SANTOKU
SANTOKU
In short
Buy the santoku first. It's the all-rounder — it handles vegetables, meat and fish, so for most kitchens it's the more useful single knife. A vegetable (nakiri) knife is a specialist: its tall, flat blade is superb for fast, clean chopping of veg, but it won't replace an all-purpose knife. Cook mostly plants, or want a dedicated veg blade? Add a nakiri as your second knife.
Jump to
Updated July 2026 · 6 min read · UK Japanese knife specialists
As Japanese-style knives keep growing in popularity, it's easy to get lost in the range of specialist blades. A very common question we hear is how a santoku (the Japanese all-purpose chef's knife) compares with a dedicated "vegetable knife" — usually a nakiri.
Both are excellent, but they're built for different jobs. Here's what each does best and how to choose — especially if you're buying your first or second Japanese-steel knife.
What is a santoku knife?
A santoku is an all-purpose chef's knife. The name translates as "three virtues" or "three uses" — a nod to how well it handles the three main food groups: meat, fish and vegetables. It's typically 5–7" long, with a flat edge and a gently curving spine that drops to meet the tip, giving it that distinctive rounded, sheep's-foot profile rather than the long pointed tip of a Western chef's knife.
Like all the santoku we sell, it's made from high-carbon stainless steel (VG10 or AUS-10), which keeps it thin, light and able to hold a very keen edge. That versatility is exactly why it's such a popular first Japanese-steel knife.
What is a vegetable (nakiri) knife?
The nakiri is the most popular Japanese vegetable knife, and it's the blade most people mean by "vegetable knife". Its name translates roughly as "cutting greens". It has a tall, rectangular blade with a straight, flat edge and no pointed tip at all — a shape built for one thing: fast, clean chopping of vegetables.
That flat edge lets the whole blade meet the board in a single push-cut, so you get square, even slices without the rocking motion a curved knife needs. It's brilliant on everything from onions to cabbage, but it isn't designed for meat, fish or tip work — it's a specialist, not an all-rounder. (You may also see the traditional single-bevel usuba described as a vegetable knife; it's a professional's tool that's much harder to use and maintain, which is why the double-bevel nakiri is the household favourite.)
Santoku vs vegetable knife: the differences
Both are thin, keen Japanese blades, usually ground to around 15° per side, so both cut far more cleanly than a typical Western knife. The real difference is versatility versus specialisation.
A santoku does a genuinely good job on vegetables and copes with meat and fish, so as a single knife it covers almost everything. A nakiri does one job — veg — but does it faster and more precisely than anything else, thanks to that tall flat blade. Some santoku also carry a Granton edge (the row of dimples), which helps release sticky slices like potato or cucumber from the blade.
So if you can only own one, the santoku is the smarter buy. If you already have an all-rounder and do a lot of vegetable prep, a nakiri is a joy to add.
| Santoku | Vegetable knife (nakiri) | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Everyday all-purpose prep | Fast, precise vegetable chopping |
| Handles meat & fish? | Yes | Not designed for it |
| Blade shape | Rounded sheep's-foot tip | Tall, flat, no tip |
| Buy it if | You want one do-it-all knife | You want a dedicated veg blade |
Our top picks
All double-bevel, all high-carbon stainless (VG10 or AUS-10), all ready to cut out of the box.
★★★★★ 4.88 (73 reviews)
Pros
✓ One knife for veg, meat and fish
✓ Hard AUS-10 stainless, keen edge
✓ Handy 7" length
Cons
– Less tip for fine detail work
– Hand-wash only
★★★★★ 4.87 (110 reviews)
Pros
✓ Thin, keen VG10 Damascus blade
✓ Beautiful all-rounder
✓ Comes with a wooden scabbard
Cons
– A little dearer than the Minato
– Hand-wash only
★★★★★ 4.87 (110 reviews)
Pros
✓ Tall flat blade, superb on veg
✓ Clean push-cuts, even slices
✓ VG10 Damascus, keen edge
Cons
– Veg specialist, not all-purpose
– No pointed tip for detail work
Want a keener price on a dedicated veg blade? The Nakiri / Chukabocho cleaver (£69.99, rated 4.7/5) is our best-value option.
Not sure yet? Browse santoku and vegetable knives side by side.
Shop santoku knives → Shop all single knives →FAQ
What type of knife is best for cutting vegetables?
For pure vegetable prep, a nakiri is hard to beat: its tall, flat blade chops cleanly in a single push-cut. But a santoku also handles vegetables very well, so if you want one knife that does everything, choose the santoku.
Should I get a santoku or a nakiri?
Get the santoku first — it's the all-rounder that handles vegetables, meat and fish, so it's the more useful single knife. Add a nakiri later if you do a lot of vegetable prep and want a dedicated blade for it.
Is a santoku good for meat?
Yes. A santoku slices and portions boneless meat and fish nicely — that all-round ability is exactly what it's designed for. Just keep any hard Japanese-steel blade off bone and frozen food.
What's the difference between a nakiri and an usuba?
Both are Japanese vegetable knives, but the nakiri is double-bevel (sharpened both sides) and easy for home cooks, while the usuba is a traditional single-bevel knife used by trained chefs and much harder to sharpen. For home use, the nakiri is the practical choice.
Are these knives suitable for left-handed cooks?
Yes. Every santoku and nakiri we sell is double-bevel — sharpened evenly on both sides — so it works equally well in either hand, with no special left-handed version needed.
Related guides
