Guide to Japanese Knives

Japanese knives bring comfort, precision, and enjoyment to everyday cooking. A well-made blade moves through ingredients with ease, improves accuracy, and produces neat, clean cuts. Yet with so many names and shapes, choosing your first knife can be confusing. This guide introduces the essential Japanese knife types, how to select one that suits your cooking style, and basic care tips to help you choose a knife that feels right in your kitchen.

Japanese knives, known as wabocho, are designed with specific roles in mind. Below are the basic types most commonly used in home kitchens, explained by name for clarity.

Before exploring the different knife types, it helps to know that Japanese knives are generally made with two main edge structures: double bevel and single bevel. Double-bevel knives are sharpened on both sides, making them familiar and easy to handle for most home cooks. Single-bevel knives are sharpened on one side only, allowing for extremely precise cuts, though they require more specific technique and are typically made for either right-handed or left-handed users.

The santoku knife is a balanced, double-bevel, all-purpose knife widely used in Japanese homes. Its compact size and relatively flat edge make it comfortable for cutting vegetables, meat, and fish with steady, controlled movements. It is one of the most approachable types of Japanese knives for everyday cooking.

Another common double-bevel knife is the gyuto knife. With a longer blade and a gentle curve toward the tip, it supports fluid slicing and accommodates various cutting motions, including forward and pulling strokes. Its length makes it well-suited for larger ingredients and for cooks who prefer fluid, continuous cuts.

Compact and useful for trimming and detailed tasks, the petty knife is a convenient utility knife. Its narrow blade and pointed tip make it easy to peel or cut small ingredients. Many cooks keep a petty knife nearby for quick, everyday jobs.

A deba knife has a thick spine, substantial weight, and a tapered tip. It is traditionally used for breaking down whole fish, cutting through heads and bones, and separating fillets. Its geometry is closely tied to its purpose, making it a specialized knife rather than a common kitchen knife.

Though commonly single bevel, there are also double-bevel deba knives that may be conveniently used regardless of whether you are right-handed or left-handed, making them a more approachable option for home cooks.

Long and narrow, the yanagiba is traditionally used for slicing raw fish. Its slender blade supports smooth pulling motions that help leave sashimi surfaces clean and glossy. While it is often referred to as a sashimi knife, that term describes the purpose rather than a single blade style. The name "yanagiba" comes from the blade’s willow-leaf shape, with yanagi meaning “willow” and ba meaning “leaf” in Japanese.

Understanding the key features of Japanese knives helps clarify what to look for when choosing one. 

Traditional Japanese knives were often made by joining a hard carbon steel edge to a softer iron base. This construction supports a keen cutting edge while keeping the knife manageable for daily use. Western knives, by comparison, are usually made from a single type of carbon steel.

Carbon steel is valued for its hardness, sharpness, and ease of sharpening. Different carbon steels vary in their composition, and factors such as carbon content influence sharpness, edge retention, and care needs. These differences become more noticeable with experience. Read about the differences in our blog, Japanese knives, and our article No Knife, No Cuisine: All About Japanese Kitchen Knives.

Stainless steel Japanese knives have become popular for offering sharp performance with lower maintenance. They maintain the thin profile associated with Japanese knives while resisting rust more effectively than carbon steel.

A thin blade is one of the defining characteristics of Japanese knives. This slender geometry moves easily through food. Most home cooks start with double-bevel knives because they cut straight and feel intuitive.

Single-bevel knives support specialized tasks and allow exceptionally thin cuts. Their asymmetry requires skill to control, often using diagonal slicing motions or firm cuts with the heel or tip of the blade.

Japanese knives often feature wooden handles such as magnolia or rosewood, creating a light and balanced feel. The ferrule (the collar between the blade and handle) affects balance and the overall feel in the hand.

Handle shapes vary. Oval handles fit naturally into the hand, while octagonal handles offer clearer orientation during cutting. A handle that suits your hand shape improves accuracy and reduces fatigue during longer cooking sessions.

Knife listings often include details such as overall length, blade length, and blade height. Knowing these terms helps you choose a knife that fits your hand and cutting style.

-Knife length: includes blade and handle

-Blade length: refers only to the blade

-Blade height: the length from edge to spine

-Blade Thickness: thickness of the blade

-Weight: weight of the whole knife

What you cook, and the kinds of ingredients you prepare most often, can play an important role in which knife suits you best.

A santoku or petty knife is a practical starting point. Both handle a wide range of ingredients. The santoku knife feels easy to control on smaller boards. A petty knife can serve as a compact alternative for cooks who prefer a lighter or shorter blade.

The nakiri excels at vegetable work. Its straight edge and tall blade help create uniform slices and steady chopping motions. It is useful for preparing greens, root vegetables, and items that benefit from consistent thickness, such as cabbage or pumpkin, or sweet potatoes. 

The gyuto supports long, fluid slicing movements. When neat presentation matters, its thin blade and extended length help make even cuts. 

Japanese knives respond well to steady, controlled movements. These simple rules will help you use them comfortably.

Grip the handle in your palm with your index finger and thumb placed at the base of the handle near the blade to guide the knife. For fine work, resting your index finger on the spine increases control.

Japanese knives perform best with forward or backward motions rather than forceful chopping, except in the case of a nakiri knife. Allow the blade to glide while keeping it close to the board. For long blades or a deba, a gentle pulling motion produces the best results.

Use the middle portion of the blade for most tasks and work with a low, steady arc. With a deba, use the heel for thicker sections such as large fish bones, and guide the tip carefully along bone lines to separate the flesh from the bones.

Good care preserves performance and prevents wear. These habits support both stainless steel and carbon steel knives.

Use a soft sponge and mild soap. Clean from spine to edge for safety and dry thoroughly. Only use a dishwasher if the product page clearly states it is safe. Moisture causes rust, so proper drying is essential. 

Use a wooden sheath, magnetic strip, or knife block to store. Avoid storing the knife loosely in drawers, as this may cause injury or damage the blade and other kitchen items.

Use wood or soft synthetic boards. Hard surfaces such as glass or stone can damage the blade. 

When the knife begins to resist or tear through food, it is time to sharpen. Whetstones maintain the blade’s proper shape by removing steel evenly and preserving the intended edge angle. Pull-through sharpeners scrape the blade at a fixed angle and can remove too much metal or create micro-chips, especially in harder Japanese steels.