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Best Nakiri Knife:

 
A Nakiri knife is a Japanese Vegetable knife that is shaped like a mini cleaver. The knife usually has a fairly straight edge with very little belly on the blade and it makes quick work of dicing and chopping tasks in the kitchen. We've tested 15 popular Nakiri knives and here are our favorites:
 
#1.Tojiro DP Nakiri: The Tojiro DP Nakiri was our overall favorite knife in this category. The knife has excellent balance and the fit and finish on the knife is excellent. Tojiro knives are clad meaning they sandwich a piece of very hard steel in the middle of two layers of softer stainless steel. The result is a great, sharp knife with easy care. At $70 this knife is better than several models we tested at twice the price.
 
#2. Mac Nakiri: The Mac Nakiri is an excellent choice as well. The knife was sharp out of the box and kept it's edge through most of our testing. This knife is another good value at only a few dollars more than the Tojiro. Our only fault with the knife was the handle balance was a bit shifted forward making the knife blade heavy.
 
#3. Shun Classic Nakiri: Shun uses VG10 steel which is high quality and the fit and finish of these knives is outstanding. We recommend this knife if you don't know how to sharpen since Shun offers to sharpen their knives for free as long as you own them. Our only problem with the knife is the handle shape. Shun uses a traditional "D" shaped handle which makes the knife unsuitable for families that have both left and right handed members. The price is also an issue. The Shun Classic Nakiri costs $124.95 currently.
 
#4: Tanaka Damascus Nakiri: This knife is our number one choice if you are looking for a traditional Japanese handled knife. The Tanaka Nakiri is light, well balanced and has excellent steel. The knife held it's edge longer than the all the other knives we tested. However, the Ho-Wood handle is not typical for western users so some people. Also the knife requires more care since the steel and the handle both need to be kept dry and wiped after use.