Are Matsato Knives any good? As a stay-at-home mom of 3 who spends a lot of time in the kitchen, I figured it was worth the splurge. Plus, it looked so sleek I thought it might make me feel like a pro chef while wrangling dinner for a house full of chaos.
Spoiler alert: It was a terrible purchase.
About Matsato Knives
Matsato markets itself as a high-end Japanese-style knife brand, supposedly forged with the same craftsmanship that birthed Samurai swords. Their ads are dramatic, promising razor-sharp precision, flawless handling, and heirloom-quality materials. They even throw in a hole near the handle to make it look extra professional.
I placed my order directly on their Amazon store as I didn’t want to deal with the shipping hassles of the official website ‘matsato.com’. For a 70% off, I paid $34.99 instead of the original price.
My experience using Matsato Knife
When the Matsato Knife finally arrived, I’ll admit — it looked good. The packaging was fancy, like the kind of box you’d expect to hold something serious. Slick branding, foam insert, dramatic presentation. Honestly, they probably spent more on the box than they did on the knife itself.
Unboxing it, the knife felt decent in hand. The handle was comfortable, and the blade had that out-of-the-box sharpness you’d expect. Naturally, I was excited to put it to work because, in my kitchen, it’s non-stop action — between chasing kids, wiping sticky counters, and prepping family dinners, a good knife isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.
First use: I started simple, breaking down a whole roast chicken. It did okay — sliced through skin and joints cleanly. No complaints.
Second use: A colorful veggie stir fry. Bell peppers, carrots, snap peas, green beans — the knife handled them well. I was cautiously optimistic.
Third use: Ripe tomatoes. Now, every cook knows slicing tomatoes is the ultimate sharpness test. It passed, but I had to use a tad more pressure than I expected. Hmm.
Fourth use: Onion chopping and mincing garlic. I started noticing a tiny drag with each slice. Not a dealbreaker yet, but worth a mental note.
Fifth use: Back to chicken — boneless thighs this time. And here’s where it all fell apart. The edge dulled so fast I found myself sawing at the chicken like it was a hunk of wood. Clean cuts turned into rough hacks. By this point, the blade had lost its edge, literally and figuratively.
And that weird little hole near the handle? Completely useless. I don’t know what they were trying to achieve with that. It didn’t improve grip or control. It’s there purely for Instagram aesthetic, nothing else.
Is It really a Chef’s Knife?
The Matsato Knife isn’t made from high-quality Japanese steel like they claim. It’s actually made from 420J2 stainless steel — one of the cheapest, softest grades of stainless steel you can make a knife from. It dulls ridiculously fast, doesn’t hold an edge, and isn’t suitable for serious kitchen work. So No, it’s not a chef’s knife.
It’s a mass-produced product straight out of a factory in China, poorly finished and dressed up in a nice box. Not Japan steel. Not made in Japan. Honestly, if they’d spent five more minutes properly polishing and finishing the blade instead of making the packaging look like a collector’s item, it might have been passable. But nope.
The truth about Matsato Knives
Here’s where it gets spicy. After a little research, I discovered Matsato is essentially a rebranded version of other viral “Japanese-style” knife brands like Huusk and Coolina. All of these are connected to a Lithuanian marketing company that’s been selling the same cheap knife under different names for years.
It’s the same old product dressed up with a new logo, sold with those dramatic commercials, and priced like it’s made by a 12th-century Samurai swordsmith. Total scammy business model.
Pros
- Sharp out of the box
- Comfortable handle (initially)
- Beautiful packaging
Cons
- Dulls quickly — within 5 uses
- Made from cheap 420J2 steel
- Pointless hole near the handle
- Misleading marketing claims
- Poor blade finish
- Overpriced for what you get
- Terrible customer service
Alternatives
If you’re actually looking for a quality chef knife that wouldn’t disappoint. You should get;
MAD SHARK Chef Knife 8 inch – It is the perfect chef’s knife. Well-balanced, sturdy, and not overly heavy, it is versatile and facilitates cooking by saving me time while cutting. It’s ergonomic, and the blade’s sharpness is amazing. And guess what? It costs $19.99!
I can confidently say this since I have been using it for a few weeks; I wanted to test it before reviewing. I have cut even plastic recyclable containers, I have placed it in the dishwasher a few times and hand-washed it many times.
The edge is still as good as new! Last but not least, the looks. The shark-like design is genius; I love this creativity. The only thing is that, since the handle is angled at the base, it may not stay in place hanging blade-down on a rack. Be careful when handling; it is very sharp
Meanwhile, if you fancy having a set of knives. You can try this;
Mercer Culinary M20000 Genesis 5-Piece Forged Knife Block Set. It’s a good set. No doubt. I have had these knives for about 3 months now, so I have enough experience with them to make a claim. They cut wonderfully, from very large and firm vegetables to steak to cheese. I probably just use the chef’s knife for 80% of the overall kitchen uses.
The reasons I love these knives: 1. The handles are very grippy, just awesome 2. The set looks fantastic and draws a lot of attention 3. No rust on the metal yet 4. Stand is easy to clean, as long as you don’t put wet knives in, which will cloud the inside of the glass.
Is Matsato Knife a Scam?
Technically, it’s a knife. It will cut things — at least for a week. So in the strictest sense, it’s not a total scam. But the marketing is absolutely deceptive.
They’re banking on customers believing they’re buying a handcrafted, high-performance Japanese blade when in reality, it’s a cheaply made, mass-produced product coming out of China, disguised behind fancy packaging and exaggerated claims. And the fact that this exact knife has popped up under multiple brand names over the past couple of years? Major red flag.