In September of 2015, Misen launched a successful Kickstarter campaign, raising over $1 million to bring a high-quality chef’s knife to the marketplace that was affordable, or as they put it, “An amazing knife at an honest price.” Walk in any Sur La Table or Williams Sonoma, and you’ll see rows of high-end knives behind a glass case, each with a high-end price tag. But what are you really paying for? Much of the price includes the costs of marketing, product placement fees, and wholesaler and retailer markup. Misen’s approach was different. Direct from company to consumer, and creating a $65 chef’s knife and $30 paring knife that rivals their competitors at 2-3x the price.
The Misen is made from Japanese AUS-8 High Carbon Steel, which also includes “vanadium which improves wear resistance and gives good toughness. It also reportedly makes the steel easier to sharpen, ” according to BladeHQ website (fascinating facts on all types of materials used for knives). We’re not an expert on steel, but from all the research we’ve done the past week, it seems that AUS-8 is good…but certainly not the best. It’s a good balance between durability, ease of sharpening and rust resistance. It’s an average material used in many mid-grade Japanese kitchen knives.
