# Usefulness of a Nakiri knife



## DitmasPork (Mar 22, 2014)

How useful is it to have a Nakiri knife in the kitchen? I'm a home cook, former caterer.

When I cook I've been primarily using my gyuto, petty, parer, suji, pretty much in that order of usefulnessdon't use my bread knife much.

Been thinking of a purchase to round out my kitchen knife quiver.

Anyone feel that a Nakiri is indispensable?


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## XooMG (Mar 22, 2014)

Where's my hazmat suit?


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## Pensacola Tiger (Mar 22, 2014)

A nakiri is fun to use, but not indispensable if you have a gyuto.

Try a cleaver instead.

Rick


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## daveb (Mar 22, 2014)

As mentioned a Nakiri is a fun knife to use but by no means indispensable.

Try a cleaver as well.:cool2:


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## echerub (Mar 22, 2014)

A nakiri is definitely not indispensable, particularly if you're already used to using a gyuto for most things. A nakiri is a substitute when you are prepping small veggies & tofu products. Its advantage over something like a gyuto is the fact that you get a lot of flat edge for push cutting without "wasting space" with a curved edge and tip at the front.

For a true multi-purpose knife, Rick and Dave are absolutely correct about chinese cleavers (chuka bocho) instead.

A chinese cleaver can replace a gyuto. They are direct substitutes for one another. A nakiri cannot and is not - it is a substitute in a limited domain, for those times when you don't have enough space or when you just feel like it. So unless you are working in tight quarters, it is not indispensable. But on the off-chance that you're crammed in tight... maybe


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## Ucmd (Mar 22, 2014)

XooMG said:


> Where's my hazmat suit?




LOL!!!!


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## jamaster14 (Mar 22, 2014)

DitmasPork said:


> How useful is it to have a Nakiri knife in the kitchen? I'm a home cook, former caterer.
> 
> When I cook I've been primarily using my gyuto, petty, parer, suji, pretty much in that order of usefulnessdon't use my bread knife much.
> 
> ...



It's like many other kitchen items... it's designed more for a specific purpose, but you may already have something that does the job just as well. like you dont need one of those bagel slicers, cause your bread knife will cut a bagel just fine, but its fun and specifically for that task.

Your gyuto is prefectly suited for all your veg prep. but the nikiri is design more specifically for it. i will say, it certainly is alot of fun  I have a watanabe nakkiri i just purchased, and ive used a ton so far. but if i have 10 people coming for dinner and a ton of different things to prep im just using my gyuto for all tasks.

are you a minimalist or do you like having a tool for every task?


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## XooMG (Mar 22, 2014)

I quite like the concept of a nakiri in confined areas. My gyuto can do a very good job with veg, but having a shorter dedicated blade lets me work more intimately without a large part of the knife going unused or potentially bumping into things on a crowded counter. I can keep sharpening it whenever I like without reducing its length or profile noticeably.

I also like a 180mm-range cleaver, but they are too tall for me sometimes.


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## DitmasPork (Mar 22, 2014)

echerub said:


> A nakiri is definitely not indispensable, particularly if you're already used to using a gyuto for most things. A nakiri is a substitute when you are prepping small veggies & tofu products. Its advantage over something like a gyuto is the fact that you get a lot of flat edge for push cutting without "wasting space" with a curved edge and tip at the front.
> 
> For a true multi-purpose knife, Rick and Dave are absolutely correct about chinese cleavers (chuka bocho) instead.
> 
> A chinese cleaver can replace a gyuto. They are direct substitutes for one another. A nakiri cannot and is not - it is a substitute in a limited domain, for those times when you don't have enough space or when you just feel like it. So unless you are working in tight quarters, it is not indispensable. But on the off-chance that you're crammed in tight... maybe



Really appreciate the insights. I used to use a cleaver almost exclusively back in the 80s, my trusty Dexter Chinese Veggie Cleaver served me well in those formative days. I used to abuse the Dexter quite a bit, hacking through chickens and whatever came its way. With a Nakiri, can it go through the same abuse or is it delicate like most Japanese knives? They do look like fun.


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## Bill13 (Mar 22, 2014)

Nakiri's in general have very thin blades so no hacking at things with bones.


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## Pensacola Tiger (Mar 22, 2014)

Bill13 said:


> Nakiri's in general have very thin blades so no hacking at things with bones.



