Best Nakiri Knives: What to Buy When Most Are Sold Out
A nakiri is a second knife for a vegetable-heavy cook. Four worth buying now, the value pick to set a stock alert for, and how to choose one.
Japanese Knives
Handcrafted Japanese kitchen knives — history, craftsmanship, and how to choose one.
Guides
Best Santoku Knives: Five Picks From Budget to Premium
Five Japanese santoku knives worth buying, from a USD 109 first knife to a powder-steel splurge, with what each is best for and who should skip it.
What Is a Bunka Knife? The Santoku With a Pointed Tip
A bunka is a santoku with a pointed tip for precision in scoring and detail work. How it compares to a santoku and a kiritsuke, and who should buy one.
Gyuto vs a Western Chef's Knife: Which One to Buy?
A gyuto and a Western chef's knife are the same shape doing the same job. The difference is steel, weight, and upkeep. A clear way to decide.
Japanese Knife Gift Guide: How to Choose Without Regret
A Japanese knife is a generous gift and easy to get slightly wrong. The safe choice, what to avoid, the coin superstition, and how to make it exchangeable.
Japanese Knives for Small Hands: Size, Handle, and Fit
A standard chef's knife can feel like too much knife. The blade length, handle, and weight that suit a smaller hand, and which santoku or petty to buy.
Knife HRC Explained: What Hardness Really Means for You
HRC measures how hard a knife's steel is, not how good it is. What the numbers mean, what changes from 60 to 66, and how much it should affect your choice.
Knife Shopping in Japan: Kappabashi, Tsukiji, and Beyond
Buying a Japanese knife in Japan is a small saving and a real pleasure. Where to go, what it costs, and how to get a blade home legally.
Japanese Knife Steels Explained: White, Blue, VG-10, and SG2
What Shirogami, Aogami, VG-10, Ginsan, and SG2 mean for your knife: edge retention, sharpening, and rust resistance, and which steel suits which cook.
Left-Handed Japanese Knives: What You Actually Need
Most Japanese knives work in either hand. Which ones are handed, why single-bevel knives are the exception, and what to buy if you are left-handed.
Petty vs Paring vs Utility Knife: Which One to Buy?
A petty is the most useful of the three small knives, and the one to buy. When a paring knife still earns its place, and why a utility knife rarely does.
Sakai vs Seki: Japan's Two Knife Capitals Compared
Sakai hand-forges professional single-bevel knives; Seki machine-makes Western-style blades for export. The history, what each makes, and which to buy.
Wa-Handle vs Western Handle: Which Should You Choose?
A wa-handle is lighter and blade-forward, a Western handle heavier and familiar. What differs, the left-handed catch, and which to choose first.
What Is a Yanagiba? Japan's Sashimi Slicer, Explained
A yanagiba is the long single-bevel knife for slicing raw fish. What it does, how the draw cut works, and why a sujihiki suits most home cooks better.
Is a Japanese Knife Worth It? An Honest, No-Hype Answer
Not a sales pitch. Who a Japanese knife is genuinely worth the money and effort for, who should keep what they have, and where the price actually goes.
Best Cutting Boards for Japanese Knives: Use and Avoid
A Japanese knife's thin, hard edge needs a soft board. What to avoid (glass, bamboo, hard plastic), what to use, and four boards worth buying.
The Best Japanese Knife for Vegetables: Santoku or Nakiri?
The right vegetable knife is a santoku as your only blade or a nakiri as a dedicated second one. Here's why, and what actually matters in choosing one.
The Best Japanese Knife Under $150: Top Picks by Type
USD 150 is the sweet spot: past supermarket junk, below the craft premium. What it buys, from value picks to a hand-forged carbon nakiri.
The Best Japanese Knives for Beginners: Our Top Picks
Our current picks for a first Japanese knife: stainless, forgiving, easy to sharpen, around USD 100 to 150. Best overall, best value, and the best santoku.
The Best Whetstone for Beginners: Which to Buy First?
For a home cook, one #1000/#6000 combination stone covers almost all sharpening. Our picks for a first stone, a single-stone option, and a repair stone.
