ENOKING Japanese Santoku Knife 7 Inch, High Carbon Steel Hand Forged Japanese Knife, 5 Layers 9CR18MOV Kitchen Chef Knife, Chopping Knife with Octagonal Rosewood Handle

This is my first Nakiri knife and actually the first time I have actually used a Nakiri knife. I am a prep cook and do a lot of fruit and veg dicing and slicing. I have typically used the employer provided knives which the typical french chef's knife shape, maintained by a cutlery vendor. At home my partner (and my head chef boss) and I have a range of knives. Bolstered, Fully and not at all. With all the popular shapes but a Nakiri. I'll break this review 0.25 to 5 stars in each of theses sections, Packaging, Appearance, Build Quality, Usage, Ease of care and Value. Packaging - 5 stars Packaging was well done, solid and firm. Tightly shrinkwrapped. Inside a outbox, was the wood presentation box suspended in foam supports. No shipping damage. Appearance - 4.5 Overall the knife itself is quite handsome. The handle, particular is very well crafted as seen in the pictures. The "hammered" blade and layered steel looks striking. For a knife at this price point. The presentation box is lovely but does have a drab foam inside. Functional...for long term storage but I doubt this knife will spend much time the box. The blade sheath is very nice and fits snugly protecting the ege. This knife will be safe and comfortable in your knife wrap. Build Quality - 4.5 Stars Make no mistake this knife is a automated production knife. The production method mimics hand forging but I highly doubt little of the blade is formed by hand. The "Hammered" dents on the blade appear to be more a stamped pattern than actual hammer marks. But that is not to say it was not formed by hand with a die. I was able to find identical rows of dents in the knife and the Amazon listing pictures. The listing does state it uses hand made processes with modern technology. Hand made hammered damascus Nakiri's can cost well over $300 US. This is not a hand made knife. But it is a high quality modern production knife. I took