As I got deeper into the pit hole that is the world of knives, the seemingly trivial distinctions started to matter more. Designs and materials that seemed similar made a massive difference in my workload.
When it comes to cutting vegetables, the debate between Usuba vs. Nakiri knives is age-old. And the lack of significant distinctions quickly faded once I started using them.
While both excel at prepping vegetables, some distinctions make each knife better suited for certain tasks.
That’s what this whole piece will be dedicated to. First, we’ll look at the similarities and differences between the two knives in detail and find the right one for you.
Nakiri and Usuba Knives — The Basics
Let’s look at the basic characteristics of Nakiri and Usuba knives before diving deeper.
Usuba Knives
If you’re looking for a specialized vegetable knife, Usuba would be one of the most recommended options. The biggest differentiating factor of this knife is its sharpness — the word Usuba means thin blade, so you know what to expect.
Chefs who require a razor-thin edge for excellent accuracy often opt for these knives. They can slice veggies into paper-thin pieces with impressive consistency.
Another signifying characteristic of these knives is the bevel. Unlike most common knives, these are what you call single beveled. That means only one side of the blade is sharpened instead of the usual two.
Many find it somewhat daunting, however, because of how you need to sharpen these knives (more on it later). That delicate edge also adds to that.
Furthermore, they are not as common among beginners, as they take some time and experience to get used to. As a result, these Japanese knives are comparatively popular among enthusiasts or professional chefs.
Nakiri Knives
Nakiri is another Japanese knife in your typical household kitchens and professional settings.
Given their ease of use, these knives are one of the fan favorites for cutting vegetables. In addition, people looking for a holistic solution for vegetables often opt for them (think of them as multi-purpose vegetable knives).
With experts, beginners like these knives because their maintenance isn’t daunting either. In addition, the rectangular shape makes it easier to handle them.
Another reason why these knives are so accessible is because both left and right-handed people can use them. But, of course, that also implies that these knives have double bevels — we’ll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of that.
Usuba vs Nakiri Knives — Differences and Similarities
Handles
Let’s begin our comparison with the handles — one of the parts that directly affect the performance of your knives.
Usuba Handles
For the most part, Usuba knives use traditional Japanese handle styles. What does that mean?
For one, these usually follow an oval or octagonal shape instead of something flat that Western knives. Octagonal handles are found on slightly premium models for the most part.
Given the rounded shape, the handles on them are more ambidextrous. Furthermore, many users prefer this shape because of how comfortable it is to hold.
As for the materials, Usuba knives usually use wood, which is another common trait for traditional Japanese handles. However, I prefer wood myself — it’s more comfortable to hold, easy on the hands, and looks amazing!
One issue with this material is its porous nature, however. Therefore, it would be best if you were thorough with its cleaning to ensure that there’s no bacterial development. Furthermore, there’s the possibility of cracks in a wooden handle unless it’s well maintained.
Another characteristic of wood is that it’s lighter than many other materials. As a result, these knives are heavy towards their tips.
It is possible to find Usuba knives with Western-style handles, although they’re far from being the norm.
Nakiri Handles
Unlike Usuba, Nakiri knives have plenty of handle options regardless of whether you want a Western or Japanese-style one.
The traditional Japanese handles have the same benefits and drawbacks as discussed above. And if you’re looking for a top-notch Japanese knife experience, a wooden handle is what I’d recommend.
In addition, plenty of Western handles are available for these knives. They usually come with a flat shape instead of the oval or rounded shape and are ergonomically designed (often with cuts to help with handling).
In terms of material, the options are endless here. From plastic to aluminum to Pakkawood — you can have anything you want.
For instance, you could opt for plastic if you want something lightweight and budget-friendly. On the other hand, aluminum handles can be found in slightly more premium chef knife for seasoned professionals.
Blades
The blade of the knife is arguably the most crucial element, and most of the noteworthy distinctions between these knives stem from that.
Usuba
The unique bit about Usuba knives (unique enough to call them specialized knives) is the single bevel. That means the angle comes from sharpening only one side of the blade instead of two.
Advantages
The most significant benefit of single-bevel knives is their exceptional thinness. Unlike the total angle of over 18-20 degrees in double-beveled blades, that number amounts to around 14-15 degrees.
A smaller angle will result in a sharper edge, allowing you to make even more refined cuts.
Professionals who need to make delicate and accurate vegetable cuts with their knives often opt for Usubas.
