What's your all time favourite nakiri?
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hijackn
Well-Known Member
I grew up using western-style chef's knives (with a few exceptions, I have a few gyutos I really love). I have a nice nakiri but have never felt comfortable to use it - what do people like about nakiris?
For making som tam Thai salad, the kiwi nakiri is the best I've found. It's the only nakiri I allow to sit in my drawer. It doesn't get wedged into the papaya at all, lets you work really quickly. Here's a bad ass grandma showing what's up.
This cook is a great teacher for Thai dishes. They come pretty dang close to what I ate when I lived there.
Hi,
tested a lot of Nakiris (more specific Kurouchi Nakiris) over the years (incl. Kato KU, Shigefusa, Watanabe Pro, Kamo, Wakui etc.).
Somewhere here is a review from me
My alltime favourites nowadays are the two upper Nakiris:
Heiji KU Nakiri Custom (a little thinner than normal)
Jiro Nakiri
Iggy
tested a lot of Nakiris (more specific Kurouchi Nakiris) over the years (incl. Kato KU, Shigefusa, Watanabe Pro, Kamo, Wakui etc.).
Somewhere here is a review from me
My alltime favourites nowadays are the two upper Nakiris:
Heiji KU Nakiri Custom (a little thinner than normal)
Jiro Nakiri
Iggy
Yeah, seems like the Wat pro is still up there. For me it has just a tiny amount too much belly for a nakiri. So I get accordion cuts which usually never happens. Also the sand blasted wide bevel feels like it ads friction so it doesn't quite glide with the same buttery smoothness I get with my other knives.
Splitting hairs though and other these very minor gripes it certainly is lovely. fairly priced too for what you get.
That Wakui Hairline sure sounds super lovely. I absolutely adore my Wakui Hairline gyuto. Even though wites are my least favourite steels I'm willing to over look that since all else is just so on point. The price / performance ratio is of the charts IMO. So I would think the nakiri should be up there too.
Splitting hairs though and other these very minor gripes it certainly is lovely. fairly priced too for what you get.
That Wakui Hairline sure sounds super lovely. I absolutely adore my Wakui Hairline gyuto. Even though wites are my least favourite steels I'm willing to over look that since all else is just so on point. The price / performance ratio is of the charts IMO. So I would think the nakiri should be up there too.
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I really like the kochi I got recently. Have a markin on the way I'm excited to try. My custom tilman will always hold a place in my heart. Kono hd was my first nakiri and I'll always keep that one around. I have a carter and a butch harner as well which are both lovely. I probably have too many nakiris.
nakiriknaifuwaifu
Senior Member
Hi,
tested a lot of Nakiris (more specific Kurouchi Nakiris) over the years (incl. Kato KU, Shigefusa, Watanabe Pro, Kamo, Wakui etc.).
Somewhere here is a review from me
My alltime favourites nowadays are the two upper Nakiris:
Heiji KU Nakiri Custom (a little thinner than normal)
Jiro Nakiri
Iggy
Is that you, my lord?
Also, nice Jiro. Could you please elaborate on how it performs?
gotta go with the watanabe pro. mine is a pretty recent one clad in stainless with a very subtle s grind. I don't have any others but tested out basically all the nakiris at carbon when I picked it up. It wasn't even a contest, but I def haven't tried that many.
DitmasPork
Senior Member
For years I've heard that Watanabe Pro nakiris are very good, some saying the nakiri 'gold standard.' I'm sure they're solid nakiris, considered getting one, and still might at someday.
Although, there were a couple of reasons why I decided against a Wat Pro nakiri:
• The handle. I'm a lefty, so righty d-handle are a major turn-off. Also, can't get past the plastic ferrule on such a revered blade.
• Didn't want stainless clad.
• Too common, a major factor for me. I'm unlikely ever buy many nakiris, so wanted a distinctive nakiri, ended up getting a French-made custom—which in the grand scheme of things, didn't cost much more than a Wat Pro w/ lefty-friendly handle upgrade.
This said, my next nakiri will prob be a laserish example, off-the-shelf, Japanese-made.
Although, there were a couple of reasons why I decided against a Wat Pro nakiri:
• The handle. I'm a lefty, so righty d-handle are a major turn-off. Also, can't get past the plastic ferrule on such a revered blade.
• Didn't want stainless clad.
• Too common, a major factor for me. I'm unlikely ever buy many nakiris, so wanted a distinctive nakiri, ended up getting a French-made custom—which in the grand scheme of things, didn't cost much more than a Wat Pro w/ lefty-friendly handle upgrade.
This said, my next nakiri will prob be a laserish example, off-the-shelf, Japanese-made.
