Nakiri recommendations?

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Politiceaux

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Hi, all. I am interested in trying out a Nakiri. Many seem to love them for vegetable prep sessions. My budget for this purchase is $85 max. Any guidance would be appreciated.

LOCATION
What country are you in?
'Merica


KNIFE TYPE
What type of knife are you interested in (e.g., chef’s knife, slicer, boning knife, utility knife, bread knife, paring knife, cleaver)?
Nakiri

Are you right or left handed?
Right

Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle?
Either - though I'm accustomed to Western style handles. I've never owned anything with a Japanese handle.

What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)?
165mm or so

Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)
Yes

What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife?
$85

KNIFE USE
Do you primarily intend to use this knife at home or a professional environment?
Home

What are the main tasks you primarily intend to use the knife for (e.g., slicing vegetables, chopping vegetables, mincing vegetables, slicing meats, cutting down poultry, breaking poultry bones, filleting fish, trimming meats, etc.)? (Please identify as many tasks as you would like.)
Vegetable prep

What knife, if any, are you replacing?
n/a

Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.)
Trying to move to pinch

What cutting motions do you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for types of cutting motions and identify the two or three most common cutting motions, in order of most used to least used.)
I'm a rocker, but understand that nakiri will be for push. Let me know if this is incorrect.

Better aesthetics (e.g., a certain type of finish; layered/Damascus or other pattern of steel; different handle color/pattern/shape/wood; better scratch resistance; better stain resistance)?
Not overly worried about aesthetics. Would like something stain resistant - do a lot of acidic vegetables.

Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)?
Lighter knife is preferred. Handle comfort is important. I have large hands. I really like the handles on my MAC pros. For that reason, I am considering the MAC pro nakiri here:
https://www.**************.com/navekn6.html

Ease of Use (e.g., ability to use the knife right out of the box; smoother rock chopping, push cutting, or slicing motion; less wedging; better food release; less reactivity with food; easier to sharpen)?
Would like good food release and sharp out of the box. I know next to nothing about sharpening.

Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)?
Long, if possible.


KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.)
Currently use end grain maple. Have an end grain Walnut & Cherry on order from The BoardSMITH.

Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.)
No

If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.)
A bit.

Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.)
Possibly.

SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS

Thank you for all of your help!
 
Hey, I currently use a Kai wasabi nakiri, cheap one i got for around under 40$ i use it all day at the place I work at cutting a lot of veg. I had to thin the knife down and create a wider bevel on it but the food release is very very nice from what I have seen from a brand new one compared to the one I have been using for a few months.
Cheap, stainless, but the edge retention is not that great. Has a plastic? wa style handle which is not bad I typically use a pinch grip with it.
I also made a little belly on the front of the knife so I could rock on certain things but not too much. Sharpens up fairly easy for my skills(amateur). https://imgur.com/qxFtuYn The 2 nakiris on far right of the image. Will try to get you a better picture of both of them when I get to work later today. The one on the left is newer and the one on right has been used plenty. Also, OOTB sharpness was okay, you can tell it wasn't finished by hand on a stone.
 
For a first nikiri $85 below & stainless, given that you're open to the Mac you might also consider the Tojiro DP.

For $5 more, the Tanaka vg10 would not fail you: http://www.knivesandstones.com/tanaka-vg10-damascus-nakiri-165mm-western-handle/

If you wanted to splurge: https://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/collections/nakiri/products/gesshin-uraku-165mm-skd-nakiri. This is a great line and this knife in particular uses a phenomenal steel (not 100% stainless in the traditional sense, but you'll just want to wipe dry after your cooking session is done) :-D

You know, with a Nakiri, it's a near perfect knife type to experiment with sharpening to see if it's something you'd want to get into. It's a relatively easier learning curve than a chef knife/gyuto because given the shorter length and flatter blade profile. As for the rocking-- the nikiri is definitely more happy with push & pull cutting but IMO, aside from a minority of nikiris that lack the rounded tip, you can pull off a modest amount of rocking without it feeling too awkward.
 
For $85, if you do not have any space restrictions, I will always recommend a cleaver over a nakiri. Especially for vegetable prep.
 
@Chef Doom if you are used to holding a blade torsionally stable while still relaxed enough to let the edge curve do its work, yes. If you are not affected by feeling strange with your pinch hand significantly above your claw hand, yes.

I still think this one is a-ok for the price:

https://yuisenri.com/collections/sa...onal-buffalo-horn-handle-kurouchiblack-finish

While imported, it can be found on some very common international shopping sites.
 
bookgeek97 said:
For a first nikiri $85 below & stainless, given that you're open to the Mac you might also consider the Tojiro DP.

