| Knife | Edge and shape | Best for | Downside |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nakiri | Flat double-bevel rectangle, 165 mm | Daily vegetable volume, clean push cuts | No tip; wrong tool for meat and fish |
| Santoku | Gentle curve, all-purpose | Mixed cooking — the default | Curve leaves cabbage strands connected |
| Usuba | Single-bevel pro vegetable knife | Katsuramuki and decorative work | Price and technique of a pro tool |
| Chinese cleaver (slicer) | Big flat rectangle, more mass | Vegetables plus scoop-everything workflow | Weight; overkill for small kitchens |
Do You Need a Nakiri (Vegetable Knife)?
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Photo: Unknown photographer Public domain Source
Only if vegetables dominate your board — daily cabbage, big batches of stir-fry prep, neat vegetable work you actually enjoy. A santoku already cuts everything a nakiri cuts; the nakiri just cuts vegetables better.