Tie for Top Recommended Knife under $100
Misono knives are a great value
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Misono Molybdenum 8" Tie for Best Overall
Blade Profile - The Misono Molybdenum 8" has the most aggressive cutting profile of all the knives in this comparison. If this review came down to cutting performance and style, the Misono would be the top pick. It has a little belly with a long body without any flat spots. There is a rocker in the belly for rocking on onions, garlic, cilantro, or any other small vegetables that one could rock on, but not so much that it allows the user to raise the knife's handle too far off the cutting board. This sort of profile forces (and perhaps teaches) the user to be more precise with their cutting.
Blade Core Material - Entire blade is molybdenum vanadium stainless steel.
Blade Hardness - 57 Rockwell - Good, not great
Out Box Sharpness - 7 out of 10
Real-World Edge Retention - 8 out of 10 - The Rockwell hardness of 57 would suggest it holds an edge similar to German knives, such as the Wusthof Ikon series. But I have never found any knives from Wusthof that can hold an edge for longer than one or two weeks. That is, according to my standards of a sharp knife. I get messages from chefs who claim they have never sharpened their Wusthofs in decades of use (yes, I get such messages), which will be a topic in a future post. The Misono held a solid edge for about three weeks, just shy of the Tojiro DP 210mm.
Handle Material - Pakkawood
Handle Comfort - 9 out of 10 - Of all the knives in the comparison, the Misono has the most sculpted and comfortable handle by a long shot.
Fit & finish - 7 out of 10 - Misono can improve the polishing of the choil and spine.
Overall - The Misono Molybdenum 8" is a fantastic knife. Minor gripes about this knife that would have made it a clear favorite. It is not far from being named the perfect Japanese knife under $100. Slightly better steel, such as VG10, or an improvement of the polishing of the spine and choil would make the Misono a clear favorite. The aggressive profile is nothing like German knives.
