A nakiri and an usuba look almost the same from the side: a rectangular blade with a flat edge for vegetables. The difference is the bevel. A nakiri is sharpened on both sides and works like any Western knife; an usuba is sharpened on one side only, a traditional chef’s tool for paper-thin cuts that takes skill to use and sharpen. For a home kitchen I recommend the nakiri, and my pick is the Shun Classic 6.5″ Nakiri. Buy an usuba only if you want to learn Japanese knife technique.
Nakiri vs Usuba: The Short Version
| Feature | Nakiri | Usuba |
|---|---|---|
| Bevel | Double (both sides) | Single (one side, hollow back) |
| Who uses it | Home cooks | Professional Japanese chefs |
| Weight | Light to medium | Heavier, thicker spine |
| Typical length | 5.5 to 7 inches (about 165 to 180 mm) | 6.5 to 8.25 inches (about 165 to 210 mm) |
| Steel | Mostly stainless | Often carbon steel clad in soft iron |
| Left-handed use | Yes | Needs a left-handed version |
| Sharpening | Easy, both sides | Whetstones only, demanding |
| Best at | Everyday chopping and slicing | Very thin slices, peeling sheets, garnishes |
My Nakiri and Usuba Picks
The nakiri I’d hand most cooks. Hard VG-MAX steel, a D-shaped handle that feels familiar, and Shun’s free sharpening service for when the edge needs help.
For cooks who want the traditional Japanese feel without a single bevel. Octagonal rosewood handle, hammered finish and a wooden saya to protect the edge.
A real handmade usuba with the full traditional grind. If you want to learn how a single bevel vegetable knife works, this is the one I’d start with.
The Osaka-style usuba, with a rounded point for detail work. Made in Japan from white steel clad in soft iron, and a little shorter and lighter than the Edo usuba.
What Is a Nakiri?
A nakiri is a Japanese home vegetable knife. Its edge is straight from heel to tip, so the whole blade meets the board and cuts through a carrot or a stack of scallions without leaving pieces joined at the bottom. Because it’s sharpened on both sides, it cuts straight, suits right and left hands, and can be sharpened like any other kitchen knife.
Nakiri are made for push cuts and straight chops, not rocking. My best nakiri knife guide covers more models and sizes, and if you’re torn between a nakiri and an all-rounder, see my nakiri vs santoku comparison.
What Is an Usuba?
Usuba means “thin blade”, and it’s the vegetable knife of the professional Japanese kitchen. It is sharpened on one side only: the front has a flat bevel down to the edge, and the back is slightly hollow (urasuki) with a narrow flat rim. That geometry lets the usuba take an extremely keen edge and peel a daikon into one long, thin sheet, a technique called katsuramuki.
There are two regional shapes. The Edo usuba, from the Tokyo (Kanto) region, has a square tip. The kamagata usuba, from the Osaka (Kansai) region, has a rounded point for decorative work. Both are traditionally made the same way as other single bevel Japanese knives like the yanagiba, which I cover in my best sushi knife guide.
The Real Differences
The bevel changes how the knife cuts
A double bevel nakiri splits food evenly and goes straight down. A single bevel usuba pushes the slice away from the flat back, which gives cleaner, thinner slices but makes the blade want to steer. It takes practice to cut straight with one.
The usuba is a right-handed or left-handed tool
Because only one side is sharpened, an usuba is made for one hand. Most are right-handed; lefties need a knife made for them. A nakiri works for anyone.
Sharpening is a different job
You can sharpen a nakiri on a whetstone, a ceramic rod or a good guided sharpener. An usuba needs whetstones and a careful technique to keep the front bevel flat and the back rim intact. Get it wrong and the edge stops cutting straight.
Steel and care
Most nakiri sold today are stainless. Many usuba are carbon steel, like the white steel in both of my usuba picks, which takes a fine edge but rusts if you leave it wet. Wipe it dry as you work.
Weight and thickness
Traditional usuba are heavier, with a thicker spine, and the thin edge is still fragile. Neither knife is for squash with a hard rind, bones, frozen food or pits.
