-200 and have enough profit for a free entry level hand made Japanese Knife. $290 might buy two custom handles and Damascus ZDP blades would add another $600+


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## panda (May 14, 2018)

still doesnt change that it's a junk knife.


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## krx927 (May 15, 2018)

DamageInc said:


> They tend to be extremely handle-heavy. I have the 7000MCD in ZDP189 and while the blade itself is nice, I've been considering selling it due to the very heavy handle.



I also have 7000MCD and I would agree with Damage, way to handle heavy, but besides that a very good knife. The blade is great.



DamageInc said:


> Mine slides around on the stones like glass. Takes a long time to sharpen.





DamageInc said:


> Not like "newly stropped white steel" sharp, but more than sharp enough for cutting tomatoes and grapes.





Keith Sinclair said:


> As Damage mentioned the ZDP189 is not that sharpening friendly. It is ironic because it is expensive and other powder steels like SRS15 and R2 are easier to sharpen and have good retention.



Funny, I do not have this experience. For sure it is not so nice to sharpen as carbon steels but I do not find it any harder than SRS-15 and definitely easier and nicer than R2. Stones play a part - I am using Chosera/Naniwa professional.



panda said:


> we told you it's crap and you bought it anyway, why ask for advice at all?





panda said:


> still doesnt change that it's a junk knife.



You really have strong opinion about this knife. Unfortunately majority of us in the thread does not agree with you. We just think it's bad handle but good knife. If this is such crap what are good knives for you?


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## esoo (May 15, 2018)

Miyabi's seem to be designed with rock choppers in mind with the heavy handle.

If I could get the same 240 the OP got for the same price, I definitely would. Thin the blade and it would be quite a nice knife. I wouldn't pay normal street price for it though.


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## Juztian (May 15, 2018)

panda said:


> we told you it's crap and you bought it anyway, why ask for advice at all?



Except for you, no one said it was a bad knife and I think pretty much everyone agreed that for the price I got them at anyone would have bought them... except you. So I took the general consensus of the thread and bought them. I can always sell them or use them as beaters.


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## Nomsdotcom (May 15, 2018)

Juztian said:


> Except for you, no one said it was a bad knife and I think pretty much everyone agreed that for the price I got them at anyone would have bought them... except you. So I took the general consensus of the thread and bought them. I can always sell them or use them as beaters.


Panda just gets thinks his way is the only way. Don't worry too much about him 

I appreciate that he doesn't pull punches. I happen to agree with him 90% of the time.
As long as you take his input as part of a larger sample size, you will be just fine [emoji41]


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## eaglerock (May 15, 2018)

I know you bought it already, and i'm also sure it is a good knife but for me Japanese knives is all about hand made craft. so it is all about your style


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## Juztian (May 15, 2018)

eaglerock said:


> I know you bought it already, and i'm also sure it is a good knife but for me Japanese knives is all about hand made craft. so it is all about your style



Yeah I know what you mean I own mostly handmade knives, I just thought this deal was too good to pass one way or the other.


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## panda (May 15, 2018)

that's cause everyone else too scared to say what they really think, they just don't want to look like an a-hole where as i have no problem with telling it how it is with zero regard to how i may 'look'


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## daveb (May 15, 2018)

Panda is quite willing to sacrifice tact for clarity. I like it. Most of the time.....


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## Nomsdotcom (May 15, 2018)

panda said:


> that's cause everyone else too scared to say what they really think, they just don't want to look like an a-hole where as i have no problem with telling it how it is with zero regard to how i may 'look'


Hope you took my comment as a compliment, I fully support your candor, just wanted to que in the newbie as to what he should expect in the future ;]


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## DamageInc (May 16, 2018)

I think Panda is a pretty cool guy. eh gives a brash opinion and doesn't afraid of anything


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## Mucho Bocho (May 16, 2018)

I heard he's a huge Karen Carpenter fan too

https://youtu.be/__VQX2Xn7tI


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## K813zra (May 16, 2018)

I don't dislike Miyabi in general. I find them to be overpriced most of the time though. I'd not regret the purchase in your shoes for what you paid. I actually gift out their lower end lines like the Koh, Evolution and Kaizen because I find they compare favorably to something like a Tojiro or Fujiwara FKM in terms of performance and are hands down better in the F&F department. Also often times are more laser like, have better steel (in some cases) or at least steel that is more easily sharpened in the case of the FC61(13c26) and a fair lookers. These are good beaters, loaners or gifts to non knife nuts. In fact I like to keep a Koh on hand at all times for when I am feeling too lazy to deal with carbon, or I want to cut a single lemon that I forgot about for use in the middle of a meal or my wife wants to use it etc. For a beater they sure win out, for me, to a standard Vic, Wustie etc. 

How does any of that stack up to collecting and using handmade knives, it really does not. Imo anyway. Perspective. 

Enjoy your new knives regardless. Or sell them off if you don't. Not a big deal. At the price you paid you won't lose out.


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## DamageInc (May 16, 2018)

Mucho Bocho said:


> I heard he's a huge Karen Carpenter fan too
> 
> https://youtu.be/__VQX2Xn7tI



You know who wasn't huge?

Karen Carpenter.


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## daveb (May 16, 2018)

DamageInc said:


> You know who wasn't huge?
> 
> Karen Carpenter.



That's so wrong. I love it!


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## Knifefan (May 17, 2018)

panda said:


> that's cause everyone else too scared to say what they really think, they just don't want to look like an a-hole where as i have no problem with telling it how it is with zero regard to how i may 'look'



Most people disagree with what you said, not how you said it.

Also, "telling how it is" is not just saying what you think, but claiming the right to truth.

Finally, I'm not under the impression that people here are afraid of voicing their opinions. They are just trying to get them across in a way that doesn't offend people, which is what a good debate (and a good forum) is about.


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