Choosing
Gyuto, santoku or nakiri
The three Japanese shapes compared on what matters: the movement, the material being cut and the room they take on the board. With the choice to make for your kitchen.
At Yaiba the three shapes come from the same series, the same steel and the same handle. What separates them fits in one sentence: they do not ask for the same movement.
The gyuto: the rocker
Long blade, curved belly, fine tip. The curve lets you keep the tip on the board and roll the blade back and forth. It is the fastest movement for chopping parsley or slicing a shallot in quantity.
That same curve makes it versatile beyond vegetables: the tip goes into a joint, the length lets you slice a roast in a single pass.
For whom: anyone who wants a single knife, or who cooks meat.
The santoku: the straight cut
Shorter blade, taller, dropped tip. The edge is nearly straight, so it does not roll. You cut top to bottom, the slice falls, you move along.
The movement is easier to keep even than the rocker, and less tiring over a large quantity. The height of the blade shields your fingers and doubles as a scoop for carrying the dice to the pan.
For whom: anyone who mostly cuts vegetables and fish, and dislikes the rocking motion.
The nakiri: the specialist
Rectangular blade, no belly, no tip. The edge meets the board from end to end, which guarantees that every stroke cuts the whole slice.
It is the shape that gives the most regular juliennes and the finest chiffonades. In exchange, it does not pierce, does not bone and does not trim.
For whom: anyone who cooks a lot of vegetables and already owns a versatile knife.
The table, if you want to decide quickly
| If you… | Take |
|---|---|
| have only one knife to buy | the 20 cm gyuto |
| cut mostly vegetables, in quantity | the 17.5 cm nakiri |
| want a versatile knife without the rocking motion | the 18 cm santoku |
| already own a good chef’s knife | the nakiri, or the paring knife |
What does not change
Whatever the shape, the steel is the same, the angle is the same, the care is the same. A single 1000 / 3000 stone maintains all three, and the same rules apply: no dishwasher, no bone, no glass board.
Frequently asked
If I buy only one knife, which one?
The 20 cm gyuto. It is the only one of the three shapes that does every job properly, meat included.
Can a nakiri replace a santoku?
On vegetables, yes and better. On anything else, no: it has no tip, and its straight edge is wrong for working meat.
Do I need all three?
No. Two are enough for most kitchens: a gyuto, and depending on what you cook, a nakiri for vegetables or a paring knife for work in the hand.
Whetstone 1000 / 3000 — The only sharpener that suits a 15 degree edge.
A 15 degree edge is restored on a stone, not on a steel. Ours is built for that angle.
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