A traditional kiritsuke is a single-bevel Japanese knife. The Osaka knife shop Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide describes it as an all-purpose single-bevel knife made for people who wanted the uses of the deba, yanagiba and usuba in one blade, originally popular in the Kanto region. Its tip is cut at an angle from the spine into a sharp triangle.

Is a kiritsuke better than a gyuto?

They do different things. A gyuto is double-bevel and easy to use for everyday cooking. A single-bevel kiritsuke can do the work of several traditional Japanese knives, but its maker notes that some tasks are a strain compared with specialist knives and that it takes practice and compromise.

Do left-handed cooks need a special kiritsuke?

Yes, for a single-bevel kiritsuke. Ichimonji says that for single-bevel knives the left-handed version has its edge on the other side, and Sakai Takayuki lists left-handed kiritsuke-yanagiba models. A double-bevel kiritsuke gyuto works in either hand.

Is the kiritsuke the head chef’s knife?

English-language shops often say so, but we did not find this in Japanese makers’ or dictionaries’ descriptions. Ichimonji even mentions a Japanese nickname, zubora-bōchō (“lazy knife”), because you never have to switch knives.

Gyuto vs Kiritsuke: Double-Bevel Chef’s Knife or Single-Bevel All-Rounder?

Knife shapes · sources checked 2026-10-22Gyuto vs kiritsuke

Short answer: a gyuto is a double-bevel Western-style chef’s knife that works in either hand. A traditional kiritsuke is a single-bevel Japanese knife with a sharp, angled tip, made to cover the jobs of the deba, yanagiba and usuba in one blade. Knives sold as “kiritsuke gyuto” or “K-tip gyuto” are gyutos with a kiritsuke-style tip — check the listing for the bevel.

Illustrative outlines drawn to one scale — gyuto 210 mm, kiritsuke 240 mm. Blade height and tip angle vary from maker to maker.

At a glance

	Gyuto	Kiritsuke
Japanese name	牛刀 (gyūtō)	切付 (kiritsuke)
Bevel	Double	Single (traditional kiritsuke)
What makers call it	Western-style all-purpose knife; the “chef’s knife”	A single-bevel all-purpose Japanese knife covering the deba, yanagiba and usuba
Tip	Pointed, with a curved belly	Sharp triangle, cut at an angle from the spine
Lengths listed	180–300 mm	240–330 mm (Ichimonji’s kiritsuke ranges)
Left-handed users	Either hand	Need a left-handed version

From makers’ descriptions and line-ups: Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide and Sakai Takayuki for the kiritsuke; Kai, Tojiro and Misono for the gyuto.

The kiritsuke: one single-bevel knife for three jobs

Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide, a knife shop in Osaka, describes the kiritsuke as a single-bevel, all-purpose knife made for cooks who wanted the uses of the deba, yanagiba and usuba in a single blade, and says it was originally popular in the Kanto region. It is honest about the trade-off: compared with the specialist knives, some tasks are a strain and the knife takes practice and compromise — which is also why it has the nickname zubora-bōchō, the “lazy knife”, since you never have to change knives.

The tip is what makes a kiritsuke recognisable. The same shop explains that the kiritsuke tip is a sharp triangle, cut at an angle from the spine, which keeps the point thick and makes fine tip work such as scoring and decorative cuts easy. Its kiritsuke knives are listed from 240 to 330 mm, and a related knife, the kiritsuke yanagiba, is a yanagiba with the tip cut back.

Being single-bevel, a kiritsuke is sharpened on one side only. Ichimonji tells left-handed buyers to choose a left-handed model, whose edge is on the other side, and Sakai Takayuki lists left-handed versions of its kiritsuke yanagiba.

The gyuto: the double-bevel all-rounder

The gyuto is a Western-style knife adopted in Japan. Kai describes it as an all-purpose knife, usually 180 mm or longer, generally called a chef’s knife; Misono’s UX10 series runs from 180 to 300 mm, and Tojiro says 180–210 mm is popular at home. Because it is sharpened on both sides, it works the same in either hand.

“Kiritsuke gyuto”, “K-tip” and “kengata”

Some knives sold abroad as a kiritsuke are double-bevel gyutos with an angled tip, also called a K-tip or kengata gyuto. Japanese shops do separate the two: Ichimonji sells a double-bevel “kiritsuke wa-gyuto” and a single-bevel “kiritsuke kataba wa-gyuto”, and notes that the single-bevel one, with a hollow back, feels different from a double-bevel knife. When you shop, the word to look for is the bevel — ryōba (double) or kataba (single) — not the name of the shape. If you like the angled tip on a shorter knife, the bunka has a similar point.

Which one should you buy?

If…	Look at
You want one easy knife for everyday cooking	Gyuto
You like the look and point of a kiritsuke but want double-bevel ease	Kiritsuke / K-tip gyuto (double-bevel)
You cook Japanese dishes and want one single-bevel knife instead of a deba, yanagiba and usuba	Single-bevel kiritsuke
You are left-handed and want a single-bevel kiritsuke	A left-handed model

Check the steel as well: carbon steels such as Shirogami and Aogami rust if left wet, stainless steels do not — see the steel chart. Ordering from Japan? Read the buying guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is a kiritsuke?: A traditional kiritsuke is a single-bevel Japanese knife. The Osaka knife shop Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide describes it as an all-purpose single-bevel knife made for people who wanted the uses of the deba, yanagiba and usuba in one blade, originally popular in the Kanto region. Its tip is cut at an angle from the spine into a sharp triangle.
Is a kiritsuke better than a gyuto?: They do different things. A gyuto is double-bevel and easy to use for everyday cooking. A single-bevel kiritsuke can do the work of several traditional Japanese knives, but its maker notes that some tasks are a strain compared with specialist knives and that it takes practice and compromise.
What is a kiritsuke gyuto or K-tip gyuto?: It is a gyuto given a kiritsuke-style angled tip. Ichimonji sells both a double-bevel “kiritsuke wa-gyuto” and a single-bevel “kiritsuke kataba wa-gyuto”, and notes that the single-bevel version feels different from a double-bevel knife. Check the bevel in the listing.
Do left-handed cooks need a special kiritsuke?: Yes, for a single-bevel kiritsuke. Ichimonji says that for single-bevel knives the left-handed version has its edge on the other side, and Sakai Takayuki lists left-handed kiritsuke-yanagiba models. A double-bevel kiritsuke gyuto works in either hand.
Is the kiritsuke the head chef’s knife?: English-language shops often say so, but we did not find this in Japanese makers’ or dictionaries’ descriptions. Ichimonji even mentions a Japanese nickname, zubora-bōchō (“lazy knife”), because you never have to switch knives.

Sources

Checked 2026-10-22. We found no measured test comparing the two shapes; this page is based on how Japanese makers and shops describe them.