What is a Nakiri knife?
A double bevel knife designed specifically for vegetable prep. The nakiri is quite recognizable for its flat profile and squared-off nose. This shape is designed for the push/pull chopping and slicing style. Generally, these knives are ground quite thin for refined chopping, an entremetier essential.
Quick Facts About Nakiris:
- The average size of a nakiri is 165-170mm.
- You can get a ko-nakiri (ko means mini) as small as 110mm.
- It is the perfect knife for vegetarians and vegans who don't prepare meat.
What Can You Use Your Nakiri for?
- Slice, dice, mince and chop fruits and vegetables.
- Easily make uniform cuts due to the flat edge. Your mirepoix will thank you.
- Great for making paper thin cuts if you don't feel like getting out your mandolin.
- The large surface area of the blade allows you to transport prepared veg from the board to the pan.
Considerations When Choosing a Nakiri Knife:
Steel: Would you like a carbon steel knife that will be extremely sharp but require more care to prevent rust? Or perhaps you need a more low maintenance stainless steel or stainless clad knife.
Handles: Some nakiri knives feature a Japanese Wa-handle while others have a Western Style handle. The handles come in a variety of materials such as natural wood, pakka-wood, stabilized wood and micarta.
Finish: We have tsuchime, damascus, nashiji, migaki, or kurouchi nakiri knives to choose from, a finish for every taste!
Three Of Our Favorite Nakiri Knives:
Kaji-bei Kurouchi Nakiri 165mm- This hand-forged beauty stays sharp for a very long time and is super affordable, making it a great introduction to the world of carbon steel knives.
Shigeki Tanaka R2 Damascus Nakiri 170mm with Custom Western Acrylic/Birch Handle- A beautiful, one of a kind knife with intricate damascus patterns made by a world renowned 3rd generation blacksmith. His knives are fully forged in-house, he does not use pre-laminated steel.
Goko Hamono Nashiji Nakiri 165mm- Another affordable hand-forged knife from Chiba prefecture. These knives feature top-notch heat treatment for super easy sharpening and razor like edges. Keep an eye out for more knives from this blkacksmith.
How to Properly Hold a Nakiri:
To get the best performance from your nakiri, you should learn to properly hold it. You will need to use a "pinch grip", which means you hold the knife at the top of the handle and you pinch at the balance point. This gives you more control over the knife and allows you to make super precise cuts.
If you have any questions about nakiris or knives in general, please contact us! We love hearing from you!