Misen chef's knife with red handle and stainless steel blade

5.5" Utility Knife (ACUTO440) - Red

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$94.00
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Misen chef's knife with red handle and stainless steel blade
  • Misen chef's knife with red handle and stainless steel blade
  • Misen chef's knife on wooden charcuterie board with brie, blue cheese, pear, nuts, honey, and dried apricots
  • Hands cutting fresh broccoli florets on white cutting board with olive oil and salt nearby
  • Misen utility knife with red handle and stainless steel blade
  • Chef's knife with red handle and stainless steel blade close-up
  • 5.5" Utility Knife (ACUTO440) - Red
  • Misen chef's knife with red handle and stainless steel blade
  • Misen chef's knife on wooden charcuterie board with brie, blue cheese, pear, nuts, honey, and dried apricots
  • Hands cutting fresh broccoli florets on white cutting board with olive oil and salt nearby
  • Misen utility knife with red handle and stainless steel blade
  • Chef's knife with red handle and stainless steel blade close-up
  • 5.5" Utility Knife (ACUTO440) - Red
5.5" Utility Knife (ACUTO440) - Red

1758 Reviews

5.5" Utility Knife (ACUTO440) - Red

5.5" Red ACUTO440 Utility Knife

$94.00

Our in-between knife for everyday prep. Perfect when a chef’s knife feels too big and a paring knife too small.

Color: Red
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60-Day Test Drive

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Lifetime Warranty Against Defects

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Free Returns

Features
  • AICHI ACUTO440 Japanese steel for exceptional sharpness and edge retention
  • Lab-tested rust resistance proven to withstand 50 days submerged in water and up to 100 dishwasher cycles.
  • 5.5” blade for versatile everyday prep
  • Ideal for slicing small produce, cheese, charcuterie, and citrus
  • Ergonomic rounded spine and bolster for a more comfortable pinch grip
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Rust-Proof

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ACUTO440 Steel

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All Chop Styles
Use & Care
  • Hand wash
  • Dry immediately after use
  • Sharpen every 4–6 months
  • Heads up: High-carbon knives may show discoloration after exposure to acidic foods and/or salt. This is purely cosmetic and different from rust, which is extremely rare. 
  • Visit our Help Hub for more on how to use and care for this knife.

Let Us Handle the Sharpening
Specifications

Blade Length: 5.7 in. / 147 mm
Total Length: 10.4 in. / 265 mm
Handle Thickness: 16 mm
Blade Height: 36 mm
Weight: 0.29 lb / 136 g
Steel: AICHI ACUTO 440 (Japan)
HRC: 58±2
Grind & Edge: 50/50 Symmetrical, 14° per side
Handle Material: Polyoxymethylene
Country of Production: PRC
Warranty

All Misen products come with a lifetime warranty against defects. Misen will replace any defective products. Learn more about our warranty policy here and what's covered.

Pair it with

Why It’s Great

Your Goldilocks Knife

Prep task too big for a paring knife? Too small for a chef's knife? Sounds like a job for the utility blade, the in-between knife that’s just right.

Ready For Happy Hour

The utility’s smaller blade and pointed tip make it a natural pick for foods you're cutting and serving right away like cheese, charcuterie, and citrus.

The Spine and Bolster Make It Easy

Rounded and ergonomic, they reduce pinch-grip finger pressure so you’ll stay comfy over long prep sessions.

Basically a Navy Seal

Rust-proof after 100 dishwasher cycles.

Because it’s got more chromium than standard high-carbon stainless, ACUTO440's rust resistance is a lab result, not a marketing claim.
Sliced salami and mozzarella sheet pan pizza on parchment paper being cut with a Misen chef's knife
Misen bread knife slicing dark sourdough loaf on wooden cutting board

Works Harder, Stays Sharper

Holds a razor edge through heavy prep.

At 58±2 HRC, ACUTO440 has incredible edge retention without brittleness. That means you can put off sharpening it for longer.

Questions?

What are Misen’s ACUTO440 Knives made of?

Our ACUTO440 Knives are made with AICHI ACUTO440, an exceptionally corrosion-resistant Japanese high-carbon stainless steel. AICHI ACUTO440 is rust-proof, incredibly durable, and has excellent edge retention. What that means for you: less time cleaning and sharpening, more cooking.
What’s the difference between Misen’s ACUTO440 Knives and classic knives?

All of our knives are made from high-carbon stainless steel, which is what gives them their razor-sharpness and excellent edge retention. However, our ACUTO440 Knives have a much higher chromium content (about 18%), which makes them significantly more corrosion (aka rust) resistant.

Our ACUTO440 Knives also feature a rounded spine and heel (the back of the knife where the blade meets the bolster), creating a more comfortable grip over long prep sessions.
How are Misen’s ACUTO440 Knives different from other high-carbon knives?

We wanted our ACUTO440 Knives to be high-performance tools that you could still leave in the sink overnight if you needed to. That’s why our ACUTO440 Knives are made with AICHI ACUTO440, a Japanese high-carbon stainless steel that is more durable and easier to care for than other high-carbon knives, which are prone to rusting and/or chipping without proper care.
What do you mean by rust-proof?

Our ACUTO440 Knives are made with AICHI ACUTO440 steel, an exceptionally corrosion-resistant Japanese high-carbon stainless steel. Our knives have been lab-certified to withstand up to 100 dishwasher cycles, as well as 50 days of being submerged in water, without showing any signs of rust.
Can I put Misen’s ACUTO440 Knives in the dishwasher?

While our ACUTO440 Knives have been lab-certified to withstand up to 100 dishwasher cycles without showing any signs of rust, we generally recommend hand washing all of your Misen knives. Because our knives are extremely sharp, when they get jostled around in the dishwasher, the blade can cut through the soft materials that make up your dishwasher racks. Dishwashing can also damage your knives if the blade edge bangs against hard objects like flatware or pots and pans during the washing cycle.
How often should I sharpen my knives?

