Toijro DP Damascus 7-inch (180mm) Nakiri Knife

I was on the fence about this Tojiro knife because there were no reviews. I usually prefer to make my decision based on existing reviews.I’m so glad I bought this! It’s insanely sharp–so sharp in fact that I cut through a fresh onion without breaking the skin so there was no onion gas to tear up my eyes. I own many knifes–J.A. Henkel’s, Kai Tan Ren’s, a Shun Ken Onion Santoku, and others I won’t speak of. My Kai Tan Ren Nakiri can make it’s exit now. It was an amazing knife. My Shun Santoku will be getting less use now.I was nervous about the fact that this knife does not have a hollow edge (dimples in the blade) like my Shun does. That is not a problem. Nothing sticks to it. It’s a handheld kitchen razor. Now this has to pass the test of time. My Shun lasted 1 year of moderate use without a single sharpening before I had it professionally sharpened. Granted, I used my Kai Tan Ren’s most often.Other than the Shun, this Nakiri is the only knife I own that past my sharpness test–cutting a medium-small, ripe, soft tomato into 26 thin slices without squishing it. All my other knifes, including the Kai’s, squish the tomato from the beginning or squish the tomato after the halfway mark.My progression of knifes:* J.A. Henkel’s – I thought these were sharp, then enter my Kai Tan Ren’s* Kai Tan Ren’s – Razor blades. Still the knifes I reach for most often, though I will be giving them away. Enter the Shun, Ken Onion Santoku* Shun Santoku (VG-Max Steel) – The sharpest knife I ever used. Loved it. The edge chipped a couple times but that was fixed when it was professionally sharpened. Enter the Tojiro Nakiri* Tojiro Nakiri (VG-10 Steel) – As sharp as the Shun. No difference accept it was less than half the price. Based on its hardness rating, it will likely remain sharp as long as my Shun. I’ll be updating this review as I continue to use itMost people won’t need more than 3 knifes in their kitchen so don’t be like me and upgrade constantly. Buying a set of knifes seems like a bad idea, now. Buy 2 VG-10 core knifes and alternate between them. I cook a minimum of 5 days a week and I could get by with a Nakiri, that’s it. Occasionally I need a bread knife and twice a year, I could use a fillet knife. If you like to rock your knife, spend the money and get a chef’s knife with a VG-10 core. Otherwise, pickup this Nakiri or this and a Santoku. I am blown away by the fact that something so inexpensive, compared to the Shun, is just as sharp.PS – If you want to save money and don’t care about the Damascus clad (wavy blade pattern), buy the 3 clad version of this knife with a VG-10 core on the sellers site for $69. It has the exact same performance. The only difference is that if you ever get in a samurai knife fight, it won’t hold up as well. Strength for fighting and good looks are the only things 37 layers of metal are good for. The layers don’t make this knife sharper than the less expensive version. I, personally, like the Damascus finish.The handle is comfortable and I can cut for hours without fatigue. I’m left-handed and this knife can be used comfortably in either hand. Another point, and sorry for rambling–a good, sharp knife will get you through your cutting tasks and out of the kitchen in sometimes a third or a fourth the time as a knife that is not as sharp. Really! This is that knife. I finally found a knife I don’t have to spend $200 on. Yes!6/30/14 Edit:After nearly 4 months of daily use the blade is still razor sharp. It doesn’t seem to have dulled at all. Very exciting! I hope it holds it’s edge as long as the Shun. I’ll report back in another few months.6/17/15 Edit:I tend to use my Kai Tan Ren more often than the Tojiro. Maybe because it’s cheaper. I don’t know. Anyway, I use the Tojiro once per week on average. I’ve never sharpened it and its still razor sharp. It cuts through just about anything like butter. I find that I lean toward my Shun Santoku when slicing a roast. The Tojiro is my vegetable knife. It also works well slicing the following cooked meats; carne asada or tenderized (beaten with a hammer in a plastic bag until its thin) chicken breast. Everything cuts on average 20% faster with the Tojiro than the Kai Tan Ren. I know because I was ridiculous enough to time my cutting efforts over a few months and record the results to a google doc in order to measure my efficiency. I know it’s a little absurd.10/5/15 Update:I was having a couple knives sharpened in late August and decided to throw this one into the mix along with my Shun Ken Onion. I think this knife dulled a little because it is now unbelievably sharp. It practically falls through vegetables without the need for a back and forth motion. It was performing exceptionally well before but that has improved. I use this knife when I’m making a sweet potato hash. The task of dicing a sweet potato (or a few) into tiny little cubes is now an afterthought. I really enjoy that I can cut up just about anything without thinking about my food processor.I pitted the sharpened Ken Onion against the Tojiro upon my receipt of the sharpened knives. After about an hour of back and forth use I think the Shun may be ever so slightly sharper but I can’t tell. Again, I’m surprised considering the Shun cost 3 x the price. I’m set on knives but, if I buy another knife, it will be a Tojiro.1/13/16 Update:The worlds longest review is getting longer. I’ve been using the Shun and Tojiro exclusively since I’ve had them sharpened. They’ve been taking a lot of abuse (but still being hand washed, hand dried, and delicately attached to a magnetic strip). The Shun held its edge longer than the Tojiro. The Tojiro lost sharpness 3 weeks before the Shun seemed to reach the same dullness. Keep in mind, even when dull by their own standards, these knives are sharper than most brand new knives on the market. Although the Shun performs slightly better than the Tojiro, considering the Shun was 3 times the price, I do not regret purchasing the Tojiro. One odd thing that happened is I began to prefer the the style of a Santoku knife over a Nakiri. I’ve loved Nakiri’s for years but the Santoku just seems more versatile.Anything under 175 and the Tojiro is a 5 star knife. At over 175 it moves to 4 stars due to price versus performance. I hope this review helps someone choose their next knife.

The knife came (scale of 1(dull)-10(laser sharp) maybe a 6.5….couple swipes with a ceramic steel and it was popping hairs.Construction is sound, although I would call the handle plastic rather than Micarta, I cannot discern any striations indicating paper or fabric in the resin matrix, although it is possible that I am wrong, have much experience with cutlery. The lamination line is clean, and the folds in the material are soft and pleasing to the eye. This is an EXCELLENT knife for someone wanting to start out with Japanese kitchen knives. The stainless steel construction is much easier to maintain than carbon steel for a neophyte. The Nakiri is a vegetable knife, it is not a cleaver, even though it looks like one. Any attempt to take this edge aggressively to bone will most surely result in chips to the edge, and that would be the fault of the person foolish enough to attempt it.The handle is very comfortable and fits well in a variety of hand sizes, very small to very large. The bolster is attached cleanly to the blade, without any noticeable gaps. The price that they are charging for a knife of this quality is very, very reasonable.Happy veggie cutting!