When it comes to kitchen knives, the Miyabi Koh and Kaizen models might be categorized as middle-range options, but don’t be deceived by that label. These knives from the Miyabi collection are truly great cutting companions, offering the pinnacle of quality materials and striking aesthetics.
If you’re eager to explore the intriguing similarities and differences between these two exceptional knives, here is a detailed Miyabi Koh Vs Kaizen comparison.
In this comparison, we will go through a quick overview, comparison table, part-by-part detailed comparison, and final decision.
Quick Overview: Miyabi Koh vs Miyabi Kaizen
There are a lot of differences, along with some similarities, between these two knives. The main differences are:
- In Miyabi Koh, the blade core is made with FC61 fine carbide stainless steel. On the other hand, the Miyabi Kaizen Blade Core is made with VG-10 high-carbon super steel.
- Miyabi koh is made from one layer, which means one piece of steel. But in miyabi kaizen, the blade core is wrapped by 32 layers of Damascus steel on each side. So, there are a total of 65 layers of steel.
- The exterior of the Miyabi Koh blade features a mirror-polished design. Whereas Miyabi Kaizen has a flower Damascus pattern throughout its whole body.
- The Miyabi Koh knife handle is made with pakkawood, and the Miyabi Kaizen handle is made with black linen micarta.
- In Miyabi Koh, the handle features an octagonal shape. But kaizen features a traditional Japanese D-shaped handle.
- Though both knives are lightweight miyabi koh is more lightweight compared to Kaizen.
- There is a noticeable difference in the price of these two knives.
As both knives are crafted by the same knife maker, there are many similarities between Koh and Kaizen.
- Miyabi Kaizen and Koh both have hand-honed 9.5- to 12-degree super-sharp cutting angles. And both of these are double bevels.
- Both knives have almost the same Rockwell hardness, which is 61 for Miyabi Koh and 60 for Kaizen.
- Koh and Kaizen both have tough, hard balds, so they retain their sharp edges for very long.
- Kaizen and Koh are both full-tang knives.
- When it comes to cleaning, both knives prefer only hand washing.
- Miyabi Kaizen and Miyabi Koh both come with a limited lifetime warranty for any kind of manufacturing defect.
Both Miyabi Koh and Miaybi Kaizen are part of our Best Miyabi chef knife review List.
Comparison Table: Miyabi Koh vs Miyabi Kaizen
| Miyabi Koh | Miyabi Kaizen | |
| Where it’s made | Seki, Japan | Seki, Japan |
| Blade Material | Fine carbide FC61 stainless steel | High-carbon VG-10 super steel |
| Blade Construction | One piece of steel with one layer | The core is wrapped by 32 layers of Damascus steel on each side |
| Blade Design | Plain mirror polished | Flower Damascus pattern |
| Handle Material | Pakkawood | Black linen Micarta |
| Handle Design | Octagonal shape with a pin at the center | Rounded D-shaped handle with stainless steel end cap and mosaic pin |
| Handle Color | Black | Black |
| Sharpness ( Edge angle) | 9.5 -12 | 9.5 -12 |
| Rockwell Hardness | 61 | 60 |
| Full Tang | Yes | Yes |
| Edge retention | Long-Lasting | Long-Lasting |
| Cleaning | Hand wash | Hand Wash |
| Warranty | Limited Lifetime | Limited Lifetime |
| Price | Less Expensive ( Check Price on Amazon) | More Expensive ( Check Price on Amazon) |
Differences Between Miyabi Koh and Kaizen Knives
In the previous part of Miyabi Kaizen vs. Koh, the comparison between these two knives was briefly mentioned. Now let’s talk about those differences in detail.
Difference 1: Blade Material
Though both knives use premium blade core material, they are different from each other.
The blade of the Miyabi Koh is made with revolutionary FC61 fine carbide stainless steel. It contains different types of necessary components like carbon, chromium, and cobalt that make the balde hard, corrosion-resistant, and rust-resistant.