Whenever you start to notice your knife is slicing and dicing a little less crisply than usual, it’s time to sharpen. Although our ACUTO440 Knives can go long periods between sharpenings, we generally recommend getting them sharpened about twice a year for best performance. We also recommend regularly using a honing rod between sharpenings to keep your knife edge in good shape.
My blade has discoloration and/or staining. What is this?

While our ACUTO440 Knives are rust-proof, all high-carbon knives can experience some discoloration and/or staining with prolonged exposure to acidic foods and/or salt. This is purely cosmetic and is not the same as rust.

Customer Reviews

4.9
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars
Based on 1,758 reviews
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1,758 reviews
  • William D. M. J.
    Verified Buyer
    Reviewing
    5.5" Utility Knife (ACUTO440) - Blue
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    4 minutes ago
    Thoughts

    I really like this knife

    Was this helpful?
  • Jodi B.
    Verified Buyer
    Reviewing
    5.5" Utility Knife (ACUTO440) - Black
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    1 week ago
    Knife for many uses

    Loved this knife.

    Wish it would come with a knife shield.

    I had to purchase one from Amazon...

    Was this helpful?
  • James
    Verified Reviewer
    Reviewing
    5.5" Utility Knife (ACUTO440) - Blue
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    1 month ago
    The Everything Knife

    I use this knife for most tasks. It’s thin enough for thin-slicing a tomato and robust enough to breakdown a chicken or split a rack of ribs. And it keeps a sharp edge. It’s easy to control and comfortable to hold. I’ve owned mine for ~3 Years, and I’m giving my son the same knife for his 20th birthday (he likes to cook!). 10 out of 5 stars!

    Was this helpful?
  • Lori K.
    Verified Buyer
    Reviewing
    5.5" Utility Knife (ACUTO440) - Red
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    2 months ago
    5.5 Utility Knife

    This is a daily go to knife. Super sharp and just the right size - for some cutting one does not need the 6.5 or 8-inch knife. Love, love this size knife.

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  • Anna L.
    Flag of United States
    Verified Buyer
    Reviewing
    5.5" Utility Knife (ACUTO440) - Blue
    I recommend this product
    Product Standouts sharp, easy-to-use, good balance, comfortable handle
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    4 months ago
    I use this every single day

    I have small hands and this knife is the perfect size - it’s the first knife I reach for, I use it at least once per day. I have a larger misen knife from 5 or 6 years ago that’s still in fantastic shape and sharper than it should be for how little i’ve tried to sharpen it. gives me confidence this one will last a long time as well!

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Show More

5.5" Red ACUTO440 Utility Knife

The 5.5" Utility Knife (ACUTO440) in red is Misen’s in-between knife for everyday prep, the one to grab when a chef’s knife feels too big and a paring knife feels too small. That middle size makes it easy to stay nimble for quick, precise cuts while still giving you enough blade length for common kitchen tasks. If you’re comparing shapes across the lineup, you can see more options in Misen’s single knives assortment.

This utility knife is designed for versatile, day-to-day slicing and trimming. The page calls out it as ideal for slicing small produce, cheese, charcuterie, and citrus, which is exactly where a 5.5" blade shines. It is long enough to make clean, controlled slices, but compact enough to feel comfortable in tighter spaces, like working around a cutting board crowded with prep.

The blade uses AICHI ACUTO440 Japanese steel, chosen for exceptional sharpness and edge retention. Misen also notes lab-tested rust resistance, proven to withstand 50 days submerged in water and up to 100 dishwasher cycles. Even with that durability, the recommended routine is still simple and protective: hand wash, dry immediately after use, and plan to sharpen about every 4 to 6 months depending on how often you cook.

Comfort matters on a knife you reach for constantly, and this one is built for a comfortable pinch grip with an ergonomic rounded spine and bolster. If you like to choke up on the blade for control when halving citrus or slicing smaller ingredients, that rounding can make longer prep sessions feel easier on your fingers.

Color is the only difference between the available ACUTO utility knife variants, so choose red strictly for the look you want on your counter and in your hand. To round out a core kit, browse the broader kitchen knives collection, and for more detailed maintenance guidance specific to this steel, reference Acuto knives care.

Frequently Asked Questions About 5.5" Utility Knife (ACUTO440)

What is a 5.5" utility knife best used for?

Misen positions this as an everyday prep knife that fills the gap between a chef’s knife and a paring knife. On the page, it is specifically recommended for slicing small produce, cheese, charcuterie, and citrus, where you want precision without stepping up to a larger blade.

What steel is used, and what does it mean for edge retention?

The blade is made from AICHI ACUTO440 Japanese steel. According to the product details, this steel is chosen for exceptional sharpness and edge retention, so you can keep a keen edge through regular home prep and sharpen on a steady schedule instead of constantly touching up.

Is this knife rust resistant, and is it dishwasher safe?

The product notes lab-tested rust resistance, proven to withstand 50 days submerged in water and up to 100 dishwasher cycles. Even so, the recommended care is to hand wash and dry immediately after use, which is the best way to preserve the edge and finish over time.

How often should I sharpen it, and what daily care is recommended?

Misen’s care guidance on the page is straightforward: hand wash, dry immediately after use, and sharpen every 4 to 6 months. Your exact sharpening cadence will depend on how often you cook, but that interval is a solid baseline for maintaining clean, precise cuts.

What if the blade shows discoloration after cutting acidic foods?

The page notes that high-carbon knives may show discoloration after exposure to acidic foods and or salt. This change is described as purely cosmetic and different from rust, which Misen says is extremely rare, especially when you follow the recommended wash-and-dry routine.