Hand Forged Nakiri Knife, Carbon Steel Vegetable Knife with Burl Wood Handle

A nakiri is the vegetable knife. The edge is straight and the front is squared off with no point, so the whole edge meets the board at once and nothing is left joined at the end of a cut. This one is hand forged 1095 carbon steel with a 6.5 inch edge, the hammer marks left on the flats and the bevel taken bright, with a burl wood and resin handle. A stamped leather sheath comes with it.

Specification

The blade

1095 takes the sharpest edge of anything in the shop and is the easiest steel we run to bring back on a stone. The flats keep the hammer marks from forging and the bevel is ground mirror bright, so the working edge is polished and the rest of the blade shows the work. A 6.5 inch straight edge suits an up and down chop rather than a rock. Plain carbon steel will patina and can rust if left wet, so dry it as it comes out of the water.

The handle

Burl is the knotted growth on a tree, so the grain swirls instead of running straight. Each block is stabilized in black resin and cured hard, which fills the soft spots and stands up to kitchen damp better than bare wood. The tang runs unbroken from tip to butt with brass pins through the scales. At 4.75 inches the handle keeps the knife light in a pinch grip, which is what a nakiri wants, since the cutting comes from dropping the edge.

The leather sheath

Every knife in this batch ships with a slim blade sheath cut for that exact blade. It is vegetable tanned leather with a welted edge and hand stitching, and the face on this one is hand stamped with a basket weave inside a carved border. It covers the blade only and leaves the handle out, so it is a cover for storage and for carrying rather than a belt sheath. It keeps the bevel off other steel in a drawer, sits well in a knife roll, and travels to a job.

Who it suits

This is for the cook who does a lot of vegetable prep and wants an edge that goes back to sharp in a couple of minutes on a stone. It also suits anyone who likes a forged finish.

• Home cooks who prep vegetables daily
• Anyone who sharpens their own knives
• Buyers who want hand forged work at a lower price

What comes in the box

• The hand forged nakiri
• The stamped leather blade sheath
• A care card
• A free laser engraving quote on request

Every piece is different

Each knife is forged, ground and finished by hand, so runs stay small and no two come out alike. The hammer marks, the color of the burl and the stamping all vary from the photographs. Yours will be its own piece.

Looking after it

Hand wash and dry it straight away. Never the dishwasher, never left soaking in a sink, and dishwasher damage voids the warranty. Carbon steel darkens with use, and that gray patina is normal and protects the steel. Cut on wood or plastic, never glass or stone. Sharpen on a whetstone at roughly 20 degrees per side, then strop. Oil the blade lightly before long storage. More in our knife care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

Laser engraving is 20 dollars per blade, added on this page. Around 30 characters fits on a blade and 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 engraves 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 lands flat, so a slice comes free.

Why is there no point? It does not need one. The squared front keeps the whole edge on the board.

Why leave the hammer marks? They show how the blade was forged. The bevel that cuts is ground bright.

Will this steel rust? It can if left wet. Dry it after every wash and oil before storage.

Is it dishwasher safe? No, and dishwasher damage voids the warranty.

How long until it ships? Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days with USPS.

For this shape in pattern welded steel, see the Damascus nakiri with a rosewood handle, and the hand forged kitchen knife in rosewood covers the smaller jobs. The rest is in kitchen knives, in high carbon 1095, and in gifts for him.