Furthermore, a sharper knife will cause less damage to the veggies and preserve their taste while cutting them. Therefore, single-beveled knives are the way to go if you’re making recipes that involve eating the ingredients raw (e.g., salads or sushi recipes).
Decorative elements or rotary peels also benefit from a sharper knife, as it’s effortless to maneuver and control the depth of the cuts…
Left or Right-Handed?
This design means the blade will not be ambidextrous (even if the handle is). You’ll have to find something according to your preference, and you might be badly out of luck if you’re left-handed.
Another bit is that these blades don’t cut straight like double-beveled knives, as there’s only one edge. So, for instance, a right-handed one can cut a little to the left and vice versa, which is tricky to learn for beginners.
Strength and Durability
While Usuba knives take the cake for sharpness, that’s not the case for strength and durability.
The reason is straightforward — the sharper you go, your blade has to be thinner. And with that extraordinary thinness come the risks of chipping. That’s why Usuba knives aren’t well suited if you want to cut tougher vegetables, which Nakiri knives can do.
Hence, it would be best if you chose the trade-off between sharpness and strength regarding the blade.
And although peel cuts can be done well with these, they’re not as suitable as Nakiris for push cutting.
Nakiri
Nakiri knives differ pretty significantly when it comes to their blades. The blades are dominantly double-beveled in them, which has benefits and drawbacks.
Blade Strength
This is something Nakiri knives beat Usuba with ease. In addition, the double bevel makes them thicker, meaning they won’t be as susceptible to chipping as the competitor.
Therefore, it’s possible to use these knives as an all-purpose vegetable processor. As a result, you can make decently-accurate cuts and maintain impressive durability.
Ambidextrous
Here’s another bit that makes Nakiri knives impressive — they’re ambidextrous. If you’ve been in the market for a left-handed knife, you’ll know why this is a blessing.
The ambidextrous nature of these blades makes it easier for seasoned professionals to pick whichever knife they want without worrying.
Extremely Accurate Cuts?
Well, no. At least not to the extent of Usuba knives. For example, you won’t have the same control level when making kazigiri or katsuramuki (also known as rotary peeling) cuts. In such cases, a single-beveled knife always wins the race.
Another benefit is that the edge sits in the blade’s center, which cuts straight down as well. You’ll also find that these knives are much better at push cutting because of their bevel design, beating Usuba knives in this case.
Profile and Length
Both the Nakiri and Usuba follow a rectangular shape. You’ll find that both of them have a decent height, meaning you can use your knuckles to guide them without any risks.
Since we’re talking about vegetables as the primary ingredient, push cuts and chops are always on the board (pardon the pun). As a result, these knives both have a flat profile, devoid of any belly. That allows for effortless control when you’re chopping vegetables.
However, Usuba can be found in two styles. One is known as the Kansai design, while the other is known as Kanto. The former is what you’ll find the most in the market, which comes with an angular tip. It will allow for more detailed and accurate results due to this design. The latter comes with a comparatively rounded tip, which is not as expected.
In terms of length, Nakiri knives usually revolve somewhere around 6-7 inches (there are exceptions, of course). Usubas tend to be a tad longer, going over 7 inches in most cases. A longer blade allows you to get more done with less movement, which is always beneficial when making delicate cuts.
Since Nakiris cannot be as heavy as Usubas without repercussions (more on that below), they need to keep the blades slightly shorter.
Materials
Japanese knives have a reputation for using quality materials that last a long time — these also live up to that name. So let’s look at the options you may find regarding materials.
- Stainless steel is well-known for its rust-resistant capabilities, which makes maintenance a breeze. However, they fail to maintain their edge for too long, meaning they may need frequent sharpening and care.
- On the other hand, carbon steel is good at retaining its edge and is challenging. Unfortunately, that comes at the cost of rust-resistant capabilities. As a result, they start discoloring pretty quickly, and you’ll have difficulty maintaining their shiny appearances even with regular effort. While that’s not an issue for many, it is for me.
- Then comes high-carbon stainless steel, which is the best of both worlds. This material has the corrosion-resistant capabilities that stainless steel has, making maintenance easier.
Additionally, the higher carbon ratio in the blade means that it’ll maintain its sharpness for a decent while.
Traditionally, Usuba knives lean toward high-carbon steel for the whole body, while the Nakiris sometimes use a combination. High-carbon blades are prone to rusting, as expected.
Therefore, it’s recommended to opt for a high-carbon stainless steel blade if possible.
