# first nakiri



## 83kamaleon (Jul 5, 2018)

Hi guys,i've finished another blade.A friend of mines is a chef and asked for a blade similar to his favourite (kind of a nakiri with a western handle).So i came up with this one,the steel is 12c27,2,5mm thick,the blade lenght is 165mm the height is 49mm.The wa handle is olive wood with a mahogany ferrule and 2 mother of pearls inlays covering a steel pin.I didn't enjoy much shaping the blade since i don't really like this kind of knives but i must admit it was easy since the edge is straight,let me know waht you think,suggestions are very welcome


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## Gjackson98 (Jul 5, 2018)

Cool knife!


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## mc2442 (Jul 5, 2018)

Looks good. Why the nakiri hate? Not the first knife I grab for, but I think they are fun additions for home use at least.


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## 83kamaleon (Jul 6, 2018)

it's not really hate,it's just that the shape isn't my favourite but it performs really well


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## tgfencer (Jul 7, 2018)

I would suggest studying a few examples of the profile. Owning lots of nakiris myself, the two things that stand out to me are: the height at 49mm is toward the low end (the shortest I have is 52mm and most average 53-56mm) and the profile of the blade itself seems very flat. Nakiri have good flat spots but they also tend to have slight and subtle curves either right at the heel, near the tip, or both.


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## Godslayer (Jul 7, 2018)

It looks fine, if you make another I'd add 5-10mm blade height and drop the inlays(I personally believe they look tacky on a kitchen knife) the shape is extremely versatile and obviously excels at veg prep, a curved front is a nice touch allowing for quick movement and minimal risk of blade damage. I've even cut steak with a nakiri to great success and the blade is very effective in pro kitchens where space can be tight, at my last job even a 210mm was a stretch so it was either a 150mm petty or my 165mm nakiri and I constantly chose the nakiri for the blade height and its ability to quickly process ingredients. I do also like the curved imouto on this one. Very masakage. Overall it looks good but could definitely be improved with some tweeks here and there.


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## 83kamaleon (Jul 8, 2018)

tgfencer said:


> I would suggest studying a few examples of the profile. Owning lots of nakiris myself, the two things that stand out to me are: the height at 49mm is toward the low end (the shortest I have is 52mm and most average 53-56mm) and the profile of the blade itself seems very flat. Nakiri have good flat spots but they also tend to have slight and subtle curves either right at the heel, near the tip, or both.


You are right,I had done some research but the stock I had was 50mm and I decided to stay simple as I said this project didn't catch me at all, but now I start wishing making another one with all the right features,thank you for the reply and suggestions.


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## 83kamaleon (Jul 8, 2018)

Godslayer said:


> It looks fine, if you make another I'd add 5-10mm blade height and drop the inlays(I personally believe they look tacky on a kitchen knife) the shape is extremely versatile and obviously excels at veg prep, a curved front is a nice touch allowing for quick movement and minimal risk of blade damage. I've even cut steak with a nakiri to great success and the blade is very effective in pro kitchens where space can be tight, at my last job even a 210mm was a stretch so it was either a 150mm petty or my 165mm nakiri and I constantly chose the nakiri for the blade height and its ability to quickly process ingredients. I do also like the curved imouto on this one. Very masakage. Overall it looks good but could definitely be improved with some tweeks here and there.


Thanks for the suggestions,I thought the inlay was very simple I also don't like flashy handles I just wanted something a little original,as stated up I'm already thinking about making another one with the right features, thanks a lot.


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## merlijny2k (Jul 12, 2018)

Shaping the heel radius to the wheel of your belt grinder? I do that for pre-hardened stuff, existing blades for lack of a good alternative but I find the result somewhat sub optimal for grips. If you start with unhardened steel try some other heel shapes for ergonomics. I have come to favor the style with a subtle finger-rest over straight but that is just personal. With the large radius though you can't fold your index finger behind the heel and I like that grip for harder/tougher foods.


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## John N (Jul 12, 2018)

Knife looks good, if you do want a tighter heel radius I find a Dremel with the little drum sander to be invaluable, cog it out within a 1/16" or so on the edge of the platen, then tidy it up with the Dremel. 5 min job


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## milkbaby (Jul 12, 2018)

It looks nice, good job! The inlay is a nice touch, though my personal aesthetic taste would lean towards a mosaic pin instead.

I agree with some of the comments above; I prefer an edge that isn't totally flat, with a little bit of relief at the heel so it doesn't "thud" too badly. Rarely is a cutting board absolutely flat, so a very flat edge might actually be a disadvantage in leaving accordion cuts. 

I also like a little bit of more roundness at the front edge for the ability to rock the blade down but that's just my own personal preference.


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