The ten Greatest Japanese Knives of 2025, Examined & Reviewed

Knife nerds (like us!) go ham over the trivia of blades: bevel angles, carbon share, carbon sort, esoteric blade shapes. There’s a lot to debate relating to this important cooking device. And one main sub-category that positively fizzes with excited chatter is Japanese knives. The sheer breadth and number of Japanese knife types could be overwhelming: deba, gyuto, kentsuke, honesuki, nakiri…and that’s simply scratching the floor. 

However, fortunately, we’ve reviewed tons of Japanese blades all through the years—a lot of which our editors use every day. Listed here are 10 of the most effective Japanese knives we’ve examined, whether or not you need an all-purpose workhorse or a specialised blade. 

What We Discovered 

What Is a Japanese-Fashion Knife? 

There isn’t a hard-and-fast reply to this query since there are lots of sorts of Japanese knives. Japanese-style knives may even be made by Western manufacturers, which additional muddies the definition. (A word on this: A few of our favourite knives, such the Tojiro petty knife, aren’t essentially Japanese-style however are made by Japanese manufacturers.) Nevertheless, they do typically have a couple of commonalities, together with being manufactured from high-carbon metal and having a barely totally different form than most Western-style knives. 

Whereas deba and nakiri are conventional Japanese blades with distinctive options, some Japanese knives are modeled after Western-style ones. Take the gyuto, for instance. This all-purpose knife is comparable in size and form to a Western-style chef’s knife, with an extended blade and a stomach that curves up towards the tip. The distinction typically lies within the weight and extremity of the curve, in addition to the bevel and materials. Gyutos typically have an asymmetrical bevel, which means one aspect of the blade is extra angled than the opposite. (Try our chef’s knife review for a very good visible.) Western chef’s knives, alternatively, typically sport a double-beveled edge. Paired with softer chrome steel, the knife is simple to get again into form with a couple of swipes on a honing rod. 

What Are the Completely different Sorts of Japanese Knives?

There’s a enormous number of Japanese knives, however right here I’ll give attention to those we’ve reviewed and written about. 

Gyutos, as I discussed, are Japanese-style chef’s knives. Like Western-style chef’s knives, they’re versatile blades, normally between six and 12 inches lengthy. Usually manufactured from excessive carbon steel, they’re tremendous sharp and maintain their edge longer than chrome steel blades. They have an inclination to have asymmetrical bevels, so while you select a knife, be certain that it matches your handedness—should you’re a righty, search for a blade with the next left bevel, and vice versa should you’re a lefty. 

One other basic Japanese blade is the santoku. This knife is formed like a sheep’s foot, and should you don’t know what that appears like, it’s flat on the underside with a high that tapers downward. It employs a push-cut movement fairly than a rocking slice, for the reason that innovative isn’t curved. Santoku have been created as a extra approachable model of the gyuto. As Josh Donald of Bernal Cutlery informed us in our santoku review: “Skilled cooks who have been making ready Western-influenced yoshoku meals readily adopted the gyuto, however dwelling cooks didn’t. It was too massive and too totally different from the nakiri, deba, and yanagi dwelling cooking setup. Knife-makers’ response was to make a knife that may be extra acceptable—good and fashionable however not an excessive amount of of a diversion from their mom’s knife equipment.”

Nakiri knives are rectangular blades that have been designed to cut and cube greens. Because the blade solely curves up close to the blunt finish, the reducing movement of those knives is kind of totally different from the rock-chop of many Western-style blades. As an alternative, a push-cut movement is required, like with a santoku. 

Deba knives are specifically designed for filleting fish. And when you may envision a skinny, flexible filet knife, they couldn’t be extra totally different. As an alternative, the deba is a thick piece of metallic with a extreme bevel on one aspect (referred to as a chisel edge). This weighty, sharp knife helps you to lower near the bone and has sufficient heft to chop by means of bone, too. 

One other task-specific knife is the honesuki, which is a Japanese boning knife that’s typically used for poultry. The sharp edge and triangular-shaped blade has a single bevel, like a deba, and slides neatly alongside bones and thru joints. 

The Standards: What to Search for in a Japanese Knife 

What to search for varies with blade fashion and use case, however there are some fundamental traits you’ll need. First, it’s gotta be sharp and, ideally, it holds its edge for a very long time. The deal with must be snug to carry and use, too. All the knives we’ve listed right here and examined have these qualities. 

The Greatest Japanese Knives 

What we favored: This can be a tremendous sharp knife that retains a eager edge even after frequent use. The light-weight blade is balanced with a compact deal with, lending precision and management to every reducing stroke. It’s a knife that a lot of our editors (like me, hello!) personal and attain for over different blades. 

What we didn’t like: It has an asymmetrical bevel, which may take some getting used to. It’s additionally dear. 

Key Specs

• Supplies: Composite wooden deal with and stain-resistant Swedish metal blade
• Blade size: 8.2 inches
• Weight: 5.6 ounces

What we favored: Just like the UX10, this all-rounder of a knife was simple to wield and extremely sharp due to its carbon metal blade. The slim deal with was simple to grip, too. It’s additionally fairly priced for a high-quality Japanese blade. 

What we didn’t like: Carbon steel knives require a bit of extra care than chrome steel. They have to be totally dried and possibly even rubbed with some mineral oil to forestall rusting. Whereas they maintain their edge longer than chrome steel knives, they do require extra care when sharpening. 

Key Specs

• Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Supplies: Composite wooden, Swedish carbon metal
• Deal with size: 4.5 inches
• Blade size: 8.5 inches

What we favored: The faceted deal with made this knife simple to grip and maneuver, an important high quality for a heavy blade. It deftly sliced filets from fish and had sufficient heft to chop by means of bones, too. This can be a nice alternative for somebody new to utilizing deba knives; it’s manufactured from chrome steel, which is extra forgiving and simpler to take care of than carbon metal. 

What we didn’t like: The deal with was a bit of massive. Stainless-steel dulls extra shortly than carbon metal, although you need to use a honing rod to realign the blade edge. 

Key Specs

• Deal with size: 4.75 inches
• Blade size: 150 millimeters (6 inches)
• Backbone thickness: 5 millimeters at widest level
• Weight: 8.6 ounces
• Supplies: Molybdenum vanadium chrome steel, composite deal with

What we favored: This can be a tremendous sharp santoku that’s nice for a wide range of duties, together with chopping greens and breaking down poultry. At six ounces, it was the proper weight, each agile and hefty sufficient to slice cleanly.  

What we didn’t like: The deal with was a bit massive and slippery, however aside from that it’s a wonderful knife. 

Key Specs

• Weight: 6 ounces
• Blade size: 6.5 inches
• Deal with size: 4.5 inches
• Supplies: ​Sub-zero tempered metal 

What we favored: This sharp, chrome steel santoku has a barely curved blade, making it an ideal introduction to this fashion of knife. It swiftly lower by means of rooster joints with out snagging on the pores and skin and tackled hardy root greens and tender chives equally properly. Because it’s chrome steel, it’s simpler to take care of. 

What we didn’t like: It was a bit of blade-heavy, which made it tougher to regulate. 

Key Specs

• Weight: 6.8 ounces
• Blade size: 6.5 inches
• Deal with size: 4.75 inches
• Supplies: Stainless-steel

What we favored: This spiffy rectangular blade is a implausible knife for chopping onions, slicing peppers, and even reducing boneless meat. It’s cheap, sailed by means of our checks, and is an editor favourite. 

What we didn’t like: There wasn’t a lot to not like, truthfully. 

Key Specs

• Weight: 7.1 ounces
• Deal with materials: Pakkawood (a wooden and plastic resin composite)
• Blade materials: VG-10 chrome steel core with 3-ply clad building
• Blade size: 6.5 inches
• Deal with size: 4.75 inches

What we favored: This nakiri has a barely curved blade, making it simpler to get used to the push-cut movement. It’s skinny, nimble, and sharp, making it an ideal every day driver of a prep knife. 

What we didn’t like: Whereas we prefer it, the all-metal deal with isn’t for everybody. This knife is on the pricier aspect, too. 

Key Specs

• Weight: 6.8 ounces
• Deal with & blade materials: Cromova 18 chrome steel (a mix of chromium, molybdenum, and vanadium that’s unique to International)
• Blade size: 7 inches
• Deal with size: 4.75 inches

What we favored: A paring knife could also be a kitchen underdog, however this Japanese metal magnificence will put it again in your radar. It stayed sharp all through our many rounds of checks, together with slicing tomatoes, hulling strawberries, mincing shallots, and supreming citrus. The blade is considerably formed like a santoku, with a downward tapered tip, making it significantly adept at mincing alliums. 

What we didn’t like: Because the blade is excessive in carbon metal, it’s susceptible to chipping if used improperly. 

Key Specs

• Weight: 2 ounces
• Supplies: Cobalt alloy metal core, 13 chrome chrome steel coating, black laminated strengthened wooden
• Blade size: 3.5 inches

What we favored: This heavy, inflexible blade operates equally to a deba knife, with the heft serving to it lower near bones and cleave by means of joints. The pointed tip additionally helps you to make deep, exact cuts, like when eradicating rooster breasts from the chest plate. 

What we didn’t like: Having a separate knife solely for butchering poultry won’t be needed for everybody. It additionally takes an skilled hand to sharpen appropriately. 

Key Specs

• Weight: 6.1 ounces
• Supplies: Cobalt alloy metal, 13 chrome chrome steel, black laminated strengthened wooden
• Blade size: 6 inches

What we favored: Whereas a bread slicer isn’t essentially a Japanese-fashion knife, Tojiro is a Japanese model and we’ve lengthy cherished this serrated slicer. It’s extremely sharp out of the field, and the lengthy, straight blade cuts decisively by means of crusty boules and tender loaves alike. It’s additionally fairly priced. 

What we didn’t like: It’s a skinny, flexible knife, so it did wrestle a bit of to take away the pores and skin from a hardy butternut squash—however we’re splitting hairs right here. 

Key Specs

• Weight: 105 grams
• Blade size: 9.88 inches 
• Total size: 14.75 inches 

FAQs

What sort of Japanese knife is the most effective?

There isn’t a finest blade because it depends upon your expertise and wishes. A gyuto is a good all-purpose knife that’s akin to a Western chef’s knife. A pointy santoku or nakiri are implausible choices for produce prep. There are additionally extremely specialised knives, like deba and honesuki, that are used for fileting fish and breaking down poultry, respectively. 

What makes Japanese knives totally different?

There are a selection of things, together with blade materials, bevel, and form. It’s troublesome to generalize since Japanese blades are a various bunch with totally different qualities. 

Why We’re the Consultants

• Grace Kelly is a senior editor at Critical Eats, the place she’s been reviewing kitchen devices, together with knives, for practically three years. 
• She’s reviewed nakiri, deba, and santoku knives, and makes use of a wide range of Japanese blades for her every day meals prep.