If most of your cutting board time goes to onions, cabbage, and root vegetables, a nakiri is worth a look. The name means vegetable cutter, and the flat edge meets the board along its full length, so each stroke goes all the way through without the accordion cuts a curved chef knife can leave behind.
This Ariake nakiri is built around an AUS10 stainless core clad in stainless steel in a san mai, or three-layer, construction. At about 61 HRC, the core takes a very fine edge, and the tall, squared blade doubles as a bench scraper for moving chopped vegetables from board to pan.
The handle is octagonal walnut with no ferrule, simple and comfortable for long sessions of up-and-down chopping. Ariake knives are made in Saga Prefecture in western Japan, and the line is named for the Ariake Sea on its southern shore.
Care Instructions: AUS10 is a stainless steel, so it shrugs off the spotting and patina that carbon blades develop, but it still deserves a quick hand wash and a towel dry right after use. Keep it out of the dishwasher, which is hard on both the edge and the walnut handle. Cut on wood or rubber boards, skip frozen foods and twisting cuts, and touch up the edge on a fine water stone when it starts to slip on tomato skins.Brand: Ariake
Location: Saga Prefecture, Japan
Construction: San Mai (3 Layer)
Edge Steel: AUS10 Stainless Steel
Cladding: Stainless Steel
HRC: 61
Handle: Octagonal Walnut
Weight: 4.7 oz (134 g)
Blade Length: 158 mm
Total Length: 305 mm
Spine Thickness at Base: 1.5 mm
Blade Height: 45 mm
This Ariake nakiri is built around an AUS10 stainless core clad in stainless steel in a san mai, or three-layer, construction. At about 61 HRC, the core takes a very fine edge, and the tall, squared blade doubles as a bench scraper for moving chopped vegetables from board to pan.
The handle is octagonal walnut with no ferrule, simple and comfortable for long sessions of up-and-down chopping. Ariake knives are made in Saga Prefecture in western Japan, and the line is named for the Ariake Sea on its southern shore.
Care Instructions: AUS10 is a stainless steel, so it shrugs off the spotting and patina that carbon blades develop, but it still deserves a quick hand wash and a towel dry right after use. Keep it out of the dishwasher, which is hard on both the edge and the walnut handle. Cut on wood or rubber boards, skip frozen foods and twisting cuts, and touch up the edge on a fine water stone when it starts to slip on tomato skins.
