Wasabi by Kershaw 6-1/2-Inch Nakiri Knife

This is my first single-bevel knife of Japanese design and I am very impressed. It came out of the box with a very sharp edge, and the excellent, relatively hard steel holds this edge very well. The concave "flat side" allows the knife to pass through foods much more easily than a conventional knife. One of the first uses I put it to was dicing a bell pepper. However, it was so easy to produce perfect, paper-thin slices that I got carried away and it came out as brunoised instead.

Some reviewers talk about the small size of the handle, I just do not see it that way. I have larger than average hands, easily being able to palm a basketball, and as far as I am concerned this is one of the most comfortable knives that I have ever used. The size is not a problem at all and it has a good feel as well.

Neither do I find the back of my knife as having sharp edges, even though this complaint has come up a couple of times. Quality control may vary, of course, but my knife is practically perfect.

I highly recommend the Wasabi by Kershaw 6.5-Inch Nakiri Knife.

I had been looking at many different knives for over a year and I came across many different types and price levels. I tried a few knives at various kitchen stores and I even found some great German knives at good prices.

I purchased a Henckels Henckels International Classic 8-Inch Stainless-Steel Chef's Knife for a line-cook friend and she really liked it and I used it a few times and thought it was a good knife at a good price. I also bought a Wustof Grand Prix Wüsthof Grand Prix 8-Inch Cook's Knife for my former Exec. Chef (I am a restaurant manager) on sale for $40 (the Grand Prix II came out and now the Grand Prixs are reduced).

I found that I really didn't like the German designed knives and I looked at Japanese knives. I really liked the Shun line of knives from KAI but they are truly an investment at $120 for a Shun Classic 8-inch Chef's Knife Shun Classic 8-Inch Chef's Knife. With a little more searching I discovered KAI's Wasabi line and with a little research on the difference between the types of Japanese blade styles I decided to try the 8.25-inch Deba (similar to a European Chef's Knife) and the 6.5-inch Nakiri vegetable knife. I have really been impressed with both knives. The steel is very strong and of great quality. The one-sided blade takes a little getting used to, but the edge stays sharp with a little honing after a few uses. The handle is nice and easy to clean.

I would recommend giving any of the KAI Wasabi line a try. Decide whether you want the multi purpose Santoku (meaning 'three virtues' for its use with meat, fish and vegetables), one of the 3 sizes of Debas (4-inch, 6-inch, 8.25-inch), the Nakiri or the 3 sizes of Sashimi (6-inch, 8-inch and 9.5-inch). I love my 8.25 Deba and Nakiri. I use the Nakiri on vegetables, garlic, herbs and I use the Deba for mincing and other tasks. I want to try the Santoku and the 9.5-inch Sashimi, and since they are less than $20 a piece, why not!

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Holds an edge very well. Light weight. Two things I'm not crazy about but can live with, the handle could be thicker and the edges on the top of the blade are kind of sharp. I notice that when I have my finger on the top of the blade to bear down on something hard I have cut my finger.

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This knife has an amazingly sharp edge!!!! almost on par with my Shun classic 8" chef knife, but the matte finish on the surface of the blade is bollox!!! it's a sticking agent for the food, while it may look nice and enticing, the matte finish of the blade has a fine granular texture that has a tendency to stick to food while chopping and slicing through potatos, onions, herbs, everything except for slicing things with a high density of fat that instantly coats the blade and provides a lubricant for the blade. I'm gonna sand off the matte finish and report back on performance and looks, I have a feeling that this knife is gonna look mighty ugly after the sanding job, but it'll cut like it should!!!

Oh the handle is bollox, it looks like cheap plastic, even though it's impregnated with bamboo powder, it looks 100 percent like cheap plastic that Kia puts inside of all their budget under 10k cars, yuck!!! yes the back of the handle is quite sharp and uncomfortable to wield, I need to sand that down and make it more ergonomic, Kai has a potentially good knife on their hands but needs some serious attending to. Would not recommend to anyone who would need it to be their main knife.

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This knife is an absolute steal for its performance quality. Although the handle is a bit ugly and the top corner of the knife is a bit sharp, this knife is fantastic for cutting vegetables and fruits. I have both the Shun Classic 7-Inch Santoku Hollow Ground and a Henckels Four Star 6-Inch High Carbon Stainless Steel Chef's Knife, but find myself reaching for this knife 4 out of 5 times to smash garlic, dice onions, cube potatoes, cut tomatoes and slice fruit. Because it is a bit lighter weight, I find that I can chop more without getting tired. If you can look past the knife's appearance to the use you'll get out of it, this is the knife for you. Without the sharp corner (which can be sanded away if necessary), this knife rates 5 stars.

(Note: if you have larger hands, you may prefer the Shun Santoku referenced above. It is a beautiful knife that cuts excellently; worth the price you'll pay. The Wasabi knife also needs to be sharpened more frequently than the Shun. If you are wondering about the Henckels, some people may prefer them. I grew up using Henckels but now prefer the knives from Kershaw, the company that manufactures both the Wasabi and Shun knives. Hold them in the store, and see which feel better to you.)