On the other hand, Miyabi Kaizen is made with VG-10 super steel. VG-10 is also known as the gold standard of knife-making. VG-10 is famous among Japanese knife makers because of its qualities like hardness, rust resistance, edge retention, etc. It is a high-carbon stainless steel alloy or cobalt, chromium, vanadium, and other components.
Difference 2: Blade Construction
When it comes to blade construction, there is a noticeable difference between these two knives.
Miyabi Koh is made from one piece of FC stainless steel. So, it doesn’t have extra layers like Damascus steel.
On the other hand, in miyabi kaizen, the VG-10 blade core is wrapped in 32 layers of Damascus steel on each side. So, there are a total of 65 layers of steel along with the core. These extra layers protect the core from any kind of extra pressure and damage.
Difference 3: Blade Design
As miyabi koh is made from one layer of stainless steel it doesn’t have any Damascus pattern on it. It has a mirror-polished beautiful shiny look.
Whereas, in kaizen, those 65 layers of steel provide a Damascus look. There is a unique flower Damascus pattern throughout the whole body of the kaizen. And at the edge, it has a plain finish. So, when the comparison between Miyabi Koh vs Miyabi Kaizen is in terms of blade design, Kaizen has a more gorgeous design.
Both knives have the same shape, and you will also find the Miyabi logo on the blade of both knives.
Difference 4: Handle Material
Both of the knives feature durable and long-lasting handle materials. The Miyabi Koh handle is made from pakkawood, which is a resin-based material. It is made from a composite of resin and different hardwoods. Pakka wood makes the koh handle water and moisture. Moreover, pakkawood doesn’t harbor bacteria, so it lasts for a long time.
On the other hand, the Miyabi Kaizen handle is made from black linen Micarta. Micarta is a composite material of resin, linen, canvas, paper, burlap, etc. It has a beautiful grain structure along with a wooden texture. Micarta makes the handle extremely water- and moisture-resistant and retains it for a long time.
Difference 5: Handle Design
Handle designs are totally different from each other, with the only similarity being that both have a pin at the center of the handle.
Miyabi Koh features an octagonal-shaped handle. This ergonomic handle fits nicely in the grip of both left and right-hand users.
Whereas kaizen features a traditional Japanese D-shaped look It has a rounded shape with a slight D curve on the right side. The curve is not so aggressive, so it is also comfortable for both hand users. There is a beautiful steel end cap with a Miyabi logo, and the center pin has a beautiful mosaic design. Moreover, you will find two red accent spacers that look sophisticated with the black handle.
Difference 6: Weight
Both Kaizen and Koh knives are very lightweight compared to other knives of this size. But as Koh has a more simplistic design compared to Miyabi Kaizen, it is lighter than Kaizen knives. Both of the knives will provide you with fatigue-free and pressure-free work for a long time. That’s why, even after long use, you won’t feel pain in your wrist.
Difference 7: Price
When it comes to price, affordability Miyabi Koh is more affordable than Miyabi Kaizen.
Miyabi Koh is one of the starting lines of Miyabi. So, if you want to buy one of the most affordable knives in Miyabi, then you can go with it.
On the other hand, miyabi kaizen is a mid-range miyabi knife. It has a more gorgeous look when there is a comparison between Miyabi Kaizen vs Miyabi Koh.
Difference 8: Product Offering
Both the Miyabi Kaizen and Koh lines offer different types of knives. There are also knife sets and sharpening products for these two lines.
Click on ‘Available’ to check the knife on Amazon.
| Knife/ Set | Miyabi Kaizen | Miyabi Koh |
| chef’s knife | Available | Available |
| Santoku knife | Available | Available |
| 9.5” chef’s knife | Available | Not Available |
| Rocking Santoku | Available | Available |
| Nakiri Knife | Not Available | Available |
| Prep knife | Available | Available |
| Slicing Knife | Available | Available |
| Bread Knife | Available | Available |
| Utility Knife | Not Available | Available |
| Paring Knife | Available | Available |
| Steak knife set | Not Available | Available |
| 7 piece knife set | Available | Available |
Similarities Between Miyabi Kaizen and Miyabi Koh Knife
We have gone through almost all the differences between koh and kaizen; now let’s talk about the similarities between these two knives.
