Shun Pro 6-1/2-Inch Nakiri Knife

My most used knife
I have several Shun Pro knives, and they are probably my favorites out of my (ridiculously large) collection of kitchen cutlery. This particular knife is one of the most useful of all. However, knives of this design are probably not the best choice for the "average" cook.

First, recognize that this is a single-bevel knife of Japanese design. Moreover, the "flat" side is actually slightly concave. This design has advantages and disadvantages. First the advantages. It takes a very sharp edge, and the excellent, relatively hard steel holds this edge very well. The concave "back" allows the knife to pass through foods much more easily than a conventional knife.

Now the disadvantages. the single bevel causes the knife to "move" toward the flat side when you are making a cut. With a little practice, you can compensate for this and produce perfect, paper-thin slices -- but it does take a bit of practice. A second disadvantage is that you should not sharpen knives of...

Excellent knife, especially for cutting vegetables
The KAI Shun Pro Nakiri knife is really an excellent kitchen product for traditionally styled Japanese chefs and average cooks alike. This knife, like all of the Shun knives, is extremely sharp; Shun knives are at least as sharp as Global knives, albeit with much more comfortable handles. This is as good as it gets when it comes to chopping up large vegetables, but will also work for mincing onions or dicing garlic cloves. Although it looks somewhat like a meat cleaver, it really is not intended to be used as such; if you are looking for a knife that will cut both meat and vegetables, the Shun Classic santoku knife may be more your thing. Also, please note that the blade on a nakiri knife is one-sided, and may be awkward for some tasks. If you want a great knife for splitting large vegetables such as pumpkins or squash, however, than this is your knife.

Works great even for a left-hander
This knife is incredibly sharp right out of the box. I had some trepidation about using it, because I'm left-handed (they've since come out with a left-handed version, but it didn't exist when I got mine a year and a half ago), but I haven't had a problem. I use it for vegetables, fruit, and herbs, and occasionally for non-bony meat, and it's an excellent slicer. Although it looks like a cleaver, it should not be used like one; it'd be a shame to wreck such a beautiful knife.. The knife is beautifully finished and fits my medium-sized hand perfectly. This is the first Shun knife I've had, but it will not be the last. It's pricey, but well worth it.

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