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Gear guide

Best MAC knives: MTH-80 and the Professional line

Picked from Amazon listings, not hands-on tests. How we pick

Top picks at a glance

Compare all picks

  • Closest match for the job

    MAC PRO-31 Professional 3-piece set with MTH-80

    Includes the MTH-80 Pro 8 in chef, which the listing calls MAC's best-selling knife.

    See price on AmazonSee it on Amazon

  • Most for the money on paper

    MAC MTH-80 Professional 8" dimpled chef's knife

    Lowest listed price in this guide while still clearing the $150 mark for a Professional series knife.

    See price on AmazonSee it on Amazon

  • Most complete listing

    MAC CHEF-32 Chef series 3-piece set, TH-80

    The listing states 2.5 mm starting stock for the chef's knife and 2.0 mm for the paring knife.

    See price on AmazonSee it on Amazon

MAC is a Seki, Japan maker known for thin, light blades with Western handles, and its catalog is easy to misread. The Professional series is built around the MTH-80, an 8 inch dimpled chef's knife that the PRO-31 listing calls its best-selling knife. The Chef series uses the TH-80 with a similar shape at a lower price, and the Original series rounds out the range. The useful questions are which series you are buying into, whether you want a single chef's knife or a starter set, and what steel each knife uses: MAC lists a sub-zero tempered alloy for the Professional chef's knife and a stain-resistant molybdenum alloy elsewhere. MAC listings on Amazon are thin on specs, so this guide writes "Not stated" wherever a listing leaves out hardness, steel or handle details. Five MAC listings priced at $150 and up are compared here.

Compare the picks

Facts are taken from each Amazon listing. Prices are checked daily and shown with their date.

The picks in detail

Pick 1 · Mac Knife

MAC PRO-31 Professional 3-piece set with MTH-80

See price on Amazon

A set built around the MTH-80 Pro chef knife, plus a paring knife and a 10.5 inch bread and roast slicer. Good for cooks who want the MTH-80 and a long slicer.

What the listing offers

  • Includes the MTH-80 Pro 8 in chef, which the listing calls MAC's best-selling knife.
  • The chef knife's sub-zero tempered alloy is said to hold an edge about 10-15% longer.
  • Bolstered Pakka wood handles with knuckle clearance, per the listing.

Limits to know

  • HRC and edge angle are not stated in the listing.
  • The highest-priced three-piece set in this guide.
See it on AmazonListing title: Mac Knife set Professional series 3-piece PRO-31, MTH-80 Pro series 8"...

Pick 2 · Mac Knife

MAC CHEF-32 Chef series 3-piece set, TH-80

See price on Amazon

The CHEF-32 pairs the TH-80 chef's knife with a dimpled paring knife and a 10.5 inch bread knife. A lower-cost way into MAC's thin, stock-removal blades.

What the listing offers

  • The listing states 2.5 mm starting stock for the chef's knife and 2.0 mm for the paring knife.
  • Dimples on the chef's and paring knife are stated to reduce sticking on potatoes and apples.
  • 100% handcrafted in Seki, Japan, using Japanese materials, per the listing.

Limits to know

  • No bolster and no sub-zero steel; those are listed only for the Professional set.
  • No block is listed, and hardness is not stated.
See it on AmazonListing title: MAC Knife Chef series 3-piece starter knife set CHEF-32, TH-80 Chef se...

Pick 3 · MAC MIGHTY

MAC MTH-80 Professional 8" dimpled chef's knife

See price on Amazon

MAC's Professional series chef's knife at 200 mm, with hollow edges to stop food sticking. The lowest-priced knife here and a plain, practical gyuto-style pick for daily prep.

What the listing offers

  • Lowest listed price in this guide while still clearing the $150 mark for a Professional series knife.
  • Listing states hollow edges along the blade to keep sliced food from sticking.
  • Molybdenum vanadium stainless steel is listed, a low-maintenance choice for a busy kitchen.

Limits to know

  • The listing is thin: no hardness, edge angle or handle material is stated, so check the brand page before buying.
  • At 200 mm it is a little shorter than a 210 mm gyuto, which some cooks find small for big boards.
See it on AmazonListing title: MAC MIGHTY MTH-80 Professional Series Chefs Knife 200mm(7.8Inch)

Pick 4 · Mac Knife

MAC Original series 4-piece starter set

See price on Amazon

A 4-piece Original series starter set with Pakka wood handles, made in Japan. For buyers who want several MAC knives at once and can live with sparse specs.

What the listing offers

  • Four pieces in one listing, the most knives of any MAC option here.
  • Pakka wood handles and made in Japan, according to the listing.
  • The listing states a razor-sharp edge and recommends hand washing.

Limits to know

  • The listing does not say which knives are included or what steel they use.
  • Not dishwasher safe, per the listing, and hardness is not stated.
See it on AmazonListing title: Mac Knife Original Series 4-Piece Starter Set

Pick 5 · Mac Knife

MAC MS-46 Pro series santoku set, MSK-65 and SK-40

See price on Amazon

A two-piece Pro series santoku set pairing the dimpled MSK-65 santoku with the SK-40. For cooks who prefer a santoku as their main MAC knife.

What the listing offers

  • Built around a Pro series santoku with dimples, per the listing title.
  • Two knives in one listing, for a santoku-based kit.
  • A good fit for cooks who push-cut rather than rock a chef's knife.

Limits to know

  • The listing has no feature details: steel, blade lengths, hardness and handle are not stated.
  • The SK-40 is not described on the listing, so check what it is before buying.
See it on AmazonListing title: MS-46 - Pro Series Santoku Set 2pcs (MSK-65 with Dimples/SK-40)

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Edge & Haft chooses every product independently from what its Amazon listing states. We may earn a commission from the links above. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.