Similarities 1: Sharpness and Edge
Both koh and kaizen feature hand-honed 9.5 to 12-degree cutting angles, like the Katan edge finish. This cutting angle is twice time sharp as any western chef’s knife.
The traditional 3-step honbazuke method is used to ensure this sharp edge. In the first two steps of this process, the knife is sharpened with a vertical and horizontal sharpening stone. Finally, expert craftsmen polish it on leather.
Both of these knives have double bevels, which means they have the same cutting edge on both sides.
Similarities 2: Hardness
Miyabi Kaizen and Koh are made from different materials, as mentioned before in this Miyabi Koh vs Kaizen comparison. But as both of them are quality materials, they have almost the same hardness. Miyabi koh has a Rockwell hardness of 61, and in Miyabi kaizen, the Rockwell hardness is 60. So, both of the knives are tough, hard, and durable.
Similarities 3: Edge Retention
When it comes to edge retention, you won’t need to worry about sharpening so often at all. Both miyabi koh and kaizen are made with quality material, and they have tough hardness. So, both of them hold their sharp edge for very long. Moreover, you always need to be careful about the sharp edges of these two knives.
Similarities 4: Tang
Tang is the part of the blade that goes through the handle; in a full-tang knife, this part goes all the way through the handle. Full-tang provides more balance and durability compared to a half-tang knife. Both the Miyabi Kaizen and Koh 4000fc knives are full-tang knives, which makes them more durable and contributes to proper balancing.
Similarities 5: Clean and Maintenance
Proper care and maintenance are compulsory for the longevity of a knife. The same is true for both of these knives, and they are very easy to maintain.
Both of these knives prefer only hand washing, like all other Miyabi knives. Putting it in the dishwasher may cause damage to the knife. So, just wash the knife with clean water, or you can use soap and a cloth.
After washing, always dry the knife. Just put the knife in an open place so that the water dries out properly.
When it comes to storing, never put the knife in the drawer without a sheath. You can use a wooden knife block or an extra sheath.
Similarities 6: Where they are made
All miyabi knives are handcrafted in Seki, Japan, which is known as the sword and knife-making capital of Japan. For more than 700 years, expert craftsmen have been crafting knives and swords here.
Miyabi is owned by the famous German knife-making company Zwilling. So, each Miyabi knife is a combination of traditional Japanese knife-making techniques and modern German technology and engineering.
Similarities 7: Warranty
For any kind of manufacturing defect, Miyabi provides a limited lifetime warranty.
Same for Miyabi Kaizen and Koh knives. After buying, if you find any kind of manufacturing defect, just send it back to Miyabi. They will provide free warranty service to you.
Conclusion ( Should You Buy Miyabi Koh or Kaizen Knife?)
You may have got a proper idea about the differences and similarities between Kaizen and Koh from this Miyabi Koh vs Kaizen comparison. Now, it’s time to decide which one is best for you, koh or kaizen?
If you want a knife with a simplistic plane design then you can go with a miyabi koh knife. But if you want a knife with a traditional gorgeous design and Damascus pattern on the balde then miyabi kaizen is a better option for you.
If the octagonal-shaped handle is comfortable for you then go with miyabi koh. But if you are more comfortable with a rounded shape handle then miyabi kaizen is for you.
In terms of hardness and sharpness, both knives are almost the same. They also retain their edge for a long.
Finally comes affordability, Both of the knives are the two most affordable knives of miyabi comparing to other miyabi knives. But as miyabi kaizen has a more gorgeous design and better construction it is a little pricer than miyabi koh. And with the simple design koh becomes the most affordable miyabi knife.
If you want to read a particular review about these two knives, then her is full Miyabi Koh Chef’s Knife Review and Miyabi Kaizen Chef’s Knife Review.
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