Customer reviews from Zwilling.com
Miyabi - Kaizen II 8-inch Chef's Knife - Stainless Steel
Average customer rating
4.9
(544 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 544 reviews
5 Stars
517
4 Stars
26
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Star
1
98%of customers recommend this product.
(
502 out of
510)
Customer Reviews for Miyabi - Kaizen II 8-inch Chef's Knife - Stainless Steel
Customer Rating
4
Great light weight knife
on May 24, 2024
Posted by: Techchef
Frequency of use:Daily
I love the sharpness and lightness of the knife it allows me to deftly make cuts with ease
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Zwilling.com
Customer Rating
5
Life Changing
on March 29, 2026
Posted by: G Lara
Been wanting this knife since forever, just got it and WOW!! Life changing for my cooking. Feel like a chef now, can’t wait to add more to my kitchen. 10/10 sharpness and precision!!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Zwilling.com
Customer Rating
5
Best knife ever
on April 5, 2026
Posted by: Eidi
Love this knife! Makes chopping so much easier and faster. It’s sharp, easy to handle, and just feels good to use. I didn’t realize how much of a difference a good knife makes until I got this one.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Zwilling.com
Customer Rating
5
Love it! And comparison with Kaizen
on August 2, 2020
Posted by: rw303
Frequency of use:Daily
Just got this a couple of days ago and am loving it so far. I actually couldn't decide between this and the original Kaizen, and actually got the Kaizen first. However, beautiful as it was, I just couldn't get used to the super smooth and smaller handle on the Kaizen, esp. coming from a 4 star which I've been using for about 25-30 years now. Yes, it was beautifully made and finished, but it just felt like I couldn't get a firm grip. I ended up returning the I and getting a II
Now, on to the Kaizen II vs I comparison. It's really such a different knife from the Kaizen that I don't know why Miyabi/Zwilling just decided to slap a "II" onto the Kaizen. You can get all the spec diffs from the website, but here are my observations from having handled both:
- The steel and damascus color and pattern are totally different. The Kaizen II has almost 2 different steel colors forming the pattern, a matt gray and silver contrast, which makes the damascus very "unsubtle", and more unique. The Kaizen has a more traditional all shiny silver pattern, just like any other damascus out there. The website photos are quite accurate.
- The handle on the II is much beefier all round than the I, and has a slight belly. Also, the pakkawood has more of a satin finish, compared with a super smooth shiny finish on the micarta on the I. These 2 factors for me made the II a much more comfortable knife to hold. Yes, the I has one more ring of red near the bolster, but that is purely an aesthetic, not functional thing.
- The blade on the II is just a smidge taller, at about 1 15/16" at the heel, vs. about 1 3/4" for the I.
- The balance point of both knives are about the same, right at the bolster.
- The steel and damascus color and pattern are totally different. The Kaizen II has almost 2 different steel colors forming the pattern, a matt gray and silver contrast, which makes the damascus very "unsubtle", and more unique. The Kaizen has a more traditional all shiny silver pattern, just like any other damascus out there. The website photos are quite accurate.
- The handle on the II is much beefier all round than the I, and has a slight belly. Also, the pakkawood has more of a satin finish, compared with a super smooth shiny finish on the micarta on the I. These 2 factors for me made the II a much more comfortable knife to hold. Yes, the I has one more ring of red near the bolster, but that is purely an aesthetic, not functional thing.
- The blade on the II is just a smidge taller, at about 1 15/16" at the heel, vs. about 1 3/4" for the I.
- The balance point of both knives are about the same, right at the bolster.
Overall, I'm much happier with the II than the I. It's a lot lighter than my 4 star Zwilling 8" chefs, so will probably take a bit of getting used to, but so far, am really liking it.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Zwilling.com
Customer Rating
1
Beware the knife chips!
on July 15, 2020
Posted by: Arker
Frequency of use:Daily
My knife chipped during regular use. Zwilling were kind enough to offer a replacement though. However, they destroyed my goodwill by not shipping the replacement for 2 months.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting Zwilling.com
Customer Rating
4
on April 3, 2020
Posted by: Bosgril2
Great knife, I feel like a pro using it, comfortable handle
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting Zwilling.com
Customer Rating
5
superior design
on April 6, 2020
Posted by: Alamedagirl
I love the attention to detail on this knife. From the smooth transition between blade and handle. to the beautiful damascus layers protecting the razor sharp cutting steel this knife is IT. As a traditional shaped chef knife it will get plenty of use in my kitchen. Meant to last a lifetime, the cutting edge certainly stays sharp and smooth unlike other Japanese brands that seem to nick a lot.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Zwilling.com
Customer Rating
5
Quality for a great price.
on March 25, 2020
Posted by: bulldog mom
Quality, sharp, comfortable, beautiful damascus detail. Everything you could ask for in a Japanese knife. Suprising it's not twice the price.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Zwilling.com