- Joined: February 2008
- Location: Monrovia, CA
- Post Count: 4,555
If my advice was part of the reason you chose an expensive knife that you don't like -- I'm sorry. But, I still like the knife quite a bit and consider it worth the extra price as compared to, say, a Forschner Rosewood.
The MAC 10.5" was revolutionary as the first bread knife -- from a major manufacturer -- to set the teeth backward, so the knife cuts on the draw rather than the push.
It's an excellent cake and pastry knife, useful for crumbless splitting, not just serving.
No bread knife should require more than very occasional sharpening, but the MAC is more sharpenable than most.
The MAC requires less pressure and makes fewer crumbs cutting crusty bread.
Peter's right. All saws (including bread knives; and, if there are exceptions they don't leap to mind) cut best with light pressure and a soft grip. Let the knife do the work and you'll make straight, smooth cuts. The MAC functions extremely well in a skilled hand.
Worth the tariff? I'd say so.
BDL
O, wonder! How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind is! O, brave new world to have such people in't!
www.cookfoodgood.com
- Joined: February 2008
- Location: Monrovia, CA
- Post Count: 4,555
Love it when a good plan comes together.
BDL
O, wonder! How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind is! O, brave new world to have such people in't!
www.cookfoodgood.com
- Joined: February 2008
- Location: Monrovia, CA
- Post Count: 4,555
Even with heavy use a bread knife should require very infrequent sharpening. Once a year would be surprising. Once every three years or so, would be more like it.
Once wavy and/or serrated knives need sharpening, they're usually sharpened in one of three ways: Service; round sharpening hone (looks like a round file, but finer), wave by wave; and sharpening machine or pull through capable of sharpening serrations.
BDL
O, wonder! How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind is! O, brave new world to have such people in't!
www.cookfoodgood.com
- Joined: December 2004
- Post Count: 318
Depending on the knife some serration patterns can be sharpened on the backside on a stone. I have 2 knives with pretty similar serrations, a Kershaw Kai Pure Komachi bread knife and a Shun Elite bread knife. I sharpen the Kai with my yellow
Edgemaker Pro, the honer. It works very well and removes very little metal, and keeps my bread knife sharp enough to easily shave hair. That said, while it works terrifically well I'd be reluctant to use it on my Shun Elite's SG-2 blade.
I don't have the Mac but I've long considered getting one. I expect it would perform very much like the ones I have as the serrations are very similar, but the Mac is an inch and a half longer. The extra length would occasionally be nice when cutting large bread boules and such.
"Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit." - Aristotle
- Joined: December 2004
- Post Count: 318
I'm pretty spoiled by my Kai & Shun; I don't care for the Fibrox bread. Overall the Forschners are decent for cheap knives but they don't hold an edge all that well.
"Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit." - Aristotle
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DuckFat
- Professional Chef
- Joined: August 2008
- Post Count: 561
I think the most wonderful thing in the world is another chef. I'm always excited about learning new things about food.
Paul Prudhomme
- Joined: October 2007
- Location: Eureka, CA
- Post Count: 1,048
I've been a big proponent of the Wusthof Super Slicer.
It was the first knife I'd seen with the reverse serrate, so it has rounded teeth instead of points.
I've used them for a couple of years with great results and thought there couldn't be a better slicer.
I just got a Mac 10.5" and I have to say, it's my new favorite.
Similar blade feature that I loved in the Super Slicer, but with the added advantage (at least to me) of a curved blade.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
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DuckFat
- Professional Chef
- Joined: August 2008
- Post Count: 561
Korin has the Mac on sale,
Japanese Knife - MAC Knife
I think the most wonderful thing in the world is another chef. I'm always excited about learning new things about food.
Paul Prudhomme
- Joined: December 2004
- Post Count: 318
Regular price at
ChefKnivesToGo is cheaper than Korin's sale price. Plus Mark gives you free shipping. A no-brainer, for sure.
"Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit." - Aristotle
