[Daniele Rossi]

Been using the Matsato for a few days now, and I’m curious if the balance feels right to others. It feels a bit handle-heavy to me, but that might just be my grip. Anyone else notice that, or is it just me?

[Rob K1]

Different experience here. I’ve had mine about three weeks and mine feels slightly blade-heavy if anything. Not in a bad way, more like it wants to do the work for you once you get a rhythm going. The handle-heavy thing might be a grip issue or maybe you’re choking up higher than I do. I tend to hold it near the bolster and it balances fine there.

That said, I get why some people would notice it. The beech handle is lighter than a lot of Western-style handles, so if you’re used to those, the weight distribution can feel off at first. Took me a few sessions to stop adjusting my grip. Now I don’t think about it.

If it’s actually bothering you after a couple more days, that might just be how it suits your hand. Not every knife works for every person.

[Noah Kent]

Mine is the opposite, honestly. I picked one up about two weeks ago and it feels like the blade does most of the work. I actually found myself adjusting my grip a few times because I was getting a bit of wrist fatigue, which I didn’t expect from something marketed as balanced. The handle doesn’t feel heavy to me at all. I’ve seen some folks mention the finger hole throws off the weight, but I don’t use it much anyway. I just hold it like a normal knife. Maybe it’s a batch thing or maybe it depends on the angle you grip it at, but I wouldn’t say handle-heavy is the norm based on my experience. It’s a fine knife for everyday stuff, but if you’re sensitive to balance, it might be worth handling one in a store before committing.

[Tessa Lane]

Mine balances fine once I choke up on the blade a bit.

[Chris Miller]

I think a lot of it comes down to where your hand naturally sits. I noticed the same thing at first, but once I stopped gripping it so tight and let my fingers rest a bit further up, it felt way more neutral. Took me a couple of days to find that spot.

[Nina Rogers]

I have a feeling it depends on the batch or how you hold it. Mine felt neutral out of the box but my roommate tried it and swore it pulled forward. We have totally different hand sizes though, so I think that plays a bigger part than people give it credit for.

[MeryVip]

Mine feels fine, honestly. I don’t get the handle-heavy thing at all.

[Marcus Reed]

Took mine out for a quick veg prep session the other day and I get what you mean about the handle. I think it sits differently depending on how you grip it, but once I moved my hand up a little it felt more natural. Not something that would bother me long term though.

[Nina K.]

Mine felt heavier in the hand until I loosened my grip, then it evened out.

[Jordan Writes]

I actually don’t get that at all, mine feels pretty neutral to me. I’ve been using mine almost every day for meal prep and it sits fine in my hand without me having to adjust anything. Maybe it’s just how you’re gripping it or where your hand lands on the handle. Different strokes I guess, but I haven’t noticed any heaviness on my end.

[RyanT]

I think the handle-heavy feel might be coming from how you choke up on it. I noticed it too when I first got mine, but then I realized I was gripping it way too far back. Once I moved my hand up a bit and actually used the finger hole, it balanced out a lot better for me. I’ve been doing mostly fish prep with mine and it feels pretty neutral now. That finger hole looks gimmicky at first but it does change where your hand sits, which changes the whole balance. Could be worth trying before you decide it’s off. Or maybe your hands are just bigger than mine, hard to say.

[HarrY]

Never felt handle-heavy to me. I just grab it and cut, no issues. Maybe your grip is further back than mine or something.

[Laura M.]

I think it balances out once you get used to where your hand naturally lands. Took me a couple of days before the weight felt normal, but now I don’t notice it at all.

[Mike in NYC]

Mine took a little while to feel normal too, but I never thought it was handle-heavy. I do most of my cutting with a pinch grip, so maybe that changes how the weight lands for you. I’d say give it a few more days before deciding.

[Daniele Rossi]

Good to see I’m not the only one who noticed the weight distribution. I loosened my grip like someone mentioned and it did feel better after a couple days. Probably just needed to find where my hand naturally lands.

[Author]

Posts