Sure thing... in short... really good!
It has quite a lot of height. Normally I prefer narrower blades but I can understand why a lot of people like taller blades. On the Jiro, it really makes sense in combination with the geometry.
Really good cutting performance, also good food release in combination with some "heft". Nice balance though...
Profile is really flat, so needs a little getting used to.
In terms of steel, it performs quite nice comparing to other Shirogami knives.
In total, I would prefer the Heiji.... even better food release, narrower blade, perfect profile, better edge retention... but the Jiro performs not at all bad. I would see it en par with f.e. Shigefusa, a little better than Wakui (and way better than Kato KU...). Reactivity is quite high in the beginning, but not a problem after a couple of weeks of regular use...
All in all it's a very nice knife to own. Feels very good in the hand. Feels like the expensive knife it is
Comparing to Watanabe Pro, I would also prefer the Jiro due to its heft, better looks and better food release. Edge retention is way better on the Watanabe though...
Here a few pictures...
Sorry if that's spamming
Iggy
DitmasPork
Senior Member
Holy s***!!! I have a serious case of nakiri envy.Sure thing... in short... really good!
It has quite a lot of height. Normally I prefer narrower blades but I can understand why a lot of people like taller blades. On the Jiro, it really makes sense in combination with the geometry.
Really good cutting performance, also good food release in combination with some "heft". Nice balance though...
Profile is really flat, so needs a little getting used to.
In terms of steel, it performs quite nice comparing to other Shirogami knives.
In total, I would prefer the Heiji.... even better food release, narrower blade, perfect profile, better edge retention... but the Jiro performs not at all bad. I would see it en par with f.e. Shigefusa, a little better than Wakui (and way better than Kato KU...). Reactivity is quite high in the beginning, but not a problem after a couple of weeks of regular use...
All in all it's a very nice knife to own. Feels very good in the hand. Feels like the expensive knife it is
Comparing to Watanabe Pro, I would also prefer the Jiro due to its heft, better looks and better food release. Edge retention is way better on the Watanabe though...
Here a few pictures...
Sorry if that's spamming
Iggy
Knivperson
Senior Member
So which Heiji nakiri is it exactly that you guys are referring to?
Pictured i2 of my posts before.
Directly from Heiji.... said I wanted a "180mm Kurouchi Nakiri, Carbon steel, burned chestnut handle, a little thinner than usual"
A few month later the perfect Nakiri (although with some minor flaws in fit & finish..) arrived
Iggy
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I like nakiri for small cutting tasks like making curry paste from scratch. I've used most of the big names, Shig, Toyama, Takeda, Carter (In Japan) Wat, etc. etc. The Wat 180 was my favorite but recently I started using a Nojiyama Marunaka 180 from knifejapan. Like it a lot, just feels right for the job in my hand. I can tell you one to avoid, the Spyderco/Carter. Flat out hated it.
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Watanabe Pro 180mm is the best cost benefit in my opinion, but there are several great nakiris out there.
Among them TF Denka 165mm, Kochi, Wakui, Shigefusa kurouchi, Mazaki kurouchi, Kato kurouchi, all of them 180mm.
Shigefusa, Makazi and Kato (all kurouchi) feel more like a heavier nakiri while Kochi, Wakui and TF Denka, lighter.
Among them TF Denka 165mm, Kochi, Wakui, Shigefusa kurouchi, Mazaki kurouchi, Kato kurouchi, all of them 180mm.
Shigefusa, Makazi and Kato (all kurouchi) feel more like a heavier nakiri while Kochi, Wakui and TF Denka, lighter.
I haven't tried as many as a lot of members here - and am still waiting for the time to be right to get a Wat Pro - but I love my AS Takeda nakiri. I don't use it in dense squashes or the like and maybe its a touch wedge-y in xl carrots, but absolutely nothing sticks to it. Dicing and onion or tomato and having nothing stick to the face is good fun. I also found its light weight and extra height to be helpful when plowing through cases and cases of veg for the restaurant each day, didn't feel as tired afterwards.
DavidPF
Likes Boring Knives
Well. That one certainly works OK, doesn't it.
Now just watch while I do exactly what he ... hmmm, excuse me for a moment.
lotfong
Tabarnak !!
That's a challenge I'd be ready to accept in a not so distant future !! I love nakiris and just recently started to make some so that would be a good test
outofgamut
Well-Known Member
Now, this may well be heresy on this forum, but this is what I use to get strips of green papaya for Som Tum.
That was much more common when I lived there. Honestly way easier.
This is a fair point re the Watanabe, although an upgrade to buffalo horn is offered.
The 165mm version (which is my answer to the OP's question btw) comes with buffalo as standard.
