30 DAYS OPEN PURCHASEThe Japanese noodle knife Menkiri from the Masahiro SS80 series is the tool for anyone who wants to experience the precision of a true noodle workshop, not just admire it in pictures. The broad, razor-sharp blade, made from MRS-30 steel – a stainless carbon steel known for its high hardness and impressive edge retention – has been developed by Masahiro to deliver total control with every cut through noodle dough. The steel is heat-treated to around 59 HRC, giving it a remarkably fine balance of strength, resilience and that quiet sense of harmony where the steel seems to work with you, not against you.
The handle, crafted from black pakkawood and secured with double rivets, is designed for stability during vertical cutting, where the full width of the blade comes into play in one deliberate, almost meditative movement. Its weight, flat balance and the friction between steel and dough make it possible to cut soba, udon or ramen noodles with millimetre precision. The result: noodles that look as though they’ve come straight from a kitchen in Osaka.
Menkiri literally means “noodle-cutting knife”, and that’s exactly what it is – but in the hands of someone with a feel for craftsmanship, it becomes more than a tool. It’s a reminder of how Japanese perfectionism can be expressed through something as simple as a straight-edged knife. Whether you run a ramen bar, make your own udon at home, or simply wish to add a touch of Japanese craftsmanship to your kitchen, this knife is a quiet masterpiece of form and function.
Made in Seki, Japan.
Blade: MRS-30 stainless steel, hardness approx. HRC 59.
Handle: black pakkawood, double riveted.
