MAC Knife Professional series 8" Chef's knife w/dimples MTH-80

I received this knife about 30 minutes ago and I am still marveling at how nice it is, how wonderful it feels in the hand and how gorgeous it looks. It's also by far the sharpest knife I have ever held, but like the title states I am not an knife expert. I never attach pictures to a review, but wanted to share the balance point of the knife....literally exactly at the bolster (which impresses me although I don't know how difficult this is to achieve.) A picture says it all. It was balanced on my index finger and there were no other fingers supporting the knife. I sliced a carrot to test the blade and the control thru a relatively tough vegetable was like the proverbial "knife thru butter". The blade is light and obviously well balanced, which allowed for perfectly controlled "see thru" carrot slices with minimal effort. The blade angle is fantastic for mincing and although I have neve been great at mincing with other knives I own, this one had me mincing like a pro in absolutely no time. I wouldn't want to put this knife thru heavy duty cutting chores, but for preparing veggies (which I what I do mostly) this is ideal IMHO. I have a Wusthof CLassic coming in a few days. It will be interesting to see the contrast. BTW, did I mention this knife is absolutely beautiful as well? I also like the fact this knife has a real wood handle, unlike the Whuthof. The handle feels wonderful in my hand, although I am wondering how large hands would fit. Highly, highly recommended. PS--After reading some other reviews, there IS a slip of paper with care instructions included with the knife. I plan to wash and dry immediately after use per the instructions. My hunch is it's user error on the people with rust issues and edge issues (the instructions warn about hard squash, so that tells you it's not for heavy duty use), however I will update this review if I feel there is a long term quality issue. My intent is to use on veggie prep, slicing meat & cutting up whole chicken thru the joints (not cutting thru the breastbone or ribs--a cleaver and kitchen shears are the proper tools anyway IMHO).

I really like this knife. The handle just feels like quality. Keeps an edge respectably. Feels easier to cut through meats and vegetables. Balance, yada, yada, all the things. Whatever voodoo they put in here to offer this at this price, I’m down.

Was looking for a true chef's knife for my wife. Did a lot of research and liked the MAC knife. Then saw this being used on the series 'The Bear' - that was NOT why I bought it. Great knife! Super sharp and very good ergonomics - my wife loves the size and feel of the handle, Easy to control. Sharpens well. Very thin blade steel but of very good quality. Have used it for a couple of years - it remains a favorite in our kitchen. Would recommend!

Very nice knife. Present to an amateur cook/chef. He says it is wonderful to use.

This was an indulgence for our kitchen, a gift to ourselves to make cooking from home more efficient and pleasurable. Only when you own a GREAT knife do you come to understand how most knives are truly NOT. The 8-inch hollow edge chef's knife turns nearly every task into a "like a knife through butter" joke when we're in prep mode. In no way do I profess to be anything close to a professional grade home cook, and I say as much in my video review (if you can actually hear it), but I feel like one because slices are consistent and paper thin. Even an overripe and rock-hard lime! Chopping up tough veggies, filleting and breaking down a whole salmon to make sushi, trimming the fat from a roast with minimal waste — all are deftly done with so little effort it's almost laughable. What's truly laughable is that it took decades to understand what a quality tool can do for you and the meals you prepare. In fact, I'm still learning that I don't need to apply so much force when slicing, which will be evident in my video review and certainly cause line cooks to shake their heads in disapproval. The secret? Let the tool do the work for you. I literally just finished gliding my way through an entire salmon filet and I find the gentler the hand, the better the results. Don't smash like The Hulk. It takes time to relearn and when you do you'll do a little happy dance. Your proteins won't be mashed, your veggies will be like a uniform box of matchsticks, your trussed tenderloin will look as though it belongs on the cover of Martha Stewart's Living. And it does EVERYTHING. It's a workhorse. Things that are good to know: 1) Do NOT assume you can wield this mighty steel like any old blade. I'm PARTICULARLY careful with it comes to slice-and-dicing and managed to gauge a small divot from my thumb upon first use. Until you're used to its razor sharp edge, please invest in cut-resistant gloves. I did. You'll feel and look like a crazy person but all your appendages will remain intact, and that's just a nicety. 2a) Hand wash and thoroughly dry ONLY. Repeat: Hand wash, hand dry only. This is not stainless. It can and will spot. No dishwasher ever. Do not leave it in water to soak, either. Unless you like throwing away expensive knives. 2b) Whenever working with citrus or tomatoes, wash the knife frequently, quickly. It's a nice piece. Treat it like a princess. 2c) When hand washing, do not assume the sponge is some miracle wall of protection. I've sliced up several sponges and almost reached my fingers. I'm sure you see where that could go. 3) Change your cutting technique. HUGE. This is going to change your life. Having had a hollow edge Japanese knife before I was accustomed to sawing straight down. This is not that type of knife. Nor is it a classic French or German chef's knife. Experiment and you'll find your way and save an impressive amount of hand fatigue, particularly during marathon holiday cooking. 4) Lock that thing up. It doesn't come with a block so invest in a sheath or a wall-mounted magnetic strip. Always, always, always respect the knife. It was laying on my cutting board, sharp edge facing me and I came this close to another cut. Imagine what could happen if you were digging in your drawer and your fingers happened to caress the unshielded ninja. 5) LOOOOOOOVE it. You're going to find reasons to cook just for the shear pleasure of it. The first time I used it I marveled at the translucent, glass-like even cuts I was getting. The quality boosts speed. Speed encourages cooking from home. Cooking from home saves money. If you're balking at the price, I'd guess you'll find you save money because it's almost tougher to call for takeout.

