As Jon pointed out, the usuba is a heavy bodied blade for robust use and the nakiri is waffer thin and not much for the line as mush as it is better suited for home use. I have both and if I'm cutting a large amount of veg I'll break out the usuba but not for.
usuba is thicker at the spine, but the edge is very thin and delicate.
Most single bevel edges are thin, very true, but i have yet to get a knife with a thinner edge than my Carter Nakiri LOL. Although the Kochi gyuto comes close to it at the edge, the Carter nakiri is just crazy thin from spine to edge.
You also have to keep in mind, maybe obvious, that nikiris usually have a little bit of a belly and usubas are flat on the edge - big difference in use. (Although, I have taken one of my usubas and put a tiny belly - like 1mm across 220mm. The verdict is out on that one.)
usuba is used for katsuramuki, ken cuts, tournes, garnish work, slicing veggies, cutting negi, sasagaki, and similar tasks in professional environments (high volume and not)
a very slight curve up at the tip of a kamagata usuba (about a mm or so) is pretty common and helps out with some common techniques
a very slight curve up at the tip of a kamagata usuba (about a mm or so) is pretty common and helps out with some common techniques
[video=youtube;nqUt-qkxjuw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqUt-qkxjuw[/video]
Enter your email address to join: