Best Nakiri Knives: What to Buy When Most Are Sold Out

A nakiri is a tall, flat, double-bevel knife made purely for vegetables. It is a second knife for a cook who does a lot of vegetable prep, not a first knife. If you take one thing from this guide, let it be that: a nakiri cannot handle meat or fish with any finesse, so if you want a single knife, a santoku is the better buy. Our santoku versus nakiri comparison covers that decision.

If you have decided you want a nakiri, read on. The catch is that the nakiri is a niche shape, so the affordable stainless options sell out and stay out for weeks. This covers what is worth buying now, what to set an alert for, and how to choose.

The state of the nakiri market

The nakiri sells in far smaller numbers than the santoku or gyuto, so makers produce it in small batches and the well-priced stainless models are often unavailable. At the time of writing, the Tojiro Fujitora DP nakiri, the Sakai Takayuki 33 Layer nakiri, and the Kazan Ginsan nakiri, the three we would normally point a first-time buyer at, are all out of stock at our reference retailer.

The four picks below are what is actually available. Prices were checked in September 2026 (the Hitohira in October 2026) and will drift.

Best value, when you can get it: Tojiro Fujitora DP Nakiri 165mm

The Tojiro Fujitora DP nakiri is the one to buy if it is in stock: a VG-10 core at 60 HRC, clad in stain-resistant steel, on a water-resistant handle, for around USD 109. It is the same line as the DP gyuto and santoku that we recommend as first Japanese knives, and it needs almost no rust care.

It is usually sold out. Use the retailer’s “email when available” option rather than paying more for a lesser knife, unless you need one now.

Best in stock for looks and a wa-handle: Sakai Takayuki 45 Layer Damascus 160mm

This is the pick if you want a nakiri that also looks like one worth owning. An AUS-10 stainless core is wrapped in 45 layers of patterned Damascus and hammered, on a slim octagonal walnut wa-handle. It is light and centre-balanced, and the retailer positions it as a gentle first wa-handled knife, which is fair.

The Damascus is a cosmetic treatment of the soft cladding and does not change how the knife cuts; our Damascus guide explains why. AUS-10 also holds an edge a little less long than a harder steel.

Skip it if you want maximum edge retention, or you would rather not pay USD 175 for a handle and a pattern on what is, at the core, a mid-grade stainless blade.

Best in stock for edge retention: Kazan SLD Wa Nakiri 165mm

The Kazan SLD uses a semi-stainless tool steel run at 60 to 62 HRC, which gives close to carbon-steel edge life while behaving like a stainless knife day to day. It is finished on stones for sharpness out of the box and comes on a hand-fitted walnut wa-handle. It is made in Niigata exclusively for the retailer.

SLD is semi-stainless, not fully stainless, so dry it promptly. At USD 175 it is a performance buy, not a budget one.

Skip it if this would be your first Japanese knife, or you want the total no-thought convenience of a fully stainless blade like VG-10.

Best carbon nakiri: Karaku Aogami 165mm

For a cook who wants a carbon blade, the Karaku is a lot of hand craftsmanship for USD 129: Aogami #1 carbon steel with a kurouchi finish, forged in Tosa, on a slim magnolia handle. It takes the fine, crisp edge carbon is known for and sharpens quickly.

It is a carbon steel knife, so it must be kept clean and dry, wiped after acidic vegetables, and oiled for storage or it spot-rusts. The handle is a D-shape cut for a right hand.

Skip it if you are left-handed, or the carbon care routine sounds like a chore. The often-out-of-stock Akira-Saku Blue #2 nakiri is a similar hand-forged carbon option at a slightly lower price if you prefer its shape.

Best in stock for a hammered stainless face: Hitohira HG 160mm

If you want a stainless nakiri that is available now and comes on a Western handle, the Hitohira HG is clad in nickel and stainless suminagashi damascus over a hard stainless core. The face is hammered (tsuchime), which breaks up the contact area so sticky slices fall away from the blade, and the handle is Western pakka wood. It is around USD 185, with a 162mm edge and a 1.8mm spine, so it is on the compact end of the size range, and the spine is within the thin range we suggest for slicing dense vegetables.

The retailer’s page does not state the core steel or the hardness, which is the one real gap. The damascus cladding is cosmetic in the same way as the Sakai Takayuki above.

Skip it if you want a stated hardness and steel to compare against the others, or you prefer a wa-handle.

What to look for in a nakiri

• Grind before steel. A nakiri’s job is clean, complete cuts through dense produce. A thin blade, roughly 2mm at the spine or less, slices a carrot in one motion; a thick one cracks it. Check the thickness on the spec sheet.
• 165 to 180mm. Long enough to be useful, short enough to control. 160mm, like the Sakai Takayuki above, is on the compact end and suits a smaller hand.
• Double-bevel for a home kitchen. The single-bevel usuba is the professional version, ground for one hand and slow to learn.
• Height is a feature. A tall blade keeps your knuckles clear of the board.

Our carbon versus stainless guide covers the steel side.

What else you need

• A whetstone. All of these sharpen on a stone. A nakiri’s fully flat edge is one of the easier shapes to learn on; see our beginner whetstone guide.
• A wood or soft-plastic board.
• Hand washing and drying, and oiling for the Karaku.

Frequently asked questions

The short version

A nakiri is a dedicated vegetable knife and a second knife; if you want one all-rounder, buy a santoku. The best value, the Tojiro Fujitora DP nakiri at around USD 109, is usually out of stock, so set an alert. Of what is available now, the Sakai Takayuki 45 Layer Damascus is the pick for looks and a first wa-handle, the Kazan SLD for edge retention, the Karaku Aogami for a carbon blade, and the Hitohira HG for a hammered stainless face in a Western handle. Choose on the grind before the steel, keep to 160 to 180mm, and read our santoku versus nakiri guide if you are still deciding whether you need one at all.