I am an avid home cook who enjoys making everything from scratch. This often involves a fair amount of prep working cutting vegetables, herbs and meats. I have a 17 year old set of Henckels Pro S knives that have served me well. I recently had them professionally sharpened and use a honing rod before every use to keep the edge straight. Having said that the Mac Pro is on a whole different level of sharpness which took some adjustment. Its has a thinner, lighter blade than most forged German knives and cuts more like a scalpel. It rewards precision but punishes sloppiness. If the knife touches the surface of a vegetable, it makes a cut with just the weight of the knife. I spent hours researching information on Chef knife forums (yes they exist) before deciding on the Mac Pro. I knew I wanted a stainless steel Gyuto (Japanese chef knife) and this Mac Pro was the model most often recommended in that price range. The knife has excellent fit and finish but is not flashy like some Damascus steel knives. Its just what I wanted, a tool not a showpiece. Edge retention is excellent. I cook about 4-5 meals a week at home, honing the knife briefly before each use. I hand wash the knife and immediately put it in the butcher block to protect its edge. It stayed silly sharp for 3 months before I noticed any difference in sharpness. It sharpened quickly on a whetstone. Probably could have gone a year without sharpening and still retain a serviceable edge. All the forums pointed out that although Japanese steel often has better edge retention than German knives, ALL knives will eventually get dull. If you are spending money on a good knife you need to budget for a honing rod, cutting board and sharpening system. Because of the hardness of the steel they recommended a ceramic honing rod. Metal honing rods are softer than Japanese steel and will end up dulling the knife rather than re-aligning the edge. I bought an Idahone for $30 based on recommendations and it has worked well. Any glass, bamboo or hard plastic cutting board will dull your knife and could chip the edge. I bought a wood composite board that has worked well. For sharpening I bought a King 1000/6000 combo stone for $40. I had never sharpened a knife on a whetstone before, but after watching some videos on Youtube and some practice on somer cheaper knives I own I could get an extremely sharp edge.

For the price, this knife is good. I haven't found the exact type of steel used, but it's a high carbon molybdenum monosteel of some kind, 59 on the rockwell hardness scale. It's lightweight, comes nicely sharpened and should hold an edge for quite a while and stay nice and sharp with regular honing. However, if you have large hands the handle is almost certainly too small to be comfortable. I'm 6' tall and wear XL size gloves. When I hold this knife in a pinch grip, the end of the handle sits in the middle of my palm. When I hold it in a full grip, my pinky doesn't fit on the handle. That's why I ended up giving this to my sister, who is about 5'3", and it fits her perfectly.

A well known periodical recommended this knife as their number one choice. They were right. My only regret is that I wasn’t able to buy this knife forty years ago. At least I have a great knife now. This one is a five star. It cut through the heel of a bunch of celery like butter, so be careful. I like the size. It’s not too large. I can use it for most anything. I bet it would even handle the turkey!