For most home kitchens, the right first Japanese knife is a 210mm gyuto or a 165–180mm santoku. If you don't want to think about rust, choose stainless steel or a stainless-clad blade. These five questions narrow hundreds of knives down to one or two.
1. What do you cut most? – choose the knife type
| Knife | Best for | From our range |
|---|---|---|
| Gyuto (chef's knife) | Meat, vegetables and fish – the most versatile | Sakai Takayuki Seigaiha Swedish steel Damascus gyuto; Munetoshi x Turumaki Kouiti Shirogami #2 gyuto |
| Santoku | Japan's everyday home knife; shorter and easy to control | Tadafusa Aogami #2 nashiji santoku; Sakai Takayuki x Yamatsuka Ginsan suminagashi santoku |
| Bunka | A santoku with a sword tip for finer work | Kotetsu x Shibata Takayuki SG2 bunka |
| Nakiri | Mostly vegetables | Tadafusa Aogami #2 nashiji nakiri |
| Petty | Fruit, peeling, small prep; a second knife | Sanjo Yoshimune stainless-clad Shirogami #2 tsuchime petty |
Start with a double-bevel knife (sharpened on both sides). Single-bevel knives such as the yanagiba and deba are specialist fish knives and are sharpened differently – add one once you're comfortable with Japanese knives.
2. How big is your cutting board? – choose the length
- Gyuto 210mm: the most popular home length, agile on a standard board.
- Gyuto 240mm: a longer slicing stroke for big boards, large ingredients or professional cooks.
- Gyuto 180mm or santoku 165–180mm: for small kitchens, small boards or beginners who want control – for example the Takamura SG2 gyuto 180mm.
3. Will you wipe it dry straight after use? – choose the steel
- No rust worries: choose stainless steel such as VG10, SG2, Ginsan or Swedish steel.
- The keenest edge, with a little care: choose carbon steel – Shirogami (White) or Aogami (Blue). Wipe it dry after use and it gradually builds a protective patina.
- In between: a carbon-steel core clad in stainless steel. The blade face is easy to look after; only the edge needs wiping dry. Examples: the Fujiwara Teruyasu Hon San-mai stainless-clad Shirogami #1 gyuto and the Sanjo Yoshimune stainless-clad Shirogami #2 range.
For the differences between these steels, see our article Shirogami vs Aogami vs stainless.
4. How do you like to hold a knife? – choose the handle
- Japanese (wa) handle, usually octagonal: light, with the balance towards the blade, so the knife feels nimble. Most of our handmade knives have one.
- Western (yo) handle: feels like a typical kitchen knife and is easy to get used to, as on the Takamura and Sakai Takayuki Seigaiha knives.
5. What is your budget?
Japanese knives range from everyday workhorses to collector's pieces. A first knife can start in Under €180; for handmade knives with more character, see Our picks.
Three rules of care
- Wash and dry by hand straight after use – never in the dishwasher.
- Use a wooden or plastic board, and avoid hard bones and frozen food.
- Sharpen on whetstones, not a honing steel or electric sharpener.
Still not sure? Message us and tell us what you cook – we'll help you choose.