Carbon vs Stainless Steel for Japanese Knives: Which One?
Which steel should your Japanese knife be? A clear answer based on how you cook and how much maintenance you want, and what each is really like day to day.
I Chipped My Japanese Knife, and Whether It Can Be Saved
How to tell a fixable chip from a job for a professional, grind a small chip out on a whetstone yourself, and stop it happening again.
Is a Damascus Knife Worth It, or Just for Looks?
The Damascus pattern on a modern kitchen knife is decorative and does not make it cut better. When the premium is worth paying anyway, and when it isn't.
Choosing Your First Japanese Knife: A Beginner's Guide
A step-by-step way to pick a first Japanese knife you won't regret: which shape, which steel, what size, how much to spend, and the mistakes to avoid.
What Is a Gyuto? The Japanese Chef's Knife, Explained
A gyuto is the Japanese take on a Western chef's knife: thinner, harder, lighter. How it differs from a chef's knife and santoku, and what size to buy.
How to Use a Whetstone: Your First Sharpening, Step by Step
A step-by-step first sharpening on a whetstone: the setup, the angle, the stroke, and the checkpoint that tells you it is working, plus mistakes to avoid.
Importing Japanese Knives: Shipping, Customs, and Duty
How import charges work when you buy a Japanese knife from abroad, why Japanese-made knives often pay no customs duty, and what to check before you order.
Importing Japanese Knives into the EU: What to Know
The EU-Japan trade deal zeroes the duty on Japanese-made knives, but import VAT applies, plus a new €3 charge on low-value parcels since July 2026.
Importing Japanese Knives into the UK: What to Know
Japanese-made knives usually enter the UK at zero customs duty under the UK-Japan deal. You still pay 20% VAT, a carrier fee, and need an adult signature.
Importing Japanese Knives: US, Canada & Australia
Canada and Australia are simple and cheap for importing a Japanese knife. The US changed its rules in 2025 and is now the most expensive and unpredictable.
Why Your Japanese Knife Is Rusting, and How to Stop It
Tell rust from a harmless patina, remove light surface rust with a few household items, and fix the habits that cause it. Plus when to switch to stainless.
Japanese vs Western Knives: The Real Differences Explained
Harder and thinner versus tougher and heavier. How Japanese and Western knives differ in steel, geometry, weight, and upkeep, and which suits your kitchen.
What Is a Nakiri? Japan's Vegetable Knife, Explained
A nakiri is a tall, flat, tip-free knife made only for vegetables. What it does better than a santoku, where it falls short, and whether it earns a place.
What Is a Petty Knife? Japan's Small Utility Blade
A petty knife is the Japanese utility knife that sits between a paring knife and a chef's knife. What it's for, what size to buy, and why it's ideal.
Santoku vs Gyuto: Which Japanese Knife Should You Buy?
The two knives most first-time buyers weigh up. A clear answer based on how you cut, what you cook, and kitchen size, with a side-by-side comparison.
Santoku vs Nakiri: Which One Do You Actually Need?
Two flat-edged Japanese knives that look alike but do different jobs. Why a santoku comes first and a nakiri second, and when it's worth owning both.
Single-Bevel vs Double-Bevel Japanese Knives, Explained
What the two grinds actually do, why single-bevel knives are handed and harder to maintain, and why almost every home cook should choose double-bevel.
What Is a Deba Knife? Japan's Traditional Fish-Prep Blade
A deba is a heavy, single-purpose knife for breaking down whole fish. What it does, single vs double bevel, what size to get, and whether you need one.
Caring for and Sharpening a Japanese Knife: The Basics
A few habits protect a Japanese knife's edge for years, and a few mistakes ruin one fast: daily care, whetstone sharpening, rust, and fixing chips.
Sakai: The Historic Heart of Japanese Knife-Making
How a port city near Osaka became Japan's most respected address for hand-forged knives, from 16th-century tobacco blades to today's single-bevel knives.
What Is a Santoku Knife? Japan's Everyday All-Purpose Blade
Japan's most popular home knife, built for meat, fish, and vegetables. What a santoku does well, how it compares to a gyuto and nakiri, and how to choose.