For $5 more, the Tanaka vg10 would not fail you: http://www.knivesandstones.com/tanaka-vg10-damascus-nakiri-165mm-western-handle/

If you wanted to splurge: https://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/collections/nakiri/products/gesshin-uraku-165mm-skd-nakiri. This is a great line and this knife in particular uses a phenomenal steel (not 100% stainless in the traditional sense, but you'll just want to wipe dry after your cooking session is done) :-D

You know, with a Nakiri, it's a near perfect knife type to experiment with sharpening to see if it's something you'd want to get into. It's a relatively easier learning curve than a chef knife/gyuto because given the shorter length and flatter blade profile. As for the rocking-- the nikiri is definitely more happy with push & pull cutting but IMO, aside from a minority of nikiris that lack the rounded tip, you can pull off a modest amount of rocking without it feeling too awkward.
Click to expand...

Thanks - the Gesshin Uraku looks phenomenal.

All, if I decided to splurge and do up to $150, do you know of any better?

I always do this to myself. I know myself well enough to know that I would end up upgrading before long anyway, though.
 
LifeByA1000Cuts said:
@Chef Doom if you are used to holding a blade torsionally stable while still relaxed enough to let the edge curve do its work, yes. If you are not affected by feeling strange with your pinch hand significantly above your claw hand, yes.

I still think this one is a-ok for the price:

https://yuisenri.com/collections/sa...onal-buffalo-horn-handle-kurouchiblack-finish

While imported, it can be found on some very common international shopping sites.
Click to expand...

Enjoyed the website and watching the videos there, thanks.
 
Just a few remarks:
Most have a nakiri but rarely use it. Appealing form, but a simple small gyuto is much more versatile.
I wouldn't start sharpening with a stainless. Better learn sharpening with a basic carbon blade. Raising a burr, chasing it, getting rid of it.
Amongst the stainless the Kai Watanabe is my worst experience ever. Huge carbides, clustered together and breaking out. Very abrasion resistant. Hard to raise a burr with it. Not to speak of getting rid of it.
 
Masutani vg10 nakiri. Ok ht, good ootb edge. Good grind.
Only weak point is half tang and cheaper handle, and fnf may not be brilliant. And you can do with better steel but this is stainless over the gihei recommended above. The core steel could also be improved.
Consider spending a bit more, like 150-200 and you'll be pleasantly surprised the performance and value you get as there are more options to choose from.

Just google masutani and you should be able to find his knives.
 
Benuser said:
Just a few remarks:

Amongst the stainless the Kai Watanabe is my worst experience ever. Huge carbides, clustered together and breaking out. Very abrasion resistant. Hard to raise a burr with it. Not to speak of getting rid of it.
Click to expand...

The burr or the knife???:groucho:
 
Since many people here seem to have an excess of knives, and the Nakiri seem to be one most forgotten, you might want to start a WTB thread, something spectacular could come up.
 
I think my recommendation of the masutani vg10 nakiri fits the bill. And better than all of the recommendations above. Its in your price point, it comes sharp, its readily available from many places, its stainless.
Alot of the recommendations here are iron clad, let alone even a stainless core.

The uraku nakiri is fine but its nearly double your price point. And at 150$ you can choose from a lot more.
Not to say that the previous recommendations are bad. But iron cladding may be a pain for beginners FWIW.
Good luck and let us know what you choose to buy at the end.
 
If you wanna up your budget to 150-200 ish dollars, you can play with teruyasu fujiwara nashiji white 1, or even Watanabe (pro line). Both are nice. There are also others which i won't mention. But these two are stainless clad with carbon core. (a warning that these are harder blades and may chip easily with misuse. But offer superb heat treatment in the core) This price range is more diverse in general.

The shortcoming (literally) of masutani is that he usually makes smaller knives and his knives tend to be shorter than the competition as well.
His gyuto 180mm is prohibitively short and i tend to recommend the nakiri or santoku.

Masutani ht for vg10 or vg 1 is around 59-61, they sharpen easily and hold an edge ok especially for home use, as you stated.

If you want to spend slightly more money, like around just over 100$, takamura are fine but be wary of their thinner grinds and higher hrc in ht as they may chip, again with user error.
 
Benuser said:
Most have a nakiri but rarely use it. Appealing form, but a simple small gyuto is much more versatile.
Click to expand...

