You’ve just bought a new kitchen knife and you’re excited to use it for the first time. But wait, there is a gap between the neck of the blade and the handle. That’s not normal. Should you feel like you got ripped off?
In this post, I’ll break down what a “Machi” gap is, why they are considered traditional and whether they or not they are acceptable. I’ll then cover common methods that knifemakers may use to assemble knives and finally provide my thoughts and opinions.
What is a Machi Gap?
The “machi” gap is a Japanese term or name for the gap that exists between the neck of the knife blade and the handle. This can be quite pronounced, very small or non-existent/flush. It can be acceptable or unacceptable depending on a few factors which we’ll get into further down.
Traditional?
Machi gaps are indeed traditional inside of Japan and there are cultural, practical and regional aspects behind them.
It’s a regional thing in Japan. There are regional differences in aesthetics. It is referred to as ‘Tokyo style’. KantÅ region tends to like large gaps, while Kansai does not. The Konosuke knife brand (Sakai region) is popular and is well-known for having machi gaps on their knives. It’s an active choice and different makers/regions have different opinions on this… some leave large gaps, some smaller, and some don’t leave any gap at all.
Knife Balance. You’ll most often see machi on higher-end single bevel knives (Yanagiba or Usuba Knives for example). Traditionally Ho wood was picked as a handle material due to its lightness and ease of maintenance, which naturally promotes a blade forward balance to the overall knife. Heavier handles (eg: Ebony) may negatively impact the balance of lighter knives like Gyutos and by having a machi gap, the balance can be fine-tuned for the individual user.
Removable. Japanese chefs at higher-end restaurants will sand down their handles a bit from time to time to keep them looking clean. This is very important to how chefs think about their work environment and leads to customer perspective in Japan. As a result. this means handles wear down significantly faster. So being able to replace them easily is more of a necessity than anything else. And being able to do it inexpensively is a plus as well.
Short Necks. The spacing between the choil and the handle is important for comfort. This space should be large enough to fit at least 80% of the width of your middle finger. Smaller than this will be too small and uncomfortable to hold. The “ideal” size of the space will be different based on knife type, grip, the customer’s finger, etc. By having a machi, you can fine-tune the space to allow for a comfortable grip. This is especially important to chefs who use their knives for longer periods.
no machi gaps.
Hygiene. So some people believe that the machi represents an area, perfect for catching all sorts of unwanted food items. While this area is usually covered by your hand, any food that may get lodged in there should come out with general knife cleaning, so this argument may come down to particular user habits rather than design.
Rust. Some find it hard to dry the blade completely after cleaning and find it annoying or difficult to dig a towel in the gap to ensure it’s dry. While cleaning and drying a kitchen knife after use is highly recommended, you may find it easier to remove any rust, when replacing the handle. Needless to say, if the blade is stainless, then rust is less of a concern.
Comfort. As mentioned above, the neck may be incorrectly sized for you and can certainly lead to discomfort. Know that depending on how the handle has been attached (more on that below), you should be able to fine-tune this so that it’s no longer an issue.
Aesthetics. Some don’t like the look of a machi, stating that it makes the knife look ‘unfinished’. Many US retailers request that Japanese wholesalers install the handles flush with the handle. This illustrates that Western aesthetic ideals are prevalent or rather that the reasons behind the machi gap aren’t meaningful or appreciated by consumers outside of Japan.
Methods for attaching handles
Burn in
No glue is required for this type of handle install. The tang of the knife is heated until it glows red and is inserted into the awaiting undersized slot in the handle. It may take 1 or 2 attempts to achieve the required depth and or alignment.
The machi is required if the knifemaker has used the burn-in method. The gap allows for the handle to loosen over time, or if it’s removed for knife maintenance. The gap gives you some leeway to tap the blade farther into the handle and reseat it. If there was no gap left then there’s no way to make the handle tight again and you’d be forced to replace the handle.
Wax / Besswax / Hot glue
Similar to the burn-in in some ways but using wax or hot glue. This is essentially a middle ground between the different techniques. Cut a glue stick/wax into small pieces and fill the slot. Or melt the wax, pour it into the slot and let this cool to room temp, for 10-30 min. This step is essential to ensure the wax bonds to the wood. Heat the tang (only warm enough to melt the wax/glue) and push it into the slot, align and hold until it sets.
You can use painter’s tape around the hole/on the neck of the handle and neck of the blade to make clean-up easier (for overflow). Ideally, you have some glue that comes out, which you can remove while still warm (toothpick). You can also use a heat gun to remelt around the hole for an extra clean install.
To remove the blade, place the whole knife in a convection oven at 100c for 5-10 min. This is usually sufficient to melt the wax so that the blade can be removed and not damage the handle.
Epoxy
Epoxy remains a firm favourite of Western makers. Epoxy is extremely tough and able to put up with a lot of abuse. In my mind, this is largely down to the fact that 99% of the handles are meant to be permanent. which is the opposite of Ho wood handles. Stabilised, exotic hardwoods and other materials are used in the construction and result in a beautiful one-of-a-kind handle. As such they also don’t always allow for an easy burn-in. The main drawback to using epoxy is that you have to destroy the handle to remove the blade.
Bad Fitment Issues:
Some makers will have a certain design aesthetic that they go for, but you will be able to see this across their body of work. If your knife is the only one with this “issue” then you’re generally safe to assume it’s abnormal.
Gaps: This is more focused on a knife that has been made to have very good fitment and still has gaps between the blade and the handle. There are several issues that can cause this, but none of them should be considered acceptable on a custom knife.
- the shoulders are not even.
- the tang is not straight or rather it’s bent/warped.
- trapped air in the handle can push the blade out causing a machi
Alignment: A bigger issue is if the blade is not aligned with the handle. This could be either left/right, where the blade tilts up or drops down or even whether the edge is not centred (twisted). With alignment issues, ultimately an issue of attention to detail when bedding in the tang. Mistakes happen but they can be rectified if caught early.
Conclusion:
The purpose of this blog has always been to provide information and thereby educate my readers. Granted it also allows me to put forward my point of view on a subject, for which I am thankful.
My personal preference has always been to have no gap, as it looks neater to me and achieves the aesthetic I’m looking for. That underlines that personal preference, especially on esthetics plays a big part in whether a person likes or dislikes a knife with a machi. I spend a lot of time and effort designing my knives to the point where the benefits of having a machi are negligible.
To pass it off as simply “traditional” is not correct in my mind and should be guarded against. If the maker is based in a certain region of Japan and or has designed the knife blade, knife handle and bedded the tang in such a way (traditional burn-ins, wax or hot glue) that emphasises the benefits of using a machi, then by all means, that’s perfectly fine.
If a permanent assembly method using either epoxy or a pin has been used then a machi gap should not be present (flush fit) in my honest opinion. The permanent nature of the assembly negates the presence of a machi. Outside of aesthetics, and I appreciate that some people may like the look of a machi, the reasons for still having a gap on an epoxied/pinned handle, seem tantamount to bad design, manufacturing issues or a mistake during fit-up.