Browse products
Hitohira FJ Gyuto 210mm VG10 (Magnolia Handle)
USD 315 (checked Oct 3, 2026)
- Hand-ground VG10 with a taper and a convex hamaguri grind, which the retailer says gives smooth cutting and good food release
- Stainless steel needs little maintenance, so it suits everyday prep
- Lightweight wa-style magnolia handle with a horn ferrule
Hitohira FJ Petty 150mm VG10
USD 195 (checked Oct 3, 2026)
- Same hand-ground VG10 convex grind as the larger FJ knives, in a 150mm utility size
- Stainless and 60 HRC: low maintenance and a durable edge
- Good size for fruit, herbs and small prep alongside a gyuto
Hitohira FJ Santoku 180mm VG10
USD 270 (checked Oct 3, 2026)
- Hand-ground convex hamaguri grind on a thin 1.6mm spine, a refined cutter for a santoku
- Stainless VG10 at 60 HRC holds an edge well with little maintenance
- Western handle suits cooks coming from a European chef's knife
Hitohira HG Nakiri 160mm Tsuchime Damascus
USD 185 (checked Oct 3, 2026)
- Hammered (tsuchime) face breaks up the contact area, which helps food release on sticky vegetables
- Stainless damascus cladding needs far less care than carbon steel
- Western-style pakka handle, so no wa-handle adjustment is needed
Okada Gyuto 210mm Shirogami 2 Kurouchi
USD 255 (checked Oct 3, 2026)
- Hand-forged in Takefu by third-generation smith Masanobu Okada
- Bernal describes the heat treatment as excellent and the blades as easy to sharpen on stones
- Slight concavity above the bevel makes it feel less bulky than the thick spine suggests
Sakai Kikumori Nihonkou Gyuto 240mm SK4
USD 121 (checked Oct 3, 2026)
- Factory-made Sakai carbon steel at a low price: $121 for a 240mm gyuto
- Thin mono-steel blade at about 63 HRC takes an edge easily and holds it well
- Bernal notes SK steel rusts more slowly than many aogami or shirogami blades
Akira-Saku Blue #2 Nakiri 165mm
USD 146 (checked Sep 8, 2026)
- Fully hand-forged by craftsman Shoji Yoshida in Shimabara, Kyushu
- Kurouchi (black-forged) finish helps protect the carbon steel from oxidation
- An accessible entry point into fully hand-forged Japanese carbon-steel knives
Chubo Inox Gyuto 210mm
USD 134 (checked Sep 9, 2026)
- Easy-care stainless steel, hand-finished in Seki — forgiving for a first Japanese knife
- Medium weight and well balanced, close to a European chef's knife in feel
- Thin 1.7mm spine for a clean cut without the fragility of harder steels
Chubo Inox Petty 150mm
USD 99 (checked Sep 8, 2026)
- Hand-finished in Seki, an easy-care stainless steel for everyday use
- Thin blade profile — about 1.7mm at the spine tapering to 0.5mm at the tip — for light, precise cuts
- Simple to maintain, a good fit for cooks new to Japanese knives
Karaku Aogami Nakiri 165mm
USD 129 (checked Sep 9, 2026)
- Aogami #1 carbon takes a very fine edge and is quick and satisfying to sharpen
- Forged in Tosa by blacksmith Michikuni Tokaji; a lot of hand work for the price
- A tall, flat, double-bevel blade that suits straight-down vegetable chopping
Karaku Aogami Santoku 165mm
USD 129 (checked Sep 9, 2026)
- Aogami #1 carbon takes an exceptionally fine edge and is quick and satisfying to sharpen
- Forged in Tosa by blacksmith Michikuni Tokaji; a lot of hand craftsmanship for the price
- 165mm and a slim wa-handle make it easy to control for a smaller kitchen or hand
Kazan SLD Bunka 170mm
USD 189 (checked Sep 9, 2026)
- A santoku-length all-rounder with a pointed tip for scoring and detail work
- SLD steel at 60-62 HRC gives close to carbon-steel edge retention while behaving like a stainless knife
- Finished on stones for sharpness out of the box; hand-fitted walnut wa-handle
