Recommendations for a Nakiri

[Chasingsharpness]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to find a Nakiri for a friend of mine to get into sharpening. When I myself first started learning myself, I used a cheap soft stainless chefs knife lying around. As a consequence I had some difficulty and frustration initially learning how to deburr on the soft cheap stainless, and now wish I had started with a better knife steel.

So I am looking for something in a very hard steel, easy to sharpen and deburr. Perhaps something in one of the simple white or blue carbon steels with a hard heat treatment. Stainless clad preferred but not that important.

Thinner is also better, as it would be longer before thinning is required.

A Nakiri would be ideal, as the profile is flat and the height is simmilar to a Gyuto (all of the good sharpening tutorial videos are on gyutos). Maybe on the taller side, so that there is still a decent amount of material left after it has been worn down some with practice.

Does anyone have any suggestions?


Many thanks,

 

[stringer]

https://hidatool.com/item/2794

 

[Benuser]

I think you really have to choose between stainless or carbon cladding. The first is very convenient at use, but thinning soft stainless cladding is no fun. It's often quite abrasion resistant. Carbon cladding tends to rust, doesn't easily take a patina, requires more care during use but thins very easily.
Great value with this made by TF for JCK. The white#1@63Rc has a remarkable edge retention.
https://japanesechefsknife.com/prod...el-no-1-series-frkzw1-4-nakiri-165mm-6-4-inch
More traditional, this remarkable 180 one. The first comment is mine.
https://japanesechefsknife.com/prod...-steel-no-2-wa-series-fw-9-nakiri-180mm-7inch
I found the carbon cladding surprising little reactive.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

https://knifejapan.com/knife-types/nakiri/

 

[Chasingsharpness]

I think you really have to choose between stainless or carbon cladding. The first is very convenient at use, but thinning soft stainless cladding is no fun. It's often quite abrasion resistant. Carbon cladding tends to rust, doesn't easily take a patina, requires more care during use but thins very easily.
Great value with this made by TF for JCK. The white#1@63Rc has a remarkable edge retention.
https://japanesechefsknife.com/prod...el-no-1-series-frkzw1-4-nakiri-165mm-6-4-inch
More traditional, this remarkable 180 one. The first comment is mine.
https://japanesechefsknife.com/prod...-steel-no-2-wa-series-fw-9-nakiri-180mm-7inch
I found the carbon cladding surprising little reactive.

Ah thank you for these. I'm actually in London right now so might pop into JCK to see if they have these to test for ergonomics.
I have read some good things about TF heat treatment of white steels. Might be worth checking out!

 

[Benuser]

Ah thank you for these. I'm actually in London right now so might pop into JCK to see if they have these to test for ergonomics.
I have read some good things about TF heat treatment of white steels. Might be worth checking out!

Didn't know they had a brick and mortar shop in London.
Anyway, knives are particularly expensive in Britain if I compare to continental Europe. And what JCK sends me from Japan doesn't catch the attention of my local custom officers, so I don't pay import tax, VAT or handling fees.

 

[Absolute Buffoon]

Yeah, soft stainless can be a bear to deburr and carry that unpleasant gummy feeling.

My preference for easy sharpening knives are thin knives in simple carbon steels that aren't too hard or too soft. Easy to sharpen quickly with minimal pressure and deburr with practically no pressure. Not so soft that it becomes less tactile, but not so hard that the glassiness feels like it's dominating the response.

Kyohei Shindo is an easy recommendation. Nail flexingly thin and a solid performer, especially for the price. Any rectangle of his is arguably his best work as well. His bunka is the knife I've both started sharpening on and learned the most from. You'll know you're getting decent at sharpening when it practically ghosts through most produce.

https://knifejapan.com/knife-types/nakiri/

Seconding this rec as well. Can't go wrong with anything here either. I'll stay away from specific performance and specs commentary because I've never actually used any, but I've never seen anyone here say the steel on any of these knives wasn't good.

 

[SwampDonkey]

Shindo. Really! Ultra thin at the edge, steel is quite nice. Hard like 63ish but still nice on the stones, easier to sharpen than say Toyama or some Shiro Kamo aogami. Definitely gives you quick feedback on burr formation. Agree with Buffoon that rectangles are his best work and for ~$90-100 the bang for buck is immense.

Choil of 170 Shindo nakiri:

Munetoshi nakiri is also a great starter, though the edge comes a little thicker and my last Munetoshi gyuto bevel reset was surprisingly hard for shirogami, but definitely a more robust beginner friendly knife from a use perspective
.they aren't gonna chip this one. €99 at knives and tools, which is where I got mine from.

https://www.knivesandtools.com/en/pt/-munetoshi-nashiji-black-nakiri-165cm.htm

 

[deltaplex]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to find a Nakiri for a friend of mine to get into sharpening. When I myself first started learning myself, I used a cheap soft stainless chefs knife lying around. As a consequence I had some difficulty and frustration initially learning how to deburr on the soft cheap stainless, and now wish I had started with a better knife steel.

So I am looking for something in a very hard steel, easy to sharpen and deburr. Perhaps something in one of the simple white or blue carbon steels with a hard heat treatment. Stainless clad preferred but not that important.

Thinner is also better, as it would be longer before thinning is required.

A Nakiri would be ideal, as the profile is flat and the height is simmilar to a Gyuto (all of the good sharpening tutorial videos are on gyutos). Maybe on the taller side, so that there is still a decent amount of material left after it has been worn down some with practice.

Does anyone have any suggestions?


Many thanks,

browse through the many many of them on the japan auction site(s)