In Japan, nakiri knives come in all manner of lengths and shapes to suit hand sizes and preferences. The Milk Street full-sized Nakiri is a terrific tool for most tasks, but we were excited to find a small-scale blade—roughly 4.75 inches—that offered excellent control and comfort. Having a shorter blade is the easiest way to get through delicate tasks such as peeling garlic, thinly slicing herbs or trimming mushrooms, or everyday tasks like slicing and dicing.
Made in Tosa, Japan, the carbon steel knife is fit with a comfortable wa (Japanese-style) walnut handle. The blade is forged from Aogami Blue carbon steel (Japanese steels are named after the color of the paper the raw steel is wrapped in), which is renowned for its hardness, ability to hold a keen edge (and sharpen easily!) and price point. The blade is complete with a "kurouchi" finish, a rustic textured "blacksmith’s" finish (the word "kurouchi" roughly translates to "hammered black" in Japanese). The textured, matte finish creates black scales that serve as a nonstick surface that prevents food from clinging. The ultra-thin, shorter blade and flat nonstick profile makes it one of the best knives we’ve ever used for slicing garlic or shaving shallots into thin ribbons.
The blade is forged via a technique called warikomi. Instead of the more common san mai style, in which soft and hard steels are sandwiched together, warikomi involves splitting a soft steel billet and inserting a length of harder steel inside to form the blade. It takes years of experience to master this craft, which has largely fallen from fashion beyond traditional knife makers in Tosa.
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The nakiri is great for slicing and dicing small items like garlic, herbs (we love it for chives) and nuts. Try it for chopping larger items like potatoes, onions and apples as well, or to bias cut scallions, trim mushrooms and peel shallots.
Aogami is carbon steel and should be kept dry. Wipe blade clean after using and do not leave water on the blade. The metal is reactive and can easily discolor or rust. Take care to keep it dry and wiped clean when preparing acidic elements, like tomatoes or onions.
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