Comparison: Best Carbon Steel Nakiri (Updated | Oct 22nd)
Looking for the perfect carbon steel nakiri to add to your kitchen arsenal? This versatile Japanese vegetable knife is prized for its thin blade and efficient chopping motion. With so many options available, choosing the right one can be overwhelming. This comparison explores some of the best carbon steel nakiris on the market, considering factors like steel quality, blade geometry, handle comfort, and overall value. We’ll highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each, helping you find the ideal nakiri to suit your cooking style and needs.
Editor’s Choice
Best for a specific purpose
-
Best for sharp durable blade:
HOSHANHO 7 Inch Nakiri Knife -
Best for best budget:
PAUDIN Nakiri Knife – 7" Razor Sharp Meat Cleaver and Vegetable Kitchen Knife -
Best for hand forged:
MITSUMOTO SAKARI Nakiri Chef Knife 7 inch – Hand Forged Japanese Kitchen Knives -
Best for quick cutting:
FAMCÜTE 7 Inch Japanese Nakiri Knife -
Best for premium build:
Made In Cookware – 6" Japanese Damascus Steel Nakiri Knife – 66 Layers of Damascus Steel with a VG-10 Core – Crafted in Japan – Full Tang With Black POM Handle -
Best for high performance:
HOSHANHO 7 Inch Nakiri Knife -
Best for professional grade:
KAWAHIRO Japanese Nakiri Knife -
Best for versatile knife:
TUO Nakiri Knife 6.5" Vegetable Cleaver -
Best for comfortable grip:
Sunnecko Nakiri Knife 7 inch -
Best for best value:
JapanBargain
Product Comparison: Best Carbon Steel Nakiri
Sharp Durable Blade
HOSHANHO 7 Inch Nakiri Knife, Japanese High Carbon Stainless Steel Chef Knife, Multipurpose Meat Vegetable Sharp Kitchen Knife with Ergonomic Pakkawood Handle
HOSHANHO
- 【Ultra Sharp Blade】 Each Japanese nakiri knife is hand-polished by experts to achieve a sharp 15 degree edge angle. The ultimate sharp blade ensures every cut is effortless and smooth, and provides a precise cutting experience whether it requires delicate blade skills or powerful chopping.
- 【Top Grade High Carbon Steel】 HOSHANHO 7 inch professional nakiri chef knife crafted from Japanese 10Cr15CoMoV high carbon stainless steel. The hardness of the blade is as high as 60HRC after vacuum heat treatment. Stays like new even with heavy use of the cooking knife.
- 【Ergonomic Handle】The ergonomic shape can adapt to the natural holding posture of the human hand, perfectly balancing the weight of the handle and blade, reducing fatigue caused by long-term use. The pakkawood handle blends with the sharp blade for a comfortable grip.
- 【Exquisite Design】This Asian vegetable knife has scallop-shaped hollow pit on the side, offers an eye-catching look and non-stick functionality. The wooden handle has a natural grain that complements its fine matte blade. It serves as a stylish enhancement to any kitchen and makes for an excellent gift choice as well.
- 【Multi-function Nakiri Knife】 This chef's knife can flexibly do a variety of cutting tasks, whether it's vegetables, meat, or fruits. It can chop, slice, and dice ingredients, meeting the chef's various skills under different needs. It is a rare all-round tool in the kitchen.
Best Budget
PAUDIN Nakiri Knife – 7" Razor Sharp Meat Cleaver and Vegetable Kitchen Knife, High Carbon Stainless Steel, Multipurpose Asian Chef Knife for Home and Kitchen with Ergonomic Handle
PAUDIN
- ALL-PURPOSE NAKIRI KNIFE: The classic 7 inch kitchen knife is flexible for all kinds of heavy duty preps, like slicing, dicing, chopping and mincing. A truly all-around cooking knife, is easy to re-sharpen, clean and maintain.
- ULTRA SHARP EDGE: The blade of PAUDIN cleavers is made of 5Cr15Mov stainless steel (not real Damascus) with 56+ hardness. The razor sharp cutting edge allows you to cut foods effortlessly. All the world-renowned cutlery brands adopt the same steel, which is rust -proof and durable for long time use.
- ERGONOMIC HANDLE: The ergonomics shape perfect balances the handle and the thin blade at the pinch point, ensures the ease of movement. The soft pakkawood handle is integrated with the Japanese nakiri knife's blade, creating comfortable grip.
- WAVE PATTERN: The special waved pattern is strikingly beautiful like a Damascus knife. It decreases food friction and makes the vegetable cleaver easy to clean and maintain.