Kazan SLD Wa Nakiri 165mm
USD 175 (checked Sep 9, 2026)
- SLD steel at 60-62 HRC gives close to carbon-steel edge retention while behaving like a stainless knife
- Finished on a series of stones for strong out-of-the-box sharpness
- Hand-fitted walnut wa-handle; made in Niigata exclusively for the retailer
Misono Molybdenum Santoku 180mm
USD 125 (checked Sep 9, 2026)
- Light, well-balanced, and comfortable in a Western-style riveted handle familiar from European knives
- At 56-58 HRC the edge is easy and quick to bring back on a stone and tolerates rougher use
- A well-priced, hand-inspected introduction to a respected Japanese maker
Okami Blades Classic Chef Knife 8-inch
USD 149.99 (checked Sep 8, 2026)
- 58-60 HRC steel that's easy to sharpen at home
- Acute 15° edge angle for a fine, precise cutting edge
- AUS-8 is a well-regarded, corrosion-resistant stainless steel
Okami Blades Premium Damascus Chef Knife 8-inch
USD 199 (checked Sep 8, 2026)
- One-of-a-kind 67-layer Damascus pattern on every blade
- AUS-10 core at 60 HRC, a small step up in steel from the plain Classic's AUS-8
- Arrives gift-wrapped with a furoshiki-style cloth, a washi paper haiku, and a hanko stamp
Sakai Takayuki 33 Layer Damascus Santoku 180mm
USD 160 (checked Sep 9, 2026)
- VG-10 core takes and holds a keen edge with almost no rust care
- Hand-hammered face helps release food and adds a little stiffness
- One of Chubo's longest-running best-sellers across all skill levels
Sakai Takayuki 45 Layer Damascus Wa Nakiri 160mm
USD 175 (checked Sep 9, 2026)
- AUS-10 stainless core: a keen edge with almost no rust care
- Light and centre-balanced, with a slim octagonal wa-handle that is a gentle introduction to the style
- Hand-hammered face helps chopped vegetables fall away from the blade
Sakai Takayuki White #2 Kurouchi Yanagi 270mm
USD 308 (checked Sep 9, 2026)
- A genuine single-bevel yanagiba forged in Sakai by blacksmith Togashi-san, hand-sharpened
- White #2 carbon takes an extremely fine edge for clean, single-draw slices of raw fish
- Kasumi construction and a soft iron jacket make it more forgiving to sharpen than a mono-steel blade
Yoshida Hamono Ryo-Deba Kuro-uchi 170mm
EUR 150 (checked Sep 8, 2026)
- Hand-forged at an accessible price point for a carbon-steel deba
- 63-64 HRC makes it easier to resharpen at home than harder powder steels
- Double-beveled, so it suits both right- and left-handed cooks, unlike a traditional single-bevel deba
Yoshida Hamono ZDP-189 Santoku Black 180mm
EUR 300 (checked Sep 8, 2026)
- ZDP-189 with roughly 20% chromium resists corrosion better than typical carbon steel
- San-mai (clad) construction keeps the core thin for a fine, long-lasting edge
- Versatile enough for meat, fish, and vegetables in one blade
Takamura Chromax Santoku 170mm
USD 145 (checked Sep 9, 2026)
- Very thin blade (1.6mm at the spine) with a steep grind for effortless, precise cuts
- Excellent edge retention at 62-63 HRC, close to a powder steel
- Hand-sharpened by a respected workshop for strong out-of-the-box sharpness
Tojiro Fujitora DP Gyuto 210mm
USD 119 (checked Sep 9, 2026)
- VG-10 core at 60 HRC takes and holds a keen edge — a long-standing first-knife recommendation
- Stainless cladding and a water-resistant handle make it low maintenance
- Widely regarded as one of the best-value entry points into Japanese knives
Tojiro Fujitora DP Santoku 170mm
USD 109 (checked Sep 9, 2026)
- VG-10 core at 60 HRC in a santoku — a strong, low-maintenance first Japanese knife
- 170mm is the controllable santoku size for a small kitchen or smaller hands
- Same well-regarded DP line as the popular Tojiro gyuto, at a santoku length