Time for one of our favorite YouTube knuckleheads showing how *NOT* to use a nakiri, which she ignorantly calls a "cleaver":

[video=youtube;CXJRlpEfPnU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXJRlpEfPnU&feature=player_embedded[/video]


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## panda (Mar 22, 2014)

I find nakiri pretty useless, much rather a santoku for tight spaces.


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## Erilyn75 (Mar 22, 2014)

Pensacola Tiger said:


> Time for one of our favorite YouTube knuckleheads showing how *NOT* to use a nakiri, which she ignorantly calls a "cleaver":
> 
> [video=youtube;CXJRlpEfPnU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXJRlpEfPnU&feature=player_embedded[/video]




That's almost as bad as watching bobby flay open cans with his knife.


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## mkriggen (Mar 22, 2014)

Erilyn75 said:


> That's almost as bad as watching bobby flay open cans with his knife.



I disagree, Bobby Flay knew exactly what he was doing, this woman is clueless and a danger to herself and others. Having said that, I LOVE THAT VIDEO!:rofl2:

I also love my nakiri's. I agree that they are not indispensable in any way, but they are still my most used knives.

Be well,
Mikey


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## jamaster14 (Mar 22, 2014)

Pensacola Tiger said:


> Time for one of our favorite YouTube knuckleheads showing how *NOT* to use a nakiri, which she ignorantly calls a "cleaver":
> 
> [video=youtube;CXJRlpEfPnU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXJRlpEfPnU&feature=player_embedded[/video]



:eek2:

that was painful to watch


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## WarrenB (Mar 22, 2014)

Pensacola Tiger said:


> Time for one of our favorite YouTube knuckleheads showing how *NOT* to use a nakiri, which she ignorantly calls a "cleaver":
> 
> [video=youtube;CXJRlpEfPnU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXJRlpEfPnU&feature=player_embedded[/video]



That poor knife:Ooooh: There should be some kind of Knife Protection Agency that can go and remove abused knives from their owners:biggrin:


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## Dave Kinogie (Mar 22, 2014)

It was hard to get through that whole video.


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## icanhaschzbrgr (Mar 22, 2014)

I believe if you don't find nakiri useful it could be an indication that you just haven't found the right nakiri for you. 

I handled only one nakiri and wasn't fond of it, but would love to try again in the future. Itinomonn (with Dan's handle) or Watanabe or maybe Harner. One day


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## augerpro (Mar 22, 2014)

Pensacola Tiger said:


> Time for one of our favorite YouTube knuckleheads showing how *NOT* to use a nakiri, which she ignorantly calls a "cleaver":
> 
> [video=youtube;CXJRlpEfPnU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXJRlpEfPnU&feature=player_embedded[/video]



***. Watch teh tomato video too. And the one where she uses a vegetable knife (aka fillet knife) to cut a green pepper and has to saw through the thing LOL!


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## DitmasPork (Mar 22, 2014)

Pensacola Tiger said:


> Time for one of our favorite YouTube knuckleheads showing how *NOT* to use a nakiri, which she ignorantly calls a "cleaver":
> 
> [video=youtube;CXJRlpEfPnU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXJRlpEfPnU&feature=player_embedded[/video]




Cheers for the Nakiri tutorial. So when it gets dull from hacking King Crab, I can bring the edge back be sharpening it like Gordon Ramsay!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syvvxx3eGpI


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## Dave Kinogie (Mar 22, 2014)

augerpro said:


> ***. Watch teh tomato video too. And the one where she uses a vegetable knife (aka fillet knife) to cut a green pepper and has to saw through the thing LOL!



"You never want to get cavalier about ends of your fingers. Some very famous chefs have lost... the ends of their... some of their fingers... But, that's far from ideal I think."


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## jamaster14 (Mar 22, 2014)

augerpro said:


> ***. Watch teh tomato video too. And the one where she uses a vegetable knife (aka fillet knife) to cut a green pepper and has to saw through the thing LOL!



[video=youtube;OMbFGJnaVOw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMbFGJnaVOw[/video]

good god. "the divets make it lighter and easier to weild"

"im able to make paper thin slices of tomato with it" then proceeds to cut 1/8" thick slices.

from the hand position to the back and for sawing motion... man it makes me cringe but i cant stop watching it.... it reminds me of like one liek the home shopping channel where its the same host for every product and they just say whatever they want

"even a really sharp chef knife isnt going to do as good a job as this knife is doing" dang, better trade my shige in for one of those... on my way to target now!


