Kitchen Knife Guide: Chef, Santoku, Nakiri and More

Most home cooks reach for the same two or three knives. This guide covers what each Japanese-style kitchen knife is for, how they compare, and which to start with.

Chef knife

The all-rounder. Its curved 8-inch blade (about 210 mm) rocks through herbs, dices onions, slices meat and carves a roast chicken. If you only own one good knife, make it a chef knife. Every Takumi collection has one, sold on its own as The Chef.

Santoku

Shorter and flatter than a chef knife, with a rounded tip. The 7-inch santoku suits push cuts and thin slices of vegetables, fish and boneless meat. It's in the Abalone Prep Trio and in the Glacier and Obsidian Full Kitchen Sets.

Nakiri

A square vegetable knife with a dead-flat edge. The whole edge meets the board on each chop, so it goes cleanly through cabbage, carrots and spring onions without leaving them joined. It's in the Glacier and Obsidian Prep Trios.

Kiritsuke

A long, flat blade with an angled tip, made for straight slicing and fine work on vegetables and fish. Glacier's Full Kitchen Set includes a 7.5-inch kiritsuke.

Petty and utility knives

Small 5 to 6-inch knives for shallots, fruit, trimming and jobs that are fiddly with a chef knife. Every Everyday Duo pairs one with the chef knife.

Bread and paring knives

A serrated 8-inch bread knife cuts crusty loaves without crushing them. A 3.5-inch paring knife handles peeling and in-hand work. Both are in the Abalone Full Kitchen Set.

Nakiri vs santoku: which is better?

Both are about 7 inches long and both are good on vegetables. A nakiri's flat edge is best for straight up-and-down chopping, so it suits people who cook mostly vegetables. A santoku has a slight curve and a pointed tip, so it handles meat and fish as well. If you already own a chef knife, a nakiri adds more, because a santoku does much of the same work.

Santoku vs chef knife

A chef knife is longer and more curved, made for rocking. A santoku is shorter and flatter, made for push cuts. Smaller hands or a smaller chopping board often suit a santoku.

Kiritsuke vs chef knife

A kiritsuke is flatter, with an angled tip. It slices in long straight strokes but doesn't rock as well as a chef knife.

Which knives should I start with?

A chef knife and a small knife cover most cooking: that's the Everyday Duo. Add a nakiri or santoku if you prep a lot of vegetables: that's the Prep Trio. The Full Kitchen Set adds the rest. Compare them in the Abalone, Glacier and Obsidian collections.

Every Takumi knife has a 10Cr15CoMoV steel core under Damascus layers.