- ELEGANT GIFT: This meat vetetable chef knife is a best gift with beautiful packing for Christmas, Weddings, Birthdays, Father's Day, Mother's Day! If you have any questions about the nakiri knife, please feel free to contact us, and we will respond to your questions within 24 hours.
Hand Forged
MITSUMOTO SAKARI Nakiri Chef Knife 7 inch – Hand Forged Japanese Kitchen Knives, 3-Layer 9CR18MOV High Carbon Steel, Rosewood Handle & Sandalwood Box
MITSUMOTO SAKARI
- JAPANESE TRADITIONAL HAND FORGED: Professional Japanese Chefs Knives inherits the Japanese hand forging method and combines it with advanced technology and materials. Gorgeous whipped texture and incorporate traditional forging art and craftsmanship
- FINELY CRAFTED NAKIRI CHEF KNIFE: Japanese knife made from 3 layers of 9CR18MOV high carbon steel, precision hardened and vacuum cooled with nitrogen. Ultra-thin blade ensures optimal ripeness and flavor when cutting food
- SOLID ROSEWOOD KNIFE HANDLE: Japanese high carbon knife made of summer sourwood from Southeast Asia. Features ergonomically designed octagonal handle for balanced grip, reducing wrist tension and offering flexibility in cutting angle adjustment for a secure, comfortable hold
- PERFECT COOKING COOKWARE CHOICE: Hand forged from precious steel, this kitchen knife offers exceptional sharpness and balance for precise cutting. Perfect for experienced cooks and passionate home cooks
- HIGH CARBON KNIVES IMPORTANT NOTES: MITSUMOTO SAKARI products have passed strict quality audits. If you encounter any problems when using your chef's knife, please provide us with suggestions. Our service team will give you a satisfactory solution
Quick Cutting
FAMCÜTE 7 Inch Japanese Nakiri Knife, High Carbon Stainless Steel Kitchen Chopping Knife, Hand Forged of 5 Layers Professional Japanese Chef Knife, Comfortable Grip Rosewood Handle Vegetable knife
FAMCÜTE
- Quick Vegetable Cutting – The non-slip octagonal handle provides excellent balance and flexibility for japanese nakiri knife, making them ideal for heavy-duty tasks such as slicing, dicing, mincing, and chopping. The straight blade design offers intuitive use with less rocking motion, significantly reducing vegetable prep time.
- Ideal Choice – Our meat cleaver knife is ergonomically designed for a comfortable grip and features a blade made from high-quality Japanese steel that remains sharp for an extended period without frequent sharpening. It's the perfect birthday gifts for cooking enthusiasts on any occasion, reflecting a true appreciation for the art of culinary excellence.
- FAMCÜTE Expertise – Our kitchen cleaver knife are made from 5 layers of 9CR18MOV steel, combining traditional forging techniques with advanced technology. Each sharp knife undergoes a meticulous 60-day production process, including precise quenching, vacuum nitriding, and enhanced oxidation-resistant anti-rust technology, ensuring every cut remains sharp and durable.
- Outstanding Performance – The cooking knife achieves a highest hardness of HRC 62, offering exceptional corrosion resistance, rust resistance, and toughness, maintaining sharpness over extended use. The premium rosewood handle is lightweight yet sturdy, reducing hand fatigue and enhancing overall comfort during use.
- Customer First – FAMCÜTE boasts a robust customer service team that provides one-on-one, comprehensive service tracking. Whether you encounter any issues with your chopping Knife for personal use or as a gift, we provide satisfactory solutions to ensure every concern is effectively resolved.
