Nakiri Knives

A Nakiri knife is indispensable in the kitchen

A Nakiri knife is also called a small vegetable hatchet. In Japan, this traditional knife is very popular for cutting all kinds of vegetables. This is because a Nakiri knife is sharpened on both sides and almost everyone can handle this knife well. The knife is comfortable to hold and the cutting edge of a Nakiri knife is ultra-thin and razor-sharp. Ideal for the precise and fine cutting of fruit and vegetables. This way, you can chop an onion in no time and cut a bell pepper into small cubes.

Are you going to buy a Nakiri knife? Pay close attention to the handle

Are you planning to buy a Nakiri knife ? Then take a good look at the material of the handle. This affects how the knife should be cleaned. Knives with a wooden handle cannot go in the dishwasher. The advice is therefore to wash these knives by hand with warm water and a little soap. Make sure you dry the Nakiri knife well after washing it. Knives with a plastic or stainless steel handle, on the other hand, can be cleaned in the dishwasher.

How do you use a Nakiri knife?

Unlike other knives, the balance of a Nakiri knife lies at the back. As a result, the knife feels nice and firm in the hand while cutting. The fact that the balance is more towards the back is because the blade continues into the handle. The tip of a Nakiri knife has a slightly rounded corner. The biggest advantage of this is that you can cut super fast and precisely from a corner. How do you use a Nakiri knife in the kitchen? You cut with a Nakiri knife from an angle or a chopping movement, also known as the push-cut movement. The knife therefore remains constantly in a horizontal position and the tip does not rest on the cutting board. It is therefore not for nothing that a Nakiri knife is used by many people to cut fruit and vegetables super thin and fine.

Cutting technique Nakiri knife

Let's take a closer look at the cutting technique of a Nakiri knife . So you cut from an angle. When you stand in front of your cutting blade, it is best to keep your arm at a 45-degree angle. This way you create space to be able to cut properly. Are you holding the knife straight in front of you? Then you cannot keep the knife straight, with the result that the vegetables are not cut straight. What is the best cutting technique for a Nakiri knife?

Grab the knife at the end of the handle with your thumb and forefinger on the spine of the blade. This gives you more control when cutting. When you grab the handle at the end or in the middle of the handle, the center of gravity is too much at the front.

With the rest of your fingers you form a kind of claw around the handle. Your thumb and index finger make contact with the beginning of the blade and the rest of the handle.

Now you can safely make forward or backward cuts.

Japanese vegetable knife versus a regular vegetable knife

What is the main difference between a Japanese vegetable knife and a regular vegetable knife? Despite the fact that they look more and more alike, regular vegetable knives are still smaller than a Nakiri knife. They are increasingly taking the form of the Japanese vegetable knife. That is certainly not for nothing, because technically there is no vegetable knife that cuts and fulfills its tasks as well as the Japanese Nakiri. Whether you cut vegetables into cubes or thin slices, a Nakiri really is the best vegetable knife. We do not recommend using the Japanese vegetable knife as a peeling knife. Simply because this knife is very sharp and accidents can easily happen. And of course we want to prevent that.

Clean cuts with a Nakiri knife

The Nakiri knife looks coarse because the blade resembles that of a cleaver. Nothing is less true. A Nakiri knife is even very lightweight and therefore easy to handle. This allows you to cut much more precisely. Another advantage of a Nakiri knife is the flat blade of the blade. You probably know it, you are cutting vegetables but you don't cut all the way through the entire vegetable. This is because most knives are pointed. As a result, the knife does not make contact with the cutting board at the same time. With the crushed blade of the Nakiri you will never suffer from this again. Always cutting vegetables with clean cuts is what every (hobby) chef gets excited about. Especially if you are vegetarian or cook a lot of vegetarian food, the Nakiri is a must-have in your kitchen.

Nakiri knives made of real damascus steel

The shape of the blade is not the only thing that makes a Nakiri knife special. The Nakiri knives from Megacookingworld are made of real damascus steel. As many as 67 layers on each damask steel forged. This makes the steel much harder than other types of steel. By folding several layers of steel, more carbon is absorbed and distributed in the blade. The more carbon during the forging process, the harder the blade. As a result, Damascus steel knives stay sharper and longer.

Rockwel hardness or abbreviated HR is the indication of the hardness of the steel. The Nakiri knives from Megacookingworld have a hardness of 61 HR. That is the second highest hardness class that exists. For comparison, European knives have an HR between 52-58.

Interested in a Nakiri knife with a small budget ? We have developed the print series especially for your needs. These are knives with the damascus pattern printed on the blade. This way you can enjoy the unique look of damascus steel for a bargain price.