Nakiri vs Gyuto: Which Japanese Knife Should You Buy?

Jump to

Updated August 2026 · 7 min read · UK Japanese knife specialists

If you are deciding between a nakiri and a gyuto, you are really choosing between a vegetable specialist and an all-rounder. The nakiri is a flat, rectangular blade built to chop and slice vegetables cleanly; the gyuto is the Japanese chef's knife, a curved-belly blade that handles vegetables, meat and fish. Both are double-bevelled, and in our range both are forged from the same hard Japanese VG10 steel, so the choice comes down to how you actually cook rather than which is "better".

This guide explains what each knife is for, where they differ, and which one to buy first — with honest picks from our own range at real prices.

Nakiri vs gyuto at a glance

The quickest way to tell them apart is the blade shape. A gyuto has a pointed tip and a curved belly, so you can rock it through herbs and garlic as well as push-cut. A nakiri has a tall, flat, square-ended blade with no belly and no point — designed to come straight down through a vegetable in one clean push, all the way to the board, with no sawing.

That single difference in geometry drives everything else: what they cut well, how you hold and move them, and which one earns its place in your kitchen first.

What is a gyuto?

A gyuto (牛刀) is the Japanese take on the Western chef's knife — the name literally means "cow sword", a nod to its origins as a meat knife. It is the most versatile blade in any kitchen: the pointed tip handles fine work and jointing, the curved belly lets you rock-chop, and the length (usually 8 inches / 20 cm) gives you the reach to slice larger ingredients. Compared with a European chef's knife it is thinner, lighter and ground to a keener edge, because it is made from harder steel.

If you only own one knife, it should almost certainly be a gyuto. It is the knife our gyuto spotlight and our santoku vs gyuto guide both point back to as the everyday workhorse.

What is a nakiri?

A nakiri (菜切り, "leaf cutter") is a dedicated vegetable knife. The blade is tall and rectangular with a flat edge and a squared-off end. Because the edge is straight, it meets the board evenly along its whole length, so a single downward push cuts right through — no rocking, no last-millimetre sawing that leaves an onion or spring onion still joined. The extra blade height also gives your knuckles clearance and lets you scoop chopped veg straight off the board.

It is not a do-everything knife — the flat profile and blunt tip make it poor for meat, fish or detailed tip work — but for anyone who chops a lot of vegetables, it is faster and more satisfying than a chef's knife. Our nakiri spotlight goes deeper on its history and uses.

Nakiri vs gyuto: the key differences

Both are double-bevelled (sharpened evenly on both sides, so they suit right- and left-handers alike) and both take a fine ~15° edge per side. Here is how they compare on the things that matter when you cook:

	Gyuto	Nakiri
Blade shape	Curved belly, pointed tip	Flat edge, tall square blade, no point
Best for	Everything — veg, meat, fish, herbs	Vegetables, herbs, high-volume prep
Cutting motion	Rock and push-cut	Straight push-cut / chop
Tip work / jointing	Yes	No
Versatility	High (all-rounder)	Focused (veg specialist)
Best first knife?	Yes — start here	Add second, for veg
Steel (our range)	Japanese VG10, ~60–61 HRC	Japanese VG10 / AUS-10, ~60–61 HRC

Which should you buy?

Buy a gyuto if… you want one knife that covers almost every job, you cook a mix of vegetables, meat and fish, or you are buying your first proper Japanese-steel knife. It is the more forgiving, more flexible choice and the one we recommend most people start with.

Buy a nakiri if… you are mostly a vegetable cook — lots of stir-fries, salads, traybakes and batch prep — and you already own (or will pair it with) a chef's knife for proteins. The flat edge makes high-volume chopping faster and tidier, and the tall blade is genuinely more comfortable for long prep sessions.

Buy both if… you cook a lot. A gyuto and a nakiri is one of the most useful two-knife combinations in a home kitchen: the gyuto for anything with a bone, a joint or a tip, the nakiri for the mountain of vegetables. Because our Haruta gyuto and nakiri share the same steel, handle and price, they make a natural, matched pair.

Our top picks

Knife	Price	Best for
Haruta 8" Gyuto	£89.99	One do-everything knife
Haruta 7" Nakiri	£89.99	Vegetable prep, matched to the gyuto
Aiko Black Damascus — best value	from £64.99	Either style, buildable
Minato AUS-10 Nakiri	£79.99	Value nakiri

Caring for your knife

Whether you choose a nakiri, a gyuto or both, the hard Japanese VG10 and AUS-10 steel these knives use holds a keen edge but rewards a little care. Hand-wash and dry them (never the dishwasher), keep them off glass, stone or ceramic boards, and store them on a rack or in their saya rather than loose in a drawer. When the edge finally softens, a whetstone at around 15° per side brings it straight back — these blades are designed to be sharpened, not replaced.

If you are still weighing up which Japanese-steel knife suits your kitchen, our guide to the types of Japanese knives lays out the full family.

Frequently asked questions

Should I buy a nakiri or a gyuto first?

For most home cooks, buy the gyuto first. It is the all-rounder that handles vegetables, meat and fish, so it earns its place before a specialist does. Add a nakiri second if you find yourself doing a lot of vegetable prep.

Can a gyuto do everything a nakiri can?

Almost. A gyuto cuts vegetables well, but its curved belly means the tip and heel can leave the last sliver attached on a straight downward cut, so you rock or push slightly. A nakiri's flat edge meets the board evenly, so it is faster and cleaner for high-volume vegetable work.

Is a nakiri good for meat?

Not really. With no pointed tip it cannot joint, trim or do detail work, and the tall flat blade is not designed for proteins. For meat and fish, reach for a gyuto or a boning knife instead.

Are nakiri and gyuto single or double bevel?

The nakiri and gyuto we sell are both double-bevelled — sharpened evenly on both sides — so they suit right- and left-handed cooks equally and are straightforward to sharpen on a whetstone. Traditional single-bevel vegetable knives (usuba) are a separate, more specialist tool.

What steel are these knives made from?

Our Haruta and Aiko knives use Japanese VG10 steel and our Minato range uses AUS-10, both hardened to around 60–61 HRC. These are hard, high-carbon stainless steels, so the blades take a keen edge and resist rust — Japanese-steel knives, though the knives themselves are not made in Japan.

Do I really need both?

No — a single gyuto covers most kitchens perfectly well. But if you cook a lot and prep a lot of vegetables, a gyuto plus a nakiri is one of the most useful two-knife combinations you can own, and our Haruta pair share the same steel, handle and price.

Related guides