Premium Build
Made In Cookware – 6" Japanese Damascus Steel Nakiri Knife – 66 Layers of Damascus Steel with a VG-10 Core – Crafted in Japan – Full Tang With Black POM Handle
Made In
- Blade Angle: 15-Degrees | Blade Type: Double Bevel | Blade Length: 6 9/16” | Blade Height: 1 3/4” | Blade Thickness: 2.3mm | Total Length: 11 3/4”
- Thin rectangular blade – The Nakiri features a long, tall, rectangular blade that’s perfect for precisely chopping, slicing, and mincing fruit and vegetables
- Supreme Precision – The VG10 Core has a higher carbon content so your knife stays sharper for longer
- Damascus Pattern – Steel is compressed and folded into 66 total layers, creating an eye-catching wave pattern that’s unique to each knife
- Full Tang for Perfect Balance – Crafted from a single rod of metal, a full tang knife offers more balance and fewer weak points
- Crafted in Japan – Forged in Seki, Japan, a city renowned for 800 years of knife production
High Performance
HOSHANHO 7 Inch Nakiri Knife, Japanese High Carbon Powder Steel Vegetable Cleaver Knife for Chopping, Razor Sharp Multipurpose Asian Chef Knife with Ergonomic Handle
HOSHANHO
- 【High-carbon Durable Steel Blade】Combining cutting-edge nitrogen cold forging technology with the highest grade materials, our kitchen knives are crafted from high carbon powder steel, which greatly enhanced corrosion & rust resistance; Rated at 62 Rockwell hardness, these precision-forged, nitrogen-cooled blades provide maximum strength, flexibility, and edge durability
- 【Breathtaking Sharpness】Carefully designed and hand-sharpened, each nakiri knife has a razor-sharp 15-degree blade angle for clean, precise, cuts, & amazing edge-retention; Enjoying effortless slicing, dicing, and chopping, making every meal preparation a delight
- 【Comfortable Handle】Ergonomic design ensures perfect balance and a comfortable grip; High-quality smooth pakkawood handle has excellent resistance to fatigue, cramping, cold, heat, corrosion and moisture, ensuring long-lasting durability without the risk of chipping, cracking, breaking or scratching easily
- 【Precision & Versatility】HOSHANHO Nakiri Vegetable Cleaver is the ultimate tool for mastering your culinary art. Its unique design combines the precision of a chef's knife with the versatility of a cleaver, making it perfect for slicing, dicing, and chopping vegetables with expert finesse
- 【Perfect Gift for Any Occasion】Encased in a beautiful gift box, this sharp nakiri knife is the ideal present for any cooking enthusiast. Whether for a wedding, birthday, Christmas, housewarming, or anniversary, give the gift of ultimate culinary precision
Professional Grade
KAWAHIRO Japanese Nakiri Knife, 7 Inch Handcrafted VG10 High Carbon Stainless Steel Vegetable Chef Knife, Professional Sharp Kitchen Knives with Ergonomic Ruby Wood Handle and Gift Wood Box
KAWAHIRO
- 【Professional Nakiri Knife for Vegetable Mastery】Expertly crafted for culinary precision, the Kawahiro Japanese 7-Inch Vegetable Knife revolutionizes vegetable prep – effortlessly julienning, slicing, and dicing. With exceptional cutting efficiency and laser-sharp accuracy, making it an indispensable professional chef's knife in any kitchen.
- 【Japanese High Carbon VG-10 Super Core】Forged with a Japanese high-carbon VG-10 Super Steel core, each Japanese knife embodies Japanese monozukhi (the art of perfection) – master artisans hand-hammer the blade through ancient black-forged techniques, creates its signature black forged texture, achieving a samurai-grade 62 HRC hardness.
- 【Traditional Wet Stone Hand Sharpening】Master Japanese artisans hand-sharpen kitchen knife using centuries-old wet stone sharpening technique, creating razor-sharp edges that glide through ingredients with effortless precision. The usuba knife remains incredibly sharp even when handling large quantities of vegetables and prolonged use.
- 【Precision-Perfected Slices】The Nakiri kitchen knife ultra-sharp blade glides through veggies effortlessly, creating paper-thin slices and perfect juliennes every time. Its full-length straight edge cuts between vegetable instead of crushing them, keeping your ingredients crisp, fresh, and full of natural flavor – making even simple carrots look like gourmet art.
- 【Perfect Balance, Comfort in Hand】A handle crafted from ruby wood, turquoise, and ebony glows with classic style. Ergonomic grip stays comfortably secure through long chopping sessions with a vegetable nakiri. Perfect blade-to-handle balance lets you glide through veggies with perfect control – culinary art where your creativity takes center stage.
- 【A Timeless, Elegant Gift Choice】Nestled in a wooden gift box, lined with velveta, this cooking knife transforms gifting into an art form. Be it Christmas, birthday surprises, or housewarming gifts, each nakiri knife Japanese becomes a cherished luxurious gift in the making.
Versatile Knife
TUO Nakiri Knife 6.5" Vegetable Cleaver, Japanese Chef Knife for Kitchen Vegetable Chopping, German High Carbon Stainless Steel, Ergo Pakkawood Handle
TUO
- VERSATILE KNIFE: TUO 6.5'' usuba knife is a traditional Japanese knife for working with vegetables and agro-food, perfect for kitchen needs such as shredding carrots, cutting tomatoes, dicing onions, chopping melons, or peeling avocados, this nakiri knife is perfect for busy kitchens.
- SUPER STEEL: Adopted German High-carbon Stainless steel, it promises you the blade won’t rust over time in most of the circumstances and easy to resharpen. The steel is precisely processed with high-tech vacuum heat treatment to reach the hardness HRC56±2 for extraordinary performance and edge retention. Most importantly, the edge won’t chip easily.
- PREMIUM PAKKAWOOD HANDLE: The full tang handle is made from our patent-pending high-density Pakkawood composite. Compare to other wood handles, it is way more stable and sanitary. No matter how bad the kitchen environment is, it will be no shrimp, no expansion, no crack, assuring you food safety.
- WELL DESIGNED: From the striking grain of the polished pakkawood (sourced from Africa) handle to the gentle curve of the blade, this is an ergonomic full tang handle design for exceptional comfort and durability. The handle is specifically designed to hold comfortably in your hand with great balance. The bolster of the handle is carefully polished for a perfect pinch grip.
- TUO LIFETIME GUARANTEE: 100% SATISFACTION OR MONEY BACK GUARANTEE, try it risk-free. We guarantee a superior product that will give you a lifetime guarantee against manufacturer defects. With the luxury case, it is the wise choice as a gift.
Comfortable Grip
Sunnecko Nakiri Knife 7 inch,High Carbon Stainless Steel Cleaver Knife,Ultra Sharp Cooking Knives with Sheath and Gift Box for Family & Restaurant
Sunnecko
- 7 inch Nakiri Knife:Manufactured from high-quality German stainless steel (1.4116) that maintains its functionality for a long time, this 7 inch cleavr knife is razor sharp, rust-resistant, durable, tarnish-free and easy to re-sharpen.
- WELL BALANCED & COMFORTABLE GRIP: Featuring an ergonomic handle made from Pakkawood that is resilient and ultra-durable, this exceptional kitchen knife is ergonomically weighted and well balanced for easy controlling.
- FIT for MULTI TASKS: Designed to handle a full range of kitchen tasks, this durable knife's razor sharp blade runs effortlessly for chopping, slicing, dicing, mincing of meat ,fruits and vegetables.
- For HOME CHEFS & PROFESSIONALS: Expertly crafted with a perfect blade angle, this Sunnecko Nakiri knife that cuts with ease and efficiency has been the first choice of both home chefs and professionals alike.
- PERFECT GIFT: this Sunnecko kitchen knife will be a perfect gift for a mother, father, grandparent or friends.It comes with a knife sheath and exquisite gift packaging.
Best Value
JapanBargain, Nakiri Knife 6-5/8", High Carbon Steel Vegetable Cleaver, Razor Sharp Japanese Chef Knife for Meat and Veggies, Rust-Resistant Molybdenum Blade, Wooden Handle, Made in Japan
JapanBargain
- 🔥 Razor Sharp & Rust-Resistant Blade – Features a 6-5/8" high carbon molybdenum steel blade that holds a razor-sharp edge for precise slicing, chopping, and mincing of vegetables, meat, and herbs.
- 🔪 Multipurpose Nakiri Knife for Every Kitchen – Traditional Japanese cleaver-style knife perfect for professional chefs and home cooks, designed to handle a variety of kitchen tasks with precision and ease.
- 🪵 Ergonomic Wooden Handle – Comfortable, slip-resistant handle made of premium natural wood offers excellent grip, balance, and control for effortless cutting.
- 💎 Superior Craftsmanship – Made in Japan – Authentic Japanese vegetable knife combining traditional techniques and modern materials for unmatched performance and long-lasting durability.
- 🧼 Easy to Maintain – Hand wash recommended; simply clean with warm, soapy water and dry immediately. Blade is easy to sharpen and retains its edge over time.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Buying Guide
FAQs
What is a Nakiri knife primarily used for?
Nakiri knives are specifically designed for chopping vegetables with a clean, efficient up-and-down motion.
What should I look for in a good carbon steel Nakiri knife?
Key features include a sharp blade, comfortable handle, good balance, and resistance to rust (though carbon steel requires more care).
Are Nakiri knives only for professional chefs?
No, Nakiri knives are excellent for home cooks who frequently prepare vegetables.
How do I care for a carbon steel Nakiri knife to prevent rust?
Wash and dry the knife immediately after each use. Oiling the blade can also help prevent rust.
What is the typical blade length for a Nakiri knife?
Most Nakiri knives have a blade length between 6 and 7 inches.
What is the difference between carbon steel and stainless steel Nakiri knives?
Carbon steel blades are generally sharper and easier to sharpen but are more prone to rust. Stainless steel is more resistant to rust but may not hold an edge as well.
Can a Nakiri knife be used for cutting meat?
While primarily designed for vegetables, a Nakiri can handle some softer meats, but it's best to use a knife specifically designed for meat.