Which One Should You Buy?
Choose a nakiri for everyday cooking
If you cook a lot of vegetables and want a knife that chops fast and stays simple to care for, a nakiri is the right tool. It’s what I recommend for nearly every home kitchen.
Choose an usuba to learn Japanese technique
If you want to practice katsuramuki, cut garnishes or make the thinnest possible slices, and you already sharpen on whetstones, an usuba will reward the effort. Expect a learning curve.
Watch out for “usuba” labels
Some Western-made knives are sold as usuba but are sharpened on both sides, which makes them nakiri-style knives with a different name. If you want a real usuba, check that the listing says single bevel or describes a traditional one-sided grind.
The Nakiri and Usuba Knives I Recommend
Two nakiri for everyday cooking and two real single bevel usuba for cooks who want the traditional knife. The Yoshihiro pair comes from the same maker, so you can compare the two designs directly.
1. Shun Classic 6.5″ Nakiri: Best Nakiri
Who it’s for: home cooks who want a fast, precise vegetable knife that’s easy to live with.
The Classic nakiri pairs a VG-MAX core and 68-layer Damascus cladding with a 16 degree edge, which makes clean work of onions, cucumbers and herbs. The D-shaped Pakkawood handle works in either hand, and the 6.5″ length suits most boards. Shun also sharpens and hones its knives for free, a real help with hard steel.
My reservation is the same as with any Shun: the hard edge can chip if you twist it in a dense vegetable or hit a pit. My Shun knives review covers the rest of the brand and its sharpening service.
Key specs
- Blade: 6.5″, VG-MAX steel core, 68-layer Damascus cladding
- Edge: 16 degrees, double bevel
- Handle: D-shaped Pakkawood
- Handcrafted in Japan; free sharpening and honing from Shun
Pros
- Very sharp, thin slices
- Works for left and right hands
- Free sharpening service
Cons
- Hard edge can chip
- Pakkawood gets slippery when wet
My verdict: the vegetable knife I’d buy for a home kitchen. Skip it if you want to learn single bevel technique.
2. Yoshihiro VG10 46-Layer Nakiri: Best Wa-Handle Nakiri
Who it’s for: cooks who like the lighter, traditional Japanese handle but want a double bevel.
Yoshihiro makes this nakiri in Japan with a VG10 core at 60 HRC, 46 layers of hammered Damascus and an octagonal rosewood wa handle. The wa handle is lighter than a Western one, so the balance sits forward in the blade, which many cooks like for chopping. A magnolia wood saya covers the edge.
It’s the same maker as my Edo usuba pick, so it’s the nakiri to choose if you want to compare the two styles side by side. The rosewood handle and the stain-resistant steel both need prompt drying to stay looking good.
Key specs
- Blade: 6.5″ (165 mm), VG10 core, 46-layer hammered Damascus, 60 HRC
- Edge: double bevel
- Handle: octagonal rosewood wa handle
- Magnolia wood saya; made in Japan
Pros
- Traditional feel and balance
- Saya included
Cons
- Wood handle needs care
- Hand wash only, dry immediately
My verdict: the nakiri for traditionalists. If you prefer a Western grip, the Shun is easier.
3. Yoshihiro Shiroko Kasumi Edo Usuba 195mm: Best Usuba
Who it’s for: cooks who sharpen on whetstones and want to learn katsuramuki and fine vegetable cuts.
This is a real handmade usuba. It has the traditional single bevel grind: a flat front bevel, a hollow back (urasuki) and a narrow flat rim (uraoshi), which is what lets it cut so thin and straight. The edge steel is White Steel #2 (shirogami), a carbon steel known for taking a very fine edge, and the D-shaped wa handle is rosewood.
It’s also the most demanding knife here. Carbon steel rusts if you leave it wet, and the single bevel needs whetstone sharpening with attention to the back. The square Edo tip is good for chopping, less so for decorative points.
Key specs
- Blade: 7.5″ (195 mm) Edo usuba, White Steel #2 (carbon), kasumi finish
- Edge: single bevel with urasuki and uraoshi
- Handle: D-shaped rosewood wa handle
- Handcrafted in Japan
Pros
- True traditional grind
- Takes an extremely fine edge
- Same maker as the nakiri above
Cons
- Rusts if not dried at once
- Right-handed single bevel, steep learning curve
My verdict: the usuba to buy if you’re serious about Japanese technique. Everyone else will be happier with a nakiri.
4. Sakai Takayuki Kamagata Usuba 180mm: Best Kamagata Usuba
Who it’s for: cooks who want an usuba with a point for garnishes and detail cuts.
The kamagata usuba is the Kansai-style version, with a rounded point you can use for decorative cuts. This one is made in Japan with a kasumi construction: a hard white steel (shirogami) edge forge-welded to soft iron, which makes it easier to sharpen than a solid hard blade. At 180 mm it’s a little shorter and lighter than the Edo usuba above.
The listing is sparse on details, so I’d treat it as a traditional working knife rather than a showpiece. Like any carbon usuba, it needs drying straight after use and a whetstone for sharpening.
Key specs
- Blade: 180 mm (7.1″) kamagata usuba, white steel (shirogami) clad in soft iron
- Thickness: about 4 mm at the spine
- Weight: about 6.3 oz (180 g); overall length 320 mm
- Made in Japan
Pros
- Pointed tip for decorative work
- Soft iron cladding helps sharpening
Cons
- Carbon steel rusts easily
- Few details from the seller
My verdict: a good second usuba style or a first one for garnish work. For general chopping, the Edo usuba’s square tip is more practical.
How to Use Each Knife
- Push cut with a nakiri. Move the blade forward and down through the vegetable. Don’t rock it; the flat edge is made to meet the board all at once.
- Keep the usuba’s flat side toward the food you keep. On a right-handed usuba, the flat back faces left, so slices fall away to the right and the remaining piece stays straight.
- Try katsuramuki slowly. Hold a short piece of peeled daikon, rest the usuba edge on it and turn the daikon against the blade with your thumb guiding, peeling one long, thin sheet.
- Dry both knives as you work. Wipe the blade after wet vegetables, especially a carbon steel usuba.
FAQ
What is the difference between a nakiri and an usuba?
The bevel. A nakiri is sharpened on both sides and made for home cooks; an usuba is sharpened on one side, heavier and made for professional vegetable work. They look similar but cut and sharpen very differently.
Is an usuba better than a nakiri?
For skilled cooks doing very thin slices and peeling, yes. For everyday home cooking, no: a nakiri is easier to use, easier to sharpen and works in either hand.
Can left-handed cooks use an usuba?
Only a left-handed version. A standard usuba is ground for the right hand, and using it left-handed makes the blade steer the wrong way. A double bevel nakiri works for everyone.
What is a kama usuba?
Kama usuba, or kamagata usuba, is the Osaka-style usuba with a rounded, pointed tip. The Edo usuba from Tokyo has a square tip. Both are single bevel vegetable knives.
Is a nakiri knife good for meat?
For thin slices of boneless meat, it works. It isn’t made for it though; a chef’s knife or gyuto handles meat better, and neither knife should touch bones.
Final Verdict
Most cooks should buy a nakiri, and the Shun Classic 6.5″ is the one I’d pick for its sharpness and easy handle. Cooks who prefer a traditional Japanese grip will enjoy the Yoshihiro VG10 nakiri. An usuba is a specialist’s knife: the Yoshihiro Edo usuba is where I’d start, with the Sakai Takayuki kamagata as the pointed alternative.
Building a Japanese kitchen kit? My best Japanese knife sets guide shows which knives belong together.
Gary Portman founded knivesadvice.com in 2019. He learned to cook in his family’s kitchen as a kid and has used kitchen, pocket and outdoor knives ever since, from paring and fillet knives to survival blades he carries camping and hiking. He writes the site’s buying guides, brand reviews and sharpening how-tos to help readers find the right knife for the job. More about Gary.