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## jamaster14 (Mar 22, 2014)

Dave Kinogie said:


> "You never want to get cavalier about ends of your fingers. Some very famous chefs have lost... the ends of their... some of their fingers... But, that's far from ideal I think."



[video=youtube;rDeaCuwGS6c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDeaCuwGS6c[/video]


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## daveb (Mar 22, 2014)

I watched the onion video. Made me cry.


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## Erilyn75 (Mar 22, 2014)

Her bio says she was a cooking instructor and a garde manger in a restaurant kitchen. I guess "was" is the operative word if it's even true. Never seen someone cut a green pepper that way. Hubby said I needed to watch more to improve my knife technique :bat:


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## 29palms (Mar 23, 2014)

I had two Nakiris and as much fun as they can be I gave one to a friend and the other sits in its saya in a drawer. Unless I think about it it doesn't get to come out and play much.


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## XooMG (Mar 23, 2014)

I want to love nakiri, but really I only have one (Takeda) that I really enjoy using. My others have too much of a stiction problem in raw carrot to really satisfy me. They work fine elsewhere but carrot-cutting ends up my primary criterion, and that's the weakness of many of my nakiri.


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## loves2cook (Mar 23, 2014)

I stopped at the king crab leg when she identified after her 3rd attempt that one must first identify the joint ROFL. That was all I could take.


Dave Kinogie said:


> It was hard to get through that whole video.


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## loves2cook (Mar 23, 2014)

jamaster14 said:


> [video=youtube;OMbFGJnaVOw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMbFGJnaVOw[/video]
> 
> good god. "the divets make it lighter and easier to weild"
> 
> ...




I can't watch this lol. Did she cut off her thumb ? :eek2:


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## Lizzardborn (Mar 23, 2014)

loves2cook said:


> I can't watch this lol. Did she cut off her thumb ? :eek2:



Nope, but she did have somewhat interesting definition of curling the fingers. Also her sharpening video is worth checking out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1fUFbij2s0#t=110 But for the sensitive people beware - there is some serious graphic knife abuse inside. Lets say that she managed to say 45 degrees. And did not meant included.


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## Dave Kinogie (Mar 23, 2014)

loves2cook said:


> I can't watch this lol. Did she cut off her thumb ? :eek2:



No. She sized it up well enough but couldn't identify the joint.


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## jamaster14 (Mar 23, 2014)

Dave Kinogie said:


> No. She sized it up well enough but couldn't identify the joint.



in her defense, their are few things as a chef harder then identifying the joint on a crab leg. i mean its really just anyones guess? Sometime i keep this posted up in my kitchen as a helper, but even with this image its still nearly impossible on the first try


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## jamaster14 (Mar 23, 2014)

Lizzardborn said:


> Nope, but she did have somewhat interesting definition of curling the fingers. Also her sharpening video is worth checking out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1fUFbij2s0#t=110 But for the sensitive people beware - there is some serious graphic knife abuse inside. Lets say that she managed to say 45 degrees. And did not meant included.



i like how she demonstrates how to hold your fingers, after NOT holding her fingers that and nearly cutting them off.

[video=youtube;-1fUFbij2s0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1fUFbij2s0#t=110[/video]

guh... i was hoping to see a message at the end saying "none of the knives in this video were harmed, as this was a staged renactment"


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## Dave Kinogie (Mar 23, 2014)

I used my Shig nakiri this morning to slice up a shallot, some garlic and make fries out of 4 potatoes. Definitely could have done it with any other type of knife, but I mainly love to switch it up sometimes and use the nakiri. I do have some issues with it wedging on stuff like carrots though, a little disappointing but it just needs some time on the stones I imagine. 

The Shig is a brick of a knife though, I didn't realize til I got it how substantial the blade is even though it's very thin behind the edge. That has it's pros and it's cons, I don't mind it much, just wish it didn't wedge so much with stuff like carrots and squash. I've only given it a super light touch up on a 6K and some truing on a ceramic rod and it certainly responded well, but I'm wondering if it needs some higher thinning, I'm not experienced enough a sharpener nor feel I have the proper stones to tackle that yet.


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## Ruso (Mar 23, 2014)

The nakiri really grew on me. I did not see much point in it at the beginning but now I would use it every so often. Nothing better to chop the onions or peppers. Light, fun, chops like a champ. Just today I used it to cut two onions for a marinade. For any longer prep task I prefer gyuto/santoku tho.


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