Damascus Nakiri Knife, Hand Forged Vegetable Knife with Rosewood Handle

A nakiri is the knife for a board covered in vegetables. The tall straight edge meets the wood along its whole length, so an onion or a stack of chard falls apart with nothing joined at the end. The squared front keeps a point out of the way. This one is 6.5 inches of Damascus over a high carbon core, full tang under rosewood, with a stamped leather sheath cut for that blade.

Specification

The blade

The steel is pattern welded Damascus over a high carbon core, etched so the light and dark layers stand out, with the bevel polished bright. The edge runs flat from heel to squared front, which is the point of a nakiri, full contact with the board on every stroke. It takes a fine edge and comes back fast on a stone. The trade is that carbon steel sits under the pattern, so it darkens with use and will spot if you leave it wet. Dry it after each use and it stays right.

The handle

Rosewood is dense and close grained, dark brown with deeper streaks, and it takes a smooth finish that still holds in a damp hand. The scales sit on a full tang, steel unbroken from tip to butt, held by brass pins through both sides. At 4.75 inches the handle is short, which keeps the weight near the heel where a chopping grip wants it. Rosewood is a natural material, so grain and color land differently on every knife we finish.

The leather sheath

The sheath is vegetable tanned leather cut for this exact blade, with a welt along the stitch line so the edge never rides on the thread. It is stitched by hand, and the face on this one is stamped with a basket weave inside a carved border. It covers the blade only and leaves the handle standing free, so it is a cover for storage and for carrying rather than a belt sheath. That suits a drawer where a bare edge is a problem, a knife roll, or a run out to a job.

Who it suits

If most of your prep is vegetables, this is the fastest thing on the board. There is no point for fine work and it does not rock like a chef knife, so cooks keep one alongside a chef knife.

• Home cooks who work through a lot of produce
• Cooks who already own a chef knife
• Someone buying for a keen cook

What comes in the box

• The Damascus nakiri knife
• The stamped leather sheath
• A care card
• A free laser engraving quote on request

Every piece is different

Every knife here is forged, ground and finished by hand, so runs stay small and no two are alike. The Damascus pattern never repeats, the rosewood grain and color shift from piece to piece, and the stamping sits differently each time.

Looking after it

Hand wash it and dry it straight away. Never the dishwasher, never left soaking, and dishwasher damage voids the warranty. Damascus is carbon steel underneath, so it takes on a gray patina with use, which is normal and protects the steel. Sharpen on a whetstone at roughly 20 degrees per side, then strop. Cut on wood or plastic, never glass or stone. More in our knife care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

Laser engraving is 20 dollars per blade. Around 30 characters fits on a blade, longer messages sit better on the sheath. We send a proof image before the laser runs, and it adds 3 to 5 business days. Clean line art comes out well, photographs do not. Free on orders of 10 pieces or more. See the engraving page.

Questions buyers ask

What is a nakiri for? Vegetables. The straight edge meets the whole board, so slices fall free.

Why is there no point? The front is squared off. You trade tip work for full board contact.

What is the stamped sheath for? Covering the blade in a drawer or a knife roll. It leaves the handle out.

Is it dishwasher safe? No. Hand wash, dry at once. Dishwasher damage voids the warranty.

Will this steel rust? It can if left wet. Dry it after use, oil it before storage.

Will my knife look like the photo? No. Size and steel match, pattern and grain are their own.

For general prep the Damascus chef knife with an olive wood handle covers the rest of the board, and the hand forged nakiri in burl wood does this job in 1095 carbon steel. More sits in kitchen knives, the steel runs on through Damascus steel, and the wood carries on in rosewood handle knives.