Should I buy a gyuto or a nakiri first?

Most people buy an all-purpose knife first. A gyuto handles meat, fish and vegetables and has a point for tip work. Tojiro recommends the nakiri as a “second knife” that makes vegetable prep easier, rather than as a replacement for an all-purpose knife.

Why does a nakiri have a flat edge?

Tojiro explains that the straight, flat edge meets the cutting board along its whole length, so vegetables are cut all the way through instead of staying joined at the bottom.

Can you cut meat with a nakiri?

It is designed for vegetables, but Tojiro notes that it also works well for trimming chicken thighs with the skin on. It has no point, so it cannot do tip work such as boning.

Is a nakiri single-bevel?

No. Kai describes the nakiri as a double-bevel knife, so it can be used in either hand. Check the listing anyway, because names for Japanese vegetable knives vary between shops.

What size nakiri and gyuto should I get?

Nakiri are commonly sold at 165 mm. Japanese makers sell gyuto from 180 mm to 300 mm, and Tojiro says 180–210 mm is popular for home kitchens.

Gyuto vs Nakiri: Chef’s Knife or Vegetable Knife?

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

Short answer: a gyuto is an all-purpose chef’s knife — usually 180 mm or longer, with a curved edge and a pointed tip. A nakiri is a Japanese vegetable knife with a square blade, a straight, flat edge and no point, often sold at 165 mm. The gyuto does everything; the nakiri does vegetables very well, and Japanese makers suggest it as a second knife.

Illustrative outlines drawn to one scale — gyuto 210 mm, nakiri 165 mm. Blade height and the exact shape vary from maker to maker.

At a glance

	Gyuto	Nakiri
Japanese name	牛刀 (gyūtō)	菜切 (nakiri)
What makers call it	Western-style all-purpose knife; the “chef’s knife”	Japanese knife made for cutting vegetables
Typical length	180 mm and up; line-ups run 180–300 mm	Often sold at 165 mm
Edge	Curves up toward the tip	Straight and flat (hira-ba)
Tip	Pointed	None — square blade
Basic stroke	Slicing and cutting with the tip as well as the edge	Straight down onto the board (“ton-ton” chopping)
Bevel	Double	Double (Kai)

From the descriptions published by Tojiro, Kai and Misono. Lengths are what the makers list; individual knives vary.

The nakiri: built for the cutting board

Tojiro describes the nakiri as a Japanese knife made for cutting vegetables, with three defining features: a straight, flat edge (hira-ba), a square blade, and no pointed tip. Because the whole edge meets the board, vegetables are cut cleanly all the way through.

The basic stroke is different from a chef’s knife. Tojiro says the nakiri is used by bringing the blade straight down onto the board — the rhythmic “ton-ton” chop — rather than rocking or swinging it back and forth. Kai, which classifies the nakiri as a double-bevel knife, lists chopping, peeling, chamfering vegetables and scooping out with the heel among its uses.

Tojiro ties the shape to Japanese home cooking, which involves a lot of finely chopped vegetables, and notes that the nakiri also works well for trimming skin-on chicken thighs. A Japanese encyclopedia (Heibonsha) describes it as a wide, thin knife without a pointed tip, used mainly for vegetables.

The gyuto: the all-rounder

The gyuto is a Western-style knife. A Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education teaching document lists it among the knives that arrived with Western cooking from the Meiji era and were later made in Japan. Kai describes it as an all-purpose knife, usually 180 mm or longer, generally called a chef’s knife.

Its edge curves up toward a pointed tip, so it can slice, chop and use the point for detail work. Japanese makers sell it in a wide range of lengths — Misono’s UX10 line runs from 180 to 300 mm — and Tojiro says 180–210 mm is popular for home use.

Which one should you buy?

If…	Look at
This is your first or only good knife	Gyuto (or a santoku)
You already have an all-purpose knife and cook a lot of vegetables	Nakiri as a second knife
You chop straight down rather than rocking the knife	Nakiri
You need a point for trimming, scoring or boning	Gyuto

Tojiro itself recommends the nakiri not as a replacement for an all-purpose knife but as a second knife that makes cooking easier. If you are deciding between all-purpose shapes, see gyuto vs santoku vs bunka. The steel matters as much as the shape — compare them in the Japanese knife steel chart — and if you are ordering from Japan, read the buying guide.

Frequently asked questions

Should I buy a gyuto or a nakiri first?: Most people buy an all-purpose knife first. A gyuto handles meat, fish and vegetables and has a point for tip work. Tojiro recommends the nakiri as a “second knife” that makes vegetable prep easier, rather than as a replacement for an all-purpose knife.
Why does a nakiri have a flat edge?: Tojiro explains that the straight, flat edge meets the cutting board along its whole length, so vegetables are cut all the way through instead of staying joined at the bottom.
Can you cut meat with a nakiri?: It is designed for vegetables, but Tojiro notes that it also works well for trimming chicken thighs with the skin on. It has no point, so it cannot do tip work such as boning.
Is a nakiri single-bevel?: No. Kai describes the nakiri as a double-bevel knife, so it can be used in either hand. Check the listing anyway, because names for Japanese vegetable knives vary between shops.
What size nakiri and gyuto should I get?: Nakiri are commonly sold at 165 mm. Japanese makers sell gyuto from 180 mm to 300 mm, and Tojiro says 180–210 mm is popular for home kitchens.

Sources

Checked 2026-10-22. We found no controlled test comparing how these shapes cut; this comparison is based on how Japanese makers and reference works describe them.