Weight
Weight is a significant factor when buying a knife, significantly when the blades vary.
Usuba knives are typically heavier than Nakiri knives, and that’s by design.
Nakiri knives need to be effortless to maneuver and allow for all sorts of cuts, which means the lightweight nature is an advantage. They’re not so lightweight that you’ll have to push your heart out to chop things but light enough to work for long periods without exhaustion and strain.
On the other hand, the added weight of Usuba knives helps users to make delicate cuts by using that weight as the guiding force. If you had to force the blade to make the cuts actively, it would’ve been significantly tougher to maintain the same stability throughout the session.
And since these knives are incredibly sharp, the weight allows users to smoothly sail through any workload, be it thin slices or decorative cuts.
Maintenance and Sharpening
You can find both Japanese knives with quality blade materials. Hence, we’ll assume that there isn’t a significant difference in the materials’ quality to make a proper comparison.
That means the bigger distinction in maintenance and sharpening is created by the design of the blades.
If you’ve sharpened double-beveled knives before, you’ll know that it’s possible to learn it with a bit of time. Once you’ve done it a couple of times, sharpening and maintaining the blade is a breeze. Using anything ranging from whetstone to ceramic wheels is acceptable for such knives.
Of course, how easily you can sharpen the Nakiri will depend on the material.
However, that breeze turns into an annoying gust in Usuba knives. First off, the blade is way more delicate than that of a Nakiri knife, as it’s much sharper and more brittle.
Besides, you don’t have the angles coming in from two sides, making it trickier to sharpen. Therefore, getting an Usuba knife means you’ll have a bit more trouble re-sharpening it (and if you’re a newbie, I suggest not doing it by yourself).
Ease of Usage
I’ve given some hints as to which knife is the more accessible one — let’s now double down on that. Spoiler — a Nakiri will provide you with a smoother experience.
The double-beveled design of a Nakiri means that cutting vegetables is much more intuitive. However, on the flip side, a right-handed Usuba knife will cut to the left, which will undoubtedly take some getting used to.
Furthermore, the extremely sharp blade makes Usubas significantly less forgiving when you’re making delicate cuts. As a result, many beginners have difficulty maintaining consistent control with these at first.
Another bit is that you’ll need a solid technique if you want to use an Usuba knife. However, a Nakiri doesn’t have that same barrier of entry. It’s more forgiving, and you can do your usual chores with practice.
As a result, the winner for ease of usage and accessibility would be the Nakiri.
Pricing
The pricing of a knife depends on many factors — the quality of manufacturing, the materials, the brand, and so forth. In general, Usuba knives are costlier than Nakiri.
The first reason Nakiris are cheaper is that they’re easier to manufacture and don’t require as specialized a treatment. That’s not to say that there are no premium Nakiri knives — there are. Those incorporate high-quality materials and can provide excellent performances.
Nevertheless, Usuba knives typically use higher quality materials and require a complex manufacturing process. The fact that they’re not mass manufactured like Nakiris also plays a role in the price hike.
It would be best if you also considered the fact that users need to invest more in the maintenance of an Usuba. Additionally, you’ll need at least another knife in the kitchen, as they’re not as general-purpose as Nakiris.
Which Knife Should You Buy, Then?
To sum it up, you should buy a Nakiri —
- If you don’t need something razor-sharp and a double-bevel blade would do the job.
- If you need something within a budget that doesn’t break the bank, go for a Nakiri.
- Or, you do not have the skills to utilize an Usuba and don’t want to invest as much time learning it.
- Moreover, a Nakiri is the better option if you want its maintenance and sharpening process to be straightforward.
- If you use the blade for heavier vegetables or want an all-rounder vegetable knife.
You should get an Usuba in these cases:
- You want the highest possible sharpness from your blade, and your purposes will benefit from it.
- An Usuba is also the way to go if you don’t need to cut heavier veggies with it, and the delicate nature of the blade wouldn’t be an issue.
- You should also know the necessary methods (or be willing to learn them) to use such a knife. Otherwise, it’s not a great buy.
- Besides, you should be okay with the added maintenance and complex sharpening process.
Concluding Thoughts
Well, there we have it — all the possible clashes between Usuba vs Nakiri knives. If you ask me, I’d suggest going for a Nakiri knife unless you’re absolutely sure you’ll benefit from an Usuba. But if you know what you’re doing, the Usuba is a worthy purchase.