Best Nakiri dimensions and maker

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fortheloveofmoar

fortheloveofmoar

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Really interested in getting a Nakiri and I wanted to poll people to see, in your opinion, who makes the best nakiris and what dimensions would you consider to be optimal (I know it’s personal preference so no need to preface with that).

Thanks kkf look forward to the discussion!
 
I am very satisfied with the Okubo Kajiya 180 x 62mm x 219g nakiri-bocho with ho wood wa handle from Knife Japan. Eventually I’ll get the larger takenoko nakiri when I have more time to put the finishing touches on one as I imagine they come quite rustic.
 
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My zakuri says 180 but is closer to 190 x 49. If you have small hands this may be okay, but honestly for me it's about 6mm too short (min). Would much prefer 60+mm height. Go to a store and hold one at about 50, 55, 60 if you can
 
don’t listen to people who feel the need to use nakiri size to compensate for something. :cool:

less than 180 x 55 is well proven. not too thin (for release) and not over 200g.

the nakiri is well thought out imho. no need to call a cleaver a better nakiri.

with that said, i use and like cleavers and big rectangular bunkas. especially the latter. but that doesn’t change the nifty and agile usefulness of a ‘regular size’ nakiri.

.
 
JahRidley said:
I am very satisfied with the Okubo Kajiya 180 x 62mm x 219g nakiri-bocho with ho wood wa handle from Knife Japan. Eventually I’ll get the larger takenoko nakiri when I have more time to put the finishing touches on one as I imagine they come quite rustic.
Click to expand...
+1 on this, I adore my 180x63 Okubo. So much that I ordered the 210x90, haven't used that. Tall nakiri/nakleaver is my favorite format. Eddworks 185x75 is also a suuuuuper nice size, not unwieldy and easy enough to grab every day but also big enough to use as your only knife for a month and never feel undergunned

Eddworks middle, okubo on right.

20240601_132942 (1).jpg
 
Can’t comment on makers as I haven’t tried enough, but for me length should be 185mm minimum, probably 210mm maximum.

I’m more flexible on height and like to challenge my perceptions, but generally 55mm minimum.
 
tostadas said:
Okubo 210x90

thread can be closed now.
Click to expand...
Begone wannabe cleaver enthusiast!

I much prefer 170-185 x 54-60 for Nakiri than larger sizes. A thin 160x50 can be a ton of fun too. I find rectangles excel in smaller and generally thinner packages.

As for maker, I don’t think anyone beats the old much thinner AS or Aogami 1 Takedas, but that’s not helpful since they’ve been out of production forever and the new ones aren’t similar at all. Toyama / Watanabe are generally good heavier options. Moritaka is worth a look too. Mutsumi Hinoura is superb and underrated. Lot of options here I think
 
fortheloveofmoar said:
Is 210 unwieldy? 189 seemed short but 210 seems like it may be too long
Click to expand...

I have a Karys 210x52 and a Wakui 180x54 and I love them both. I think the 180 is better for longer prep jobs as it’s lighter and more nimble. The 210 is just hella fun though when you need a long flat edge and more weight. YMMV.

If I could only have one then the Wakui 180 for versatility and its incredible price performance ratio.
 
WRT to the extra-tall recommendations, I preach this a lot but I think comfort and utility will depend on your height relative to the cutting surface. Grab your tallest knife and rest it against some typical veggie like an onion.

Relax your shoulder and arm and keep your wrist straight. Look at the angle of your the forearm - it should be angled down slightly. If the downward angle is steep then you might benefit from more height (and a little more curve at the tip for gyutos). If your forearm is nearly level then an even taller blade will be awkward, difficult to use, and not ergonomic.
 
I feel a little inadequate on this one. It appears everyone is standing around comparing their satisfactorily long Nakiri's at 185+ and I'm standing here holding my Yu Kurosaki Senko 165x53 feeling pretty good about myself and my, ummmm....stubby, chubby blade. Seriously though I've not felt that it needed to be longer. My prep would only be considered small batch (mixing metaphors here but oh well) since it's mostly for 2 people so maybe that is a difference.
 
I love nakiris and all of mine are 165-170mm with blade height around 50-54mm. I would like to try 180mm and 60mm tall ones. I am still struggling because I'm not sure if I'd like the additional weight.

I can only speak about what I have. But the best one I've used is the Shindo Kyohei.
 
My first nakiri was a 165x~48 Tojiro. I like the concept, but never could get along with it.

I've had a few since, but 180-185x55-63 is the range that I really like. Around 220g. Enough size and weight to perform, but not getting into the mini-cleaver size.

My current is my Eddworks at 180x63, 238g. Eddie did a fantastic job on it. Eddie's pic as I can't find any of mine at the moment:
PXL_20240606_190152436.MP.jpg
 
I don't want them bigger than 180, personally. I think what ends up being the consensus recommendation for these things is a nakiri that's designed with western consumers in mind, when the basic nakiri is the most common kitchen knife in Japan (or at least it has/had been). I really like one made with the japanese consumer in mind, in the 165 x 50+, range for most of my produce cutting. Since they're so common, there's a ton of variation in stock thickness, grinds, etc. You can get knives made with a silly thin hagane that are as pure a laser as you can find (and they're very bendy). You can get knives with a very pronounced hollow hira and low wide bevel with a pronounced shoulder, you can get them ground more thinly at the heel and tip than in the middle. I like the hollow hira/low wide bevel ones best for general use, especially the ones with a thicker grind in the middle than the tip and heel. I like the bendy lasers for tall/dense stuff, and I like the big 180+ ones that are common kkf recommendations for bigger bulk prep, and bunches of greens.
 
Without getting into discussion about cleaver vs nakiri, I have a lot of rectangular stuff ranging from 165x50 to 225x100. I think all have their place.

The smaller end I really like stuff around 180x60. These have weight of roughly a 210 gyuto but more nimble due to the shorter length. Stuff like Shindo, watanabe, okubo fall in this category.

Next step up is the mini cleaver which are like 180 but more height. This one is more blurred in terms of differentiation from a "cleaver". Typical sizes I have for these are around 185x75, sometimes up to 80mm height. These give functionality of a cleaver but with less weight and surface area. Easily could function as an all rounder if lighter weight is preferred. There are a few makers that have off the shelf items in this size. Shindo and okubo are ones I've tried.Also there's moritaka, matsubara, y Kato. I have customs in this category too from makers such as @martinhuber @Knot Handcrafted isamitsu to name a few.

One thing I note for these is that I prefer to treat them as cleavers, though they may be called nakiri. I prefer the tall nakiri to be set up like a Chinese cleaver with no neck. I feel like having a Japanese style neck on these is just awkward.

Lastly cleavers, tall and longer. 200x85 and up. I don't think that's what this thread was intended to discuss so won't get too much into the details here. My first post was half in jest, but I do think they are perfect all rounder for my needs.
 
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