This is so true it is beyond comical. Someone said very similar words before I bought my one and only nakiri. I ignored his advice and he turned out to be right. I refuse to mention his name because I don't want his ego to grow bigger than it already is.

The reason why I purchased a cleaver was because I was planning on buying a bigger nakiri thinking it would cure my woes. I figured I might as well go big or go home. It was a wise decision.
 
Wise man Doom:) Have never owned a nakiri. Been tempted a few times but cleavers my style. Not knocking them some people love theirs and are some quality grind carbon nakiri's. Already have a thick as a brick Tosagata white steel petty and a thin small white steel Carter both get a lot of use cuz my better half likes them too. Takamura R2 for her & 180mm Kochi K tip for me deff. no need for a nakiri.

Agree OP might get a good one on BST got to be some qualiy unused drawer queens.
 
I have owned/used several nakiri knives and have 2 at the moment. To me as a home cook they are super fun. Is my 195 Raquin gyuto more practical? Sure, but I love to have a nakiri to play with too [emoji39]
 
Nakiri has a very unassuming shape. Everybody looks at it like a rectangle on a stick but there's a reason why its one of the four primary knives in Japanese kitchens.

Many years ago when I was looking to find out that they were about. I picked up a Mortaka 165 KU AS. Some of you may remember the epic $hit fit Dave M. had over the holes in the grind in the thread "No more..." So sold that one.

A few years later I tried another Nakiri, a Takeda 165 KU AS. Lets just say Takeda's are not for me. So I thought, Nakiri's are not for me. Sold that one too.

Then a few years later, JNS posts a 180 Kato KU WH Nakiri. Instinctively and without input from my frontal cortex, I clicked on that bad boy and made it through the check out gauntlet.

Its now one of my favorite knives. Sometimes its just a matter of trying different Nakiri's. And even then, you could say Nakiri's are not for me. Tell me about it.
 
I've only tried a few, but I've always felt like I'd be happier with a larger Chinese cleaver, a gyuto, or even a santoku. The profiles I find most attractive but haven't tried are tall and on the longer side -- closer to undersized cleavers than classic nakiri. Personally, I'm interested in trying a usuba to see whether or not the single bevel experience is enjoyable. And to really try to learn how to do katsuramuki (which is a liability on my 300mm yanagi).
 
Mucho Bocho said:
Its now one of my favorite knives. Sometimes its just a matter of trying different Nakiri's. And even then, you could say Nakiri's are not for me.
Click to expand...

That's what it's all about, isn't it? It may not be everyone's ideal knife for a given purpose, but that's no reason to knock the type if it just doesn't work for you.

Me, I've turned into a big nakiri fan. It get used for all my veg prep, and I just switch to a long petty knife for protein instead of using the supposedly more "versatile" gyuoto shape. I like knives specialized for a given purpose, and don't mind swapping them out while cooking (home cook advantage vs. a pro kitchen).

I think one thing people miss who haven't tried a nakiri, is how you can use the flat front edge to scoop a pile of chopped ingredients together, instead of flipping the knife over to use the spine, or risk chipping the edge with a sideways slide. It's why I've come to prefer nakiri shapes that are 90 degree angles at the front, instead of the "boat bow" angle on some. Although that can work too, if you adjust for the angle.

And as for "why not just use a Chinese cleaver?", well I don't want that much weight in my hand when chopping. I can get a nice rhythm going on vertical chops with either my carbon 165mm nakiri or the R2 stainless 180mm nakiri, doing a little dance on the board. I like the feel of doing that. I have owned a Chinese cleaver in the past, and it didn't push my buttons in the same way as a nakiri. It's about how much weight and inertia you want under you hand, and I lean more to the "nimble" side.
 
I had recently handled a few Chinese cleavers. One was moritaka and it was quite heavy. Others were from China and were much tinner (spine) and lighter - basically no distal taper or such. I may get one of those to try one day.
 
I will admit, I do keep my nikiri in my travel case when I visit friends & family. It has the advantage of not intimidating people when they ask to help.

Despite my take on nikiris, if you asked me to sell mine, the response would be

"what you talkin bout willis"
 
Nakiris are just plain fun to use. There something very appealing about the squared off shape that is both purposeful and less intimidating than a gyuto (for some).

If nothing else, my wife likes using one, so that makes them utterly brilliant and totally indispensable ;)

I just added another one from the JNS sale: a Ku Mazaki. That makes seven ... did I mention I liked Nakiris? :)
 
No argument for people who like nakiris that use them regularly. I just think they are recommended more often than needed.
 
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