What’s the Best Type of Japanese Knife?

"What is the best type of Japanese knife?" is really two questions. The first is which shape suits the way you actually cook, and the second is which one to buy first. This guide answers both: a short tour of every blade shape worth knowing, a comparison table, and four specific picks from our own range of Japanese-steel knives.

A note on language before we start. Our knives are made from Japanese VG10 and AUS-10 steel. They are not made in Japan, and we do not claim they are — what you are buying is the steel and the geometry, not a postcode.

Table of contents

What "best" actually means here

There is no single best type of Japanese knife, because each shape was designed around a job. A boning knife is useless for dicing an onion and a nakiri is useless for jointing a chicken. The useful question is: which shape covers the most ground in your kitchen?

For almost every UK home cook the answer is a santoku or a gyuto. Both are double-bevel all-rounders, both are comfortable for people coming from a Western chef's knife, and either one will do the large majority of your prep. Everything else on this page is a specialist you add later, once you know what you cut most.

Santoku

Who it suits: cooks who chop a lot of vegetables, work on a smaller board, or want a lighter knife that is easy to control.

The santoku is a flat-profiled, wide-bladed all-rounder, usually around 165–180mm. The flat edge and blunt "sheepsfoot" tip suit a straight up-and-down push cut rather than a rocking motion, and the tall blade makes it easy to scoop chopped food off the board. It is the most forgiving first Japanese-steel knife for most people.

Gyuto

Who it suits: cooks who want one knife for everything, including meat, and who like a pointed tip.

The gyuto is the Japanese-steel equivalent of a Western chef's knife, typically 180–240mm. It has a curved belly, so you can rock-chop herbs, and a fine point for piercing, trimming and detail work. It is longer and a little heavier than a santoku, which is an advantage on big jobs and a disadvantage on a cramped board. If you are only ever going to own one knife, this is the most versatile shape.

Nakiri

Who it suits: heavy vegetable prep — anyone who batch-chops, or cooks mostly plant-based.

The nakiri has a completely straight edge and a squared-off, cleaver-like profile. Because the whole edge meets the board at once it makes clean, full cuts through vegetables without the last shred hanging on. It is a specialist, not a first knife: it has no tip to speak of and it is not intended for meat or bone.

Kiritsuke

Who it suits: confident cooks who want a santoku's flat edge plus a usable point.

The kiritsuke has a long, flat edge finished with a dramatic angled "reverse tanto" tip. In its double-bevel form it behaves like a hybrid of a nakiri and a gyuto — flat enough for push-cutting, pointed enough for detail work. It is a striking knife and it rewards a steady hand, but it is a poor first choice if you are still finding your grip.

Petty / utility

Who it suits: everyone, as a second knife.

The petty is the Japanese-steel take on a Western utility or large paring knife, usually 120–150mm. It handles everything your big knife is too clumsy for: shallots, garlic, herbs, trimming fat, segmenting citrus, and any job you do in the hand rather than on a board. Cheap to add and constantly useful.

Boning

Who it suits: people who break down whole chickens, joints or fish.

A boning knife has a narrow, stiff blade and a fine point for working around joints and along bone. The Japanese honesuki is the best-known version — triangular, rigid, and made for poultry. This is a genuine specialist. If you buy your meat already portioned you will never need one.

Bread

Who it suits: anyone who owns a sourdough loaf or a tomato.

A serrated bread knife is the one shape that has nothing to do with Japanese blade tradition and is still essential. The serrations saw through crust and skin without crushing what is underneath. Do not use your santoku or gyuto on a crusty loaf — it will chip the thin, hard edge.

Japanese knife types compared

Four picks from our range

These are the four shapes we would actually recommend to a UK home cook, with the knives we sell in each. Prices and review scores were checked on 7 September 2026.

Browse the full ranges: santoku knives, chef and gyuto knives, or nakiri and vegetable knives.

Santoku vs gyuto: how to decide

This is the choice almost everyone ends up making, and on our range it is not a price decision — the Haruta santoku and the Haruta gyuto are both £89.99. It comes down to three things.

• Board size. Small board or a crowded worktop? Santoku. Plenty of room? Gyuto.
• Cutting style. If you naturally rock the blade through herbs, you want the gyuto's curved belly. If you chop straight down, the santoku's flat edge is faster.
• What you cut. Mostly vegetables and boneless proteins: santoku. Whole chickens, large joints, anything needing a point: gyuto.

If you want a longer head-to-head on this specific pair, we have written one: how to choose between a santoku and a gyuto.

Steel, bevel and sharpening angle

Three points that are worth getting straight, because a lot of what is written about this online is wrong.

The steel is stainless. Our knives are high-carbon stainless steel — VG10 or AUS-10. "High-carbon" describes the carbon content that makes the steel hard and lets it hold a fine edge; "stainless" means the chromium content resists rust. You get the edge performance without the reactive maintenance that plain carbon steel demands.

Every knife we sell is double bevel. Traditional single-bevel shapes — the usuba, deba and yanagiba — are ground on one side only and are handed, so a right-handed knife is awkward for a left-handed cook. Nothing in our range is like that. Ours are ground on both sides and work equally well either way round.

Sharpen at about 15 degrees per side. That is the angle these blades are set to, and it is what you should return them to on a whetstone. A 1000-grit stone for the edge and a 3000–6000-grit stone to finish is enough for home use. Steeper Western angles of 20–22 degrees will leave you with a duller edge than the knife is capable of.

If you want to go deeper on the shapes themselves, our guide to the traditional blade shapes used in professional Japanese kitchens covers the specialists in more detail. And if this is your first one, start with our beginner's shortlist for UK buyers.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best type of Japanese knife for a beginner?

A santoku or a gyuto. Both are double-bevel, all-purpose blades that cover the large majority of home prep — chopping, slicing and dicing vegetables, meat and fish. Start with one of those, then add a nakiri or a petty knife once you know what you cut most.

Is a santoku or a gyuto better?

Neither is better outright. A santoku is shorter, flatter and lighter, so it suits push-cutting on a small board and feels easier in the hand. A gyuto has a pointed tip and a curved belly, so it rocks, pierces and handles larger jobs. Pick the shape that matches how you already cut.

Are Japanese-steel knives made from carbon steel?

Ours are not. Every knife we sell is high-carbon stainless steel — VG10 or AUS-10. That gives you the hardness and edge retention people associate with carbon steel, without the rusting and patina that plain carbon steel needs constant care to avoid.

What angle should I sharpen a Japanese-steel knife to?

About 15 degrees per side. Our knives are double bevel, so you sharpen both sides at roughly the same angle. A 1000-grit whetstone for setting the edge and a 3000 to 6000-grit stone for finishing is all most home cooks need.

Are your knives single bevel or double bevel?

Double bevel. Traditional single-bevel shapes such as the usuba, deba and yanagiba are ground on one side only and are handed. Everything in our range is ground on both sides, so it works equally well for left-handed and right-handed cooks.

How many Japanese-steel knives do I actually need?

Three covers almost everything: one all-purpose knife (santoku or gyuto), one petty or paring knife for small work in the hand, and one serrated bread knife. A nakiri is a worthwhile fourth if you prep a lot of vegetables.

The verdict

The best type of Japanese knife is the one that matches the way you cook, and for the overwhelming majority of UK home cooks that is a santoku or a gyuto. Buy one good all-rounder rather than a block of mediocre ones, add a petty knife and a bread knife, and only reach for a nakiri, kiritsuke or boning knife once you have a specific job that needs it.

If you are still undecided, the santoku is the safer first purchase and the gyuto is the more capable one. Either will change how prep feels.