SE-KK-210 Kakugata Usuba — Perfection of Form. Absolute Purity of the Cut

The SE-KK-210 from the elite MAC SE series is a knife created for those who understand that, in the highest level of cuisine, vegetables deserve the same precision and respect as fish or meat. It is a tool in which the Japanese philosophy of excellence meets absolute control over form, structure, and the visual integrity of the ingredient.

Each piece is handcrafted in Sakai through a process that requires months of work, deep focus, and master-level control over the steel. The blade is forged using the prestigious Honyaki technique from solid Yasuki Shirogami (White Steel)—a legendary material of exceptional purity, unforgiving of any error. This steel is capable of achieving extraordinary sharpness and responds perfectly to differential hardening, but it demands absolute precision at every stage of production. In the SE series, there is no room for compromise.

Differential hardening gives the blade its distinctive character: an extremely hard, razor-sharp cutting edge combined with controlled flexibility along the spine. This balance allows the SE-KK-210 to work with raw vegetables and fruits without damaging their cellular structure, preserving their juices, freshness, and natural appearance.

The Kasumi finish is the result of prolonged, meticulous hand polishing with water stones. It gives the blade its characteristic silky, milky, mist-like surface, subtly emphasizing the blade line and the structure of the steel. This finish is a hallmark of master-grade knives—instantly recognizable to professionals and collectors without the need for explanation.

The SE-KK-210 is a Kakugata Usuba (角形うすば)—a traditional Japanese knife designed for slicing vegetables and fruits served raw. Its thin, perfectly sharpened blade produces cut surfaces with minimal cellular damage, significantly reducing oxidation, discoloration, and changes in flavor. This is essential in a cuisine where visual purity and freshness are as important as technique.

The versatile central section of the blade is ideal for precise, thin slicing, while the knife’s geometry enables advanced techniques such as Katsuramuki—rotational peeling that produces long, nearly transparent sheets of vegetable. This is a skill that requires not only experience, but also a tool of the highest caliber.

The tall and long blade of the Usuba handles large ingredients such as cabbage or daikon with ease, offering excellent stability and control. The high blade profile is also ideal for guiding the knife with the knuckles of the free hand, allowing vegetables to be cut with perfectly consistent thickness. This is a knife designed for precision, not force—and it is therefore not intended for very hard vegetables or fruits, which could damage the delicate edge.

The SE-KK-210 is not simply a “vegetable knife.”
It is a tool of aesthetics, conscious choice, and master-level control.
For those who understand that true luxury in the kitchen reveals itself when every cut is almost invisible.