Contemplating getting a Nakiri

Hi guys, I don't have much experience with sharp knives and am considering getting a Nakiri.

As this will be my first 'non-cheap' knife, I'm limiting my budget to around $50.
I'm thinking of one of the Tojiro Nakiris:
- the DP
- white steel with the black finish
- white steel
- and also the 'Tokyo' model which is a centimeter shorter in length and has a more rounded blade.

From what I've read, this is a vegetable knife. Does it do well on boneless meats such as slicing beef/chicken cuts for stir fry?
What are the advantages/disadvantages of the more rounded blade of the Tokyo model? This is currently my first choice as, well, it looks the coolest.
The black finish white steel models are more expensive - is the finish worth the extra cost? I've read that some people don't like the finish and sand it down.
I don't particularly take care of my knives, as the ones I have now are stainless steel. Is it difficult to keep the white steel knives in good condition other than drying them right after use?
Do you guys prefer DP or the white steel?

Thanks!

I'll let everyone with more overall knowledge better answer your technical questions but I'll just say two things:

A) Get a nakiri. Seriously, the profile is awesome. But, this is highly personal preference, so you may buy one and then curse me for my advice lol.

B) Carbon knives will rust if you don't take care of them and they will patina no matter what, the latter being awesome IMHO. I feel like it's overblown how much extra care they need though. Just get in the habit of constantly wiping your blade down while doing any prep/cutting, make sure they're dead dry when putting them away or leaving them untouched for anything over maybe 10 or 15 minutes and if they do rust, just nip it in the bud with something like Barkeeper's Friend before it gets bad. This is all from very limited experience with carbon and just a lot of repeating of what I'm reading though TBH.

The kurouchi (black finish) Tojiro is a POS. I gave it away.

If you have a half decent gyuto, it's little more than a toy. YMMV.

If you want to cut all sorts of things, a flatter profile and short blade - santoku might be a better option.
But Nakiri is awesome chop chop chop vegetable experience

I do not have a nakiri (yet :spiteful, but if I were looking for one in the price range you quote, I would give the BST sub forum a try. Guys around here are nice crowd - surely they will not let you hang out dry for too long

the dp is very good for its price and it is vg10 so no rust,I just find it a little bit heavy due to its full tang but it stay sharp for a good time

If you are still hot on a nakiri and want the carbon, consider the Gekko series on eBay. It's in the same budget ballpark and a much better product.

Sigh, I gotta make up my mind! :scared4:
Now I'm thinking of the CCK carbon slicer (which looks like a cleaver) instead. The larger blade area should make scooping up items a lot more efficient. Though I'm not sure about the quality of the knife compared to the japanese ones. It looks a bit crude.

After seeing the other thread in which the onions turned black, I'm not sure I want a carbon knife anymore. What about the ceramic knives? Anyone have experience with them?

I've never seen a ceramic knife with a geometry other than "crap". Also very, very hard to sharpen.

Get the Tojiro DP, or if you don't mind ordering from Japan, a Tanaka nakiri can be picked up for around the same money.

#1. if you cut any meat at all, i wouldn't recommend a nakiri. i would recommend a chef's knife/gyuto (same thing) or a santoku if you prefer how it looks.

#2. don't get a carbon knife. you're not ready for one.

#3. don't get a ceramic knife. when it dulls, you can't sharpen it without sending it back to maker. they're also kinda brittle.

i recommend a tojiro dp 210mm gyuto or a santoku in the same series. otherwise try a stainless tanaka from metalmaster

or a stainless fujiwara FKM