Do you like your nakiri?

I'm thinking about adding one to the collection, but need a little incentive.

I use mine every day i have a small one 165mm very handy and easy to use.

It's a fun knife, but more often i'll reach for a gyuto instead. Carter has recently listed a load of Nakiris that look niiiice

Mine was my first carbon knife, cost me about $50, and I still use it all the time. It is what I pull out when I just need to make a few cuts and be done.

It's not like I couldn't do this with any other knife, but I like having it around.

I enjoy my nakiri. I have a 165 but wish I had a 180. It feels a bit short, especially on the basketball sized onions I get. It kinda feels like a gyuto missing the front third of the blade. Fun knife to use though.

They are fun to use, but I find myself reaching for a gyuto for any task that isn't purely vegetable prep.

If you get one, get a 180mm, as suggested. 165mm is just too short.

Yup, I'm fond of my 3.........

They are fun to use, but not necessary.

A nakiri is often my go-to for home when the rest of my kit is at work.

I have this little one from Maksim -

http://www.japanesenaturalstones.com/Limited-Nobuyasu-Nakiri-165mm-p/609.htm

It has that shig style spinal flare at the handle and is a unique and fun knife that is reasonably priced. Fun seems to be the most oft used description in the posts so far and I agree.

s.

Seth said:

I have this little one from Maksim -

http://www.japanesenaturalstones.com/Limited-Nobuyasu-Nakiri-165mm-p/609.htm

It has that shig style spinal flare at the handle and is a unique and fun knife that is reasonably priced. Fun seems to be the most oft used description in the posts so far and I agree.

s.

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+1. I have the same one and I love it. I am a vegetarian so I find it perfect for almost anything I do. I also do not find it too short unless I am trying to cut melons.

Many of my meals are practically all-vegetable, so I use my nakiris quite often. Love 'em. In terms of double-bevel knives, I think I put more time on them than my gyutos.

Fun, easy to use, easy to clean, easy to sharpen, easy to pick up small amounts of prep off of the board.

The knife I give to guests who want to help out in the kitchen and haven't handled/used a Japanese knife.

I could use a little fun right now...might be time for a nakiri.

Sounds like you either need the nakiri for mental health or you need to move from 'right here' to 'right there.' A new knife is good healthy therapy

Lefty said:

Yup, I'm fond of my 3.........

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+1

If you like meals that have lots of veggie prep (or make a lot of salads) they're fun knives to use.

Nakiris are too cool not to have at least one.

I like the height on nakiri. Makes 'em better for scooping than a number of 240 gyuto, but they're small enough for a quick job when I don't feel like using a full-on chuka.

Nakiri is another knife I don't get. I think they're cool and they may be fun to use, but too small to be useful to me. I can see maybe a 180mm. One step above a santoku in my book, and honestly the only significant difference I see between the two is the shape of the tip. My mom has a few cheap-ish ones, and I sharpened a couple for her on my last visit. I used them to see what they're like, and I wasn't so impressed that I'll actually ever get one. I'm curious to know they history of them and how they came into being.

I think they're another "housewife" knife like the santoku.

Like different gyuto, different nakiri from different makers do perform differently. My Tanaka kurouchi in particular, I like the least. I think all of my nakiri are 165s, and I think the size works well for me. I'm confident I'd like 180s as well, but I have no issues with 165.

I'd also say that I find nakiris fun and worth buying -- it was one of my first knife 'love affairs'...BUT once I started buying more knives and my focus shifted from pure fun to trying out different makers, steels, etc. I found I used it a lot less. It wasn't because I liked it less, but I was just more interested in trying different things out. I already knew that I loved my nakiri.

k.

mpukas said:

the only significant difference I see between the two is the shape of the tip.

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The santokus in general seem to have more curve. They've got a bit of belly before the tip. No such thing going on for nakiri, so you can use the entire edge for push-cutting veggies. Using the front corner like a tip for horizontal slices on tomatoes, onions, etc has been a-ok, so I don't find any difference there.

One thing I've noticed, though, is that santoku also seem to be thicker behind the edge than nakiri. Not universally so, but given the more multipurpose intent behind the santoku, pretty common.

I love my nakiris. They're a lot of fun to play around with in the kitchen, and at least for me, I can get more accurate cuts when I use mine. And just b/c I think we need more photos, here's a pic of my two beauties:

+1 to the 180 mm length. I have a Shig that cuts great for most veggie prep but I'm not a fan of the reactivity. I also like the Yoshihiro SKD Jon carries, esp. if you want stainless, which it pretty much is. I've given one of these away to a family friend and it has become a favorite there.

I use my nakiri for probably 85% of my prep work involving vegetables. It's simply a joy to use. Ditto on the 180mm suggestion. Mine is just a shade under 180mm along the cutting edge and I wouldn't want it any shorter. (Butch's manly handle makes it look smaller.)

Try one...I think you'll like it.

I really find it to be a very useful tool too.
I'd say it is the most used knife of all in my kitchen.
Mine is a 180mm Takeda, so nothing fancy or anything, but i truly enjoy using it.

I love my nakiri. It's awesome with that profile.
Soon i'll be getting a CCK that followed Robin home and i'll compare if the profile of a cleaver is way more usefull or if the Nakiri will be more practical.

echerub said:

The santokus in general seem to have more curve. They've got a bit of belly before the tip. No such thing going on for nakiri, so you can use the entire edge for push-cutting veggies. Using the front corner like a tip for horizontal slices on tomatoes, onions, etc has been a-ok, so I don't find any difference there.

One thing I've noticed, though, is that santoku also seem to be thicker behind the edge than nakiri. Not universally so, but given the more multipurpose intent behind the santoku, pretty common.

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I agree that a nakiri has a flatter profile than a santoku and a santoku can be thicker behind the edge - I was just thinking that after I wrote it. But a nakiri isn't dead-flat for the entire length like usuba.

Bottom line is there's nothing a nakiri can do that a (laser)gyuto can't do,a nd a gyuto is more versatile. It's just another tool for the same tasks, and if it floats your boat, then have fun with it! After all, if you're not having fun, why bother doing it? mpp

TamanegiKin said:

I enjoy my nakiri. [snip] It kinda feels like a gyuto missing the front third of the blade. Fun knife to use though.

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This, exactly.

If you don't have a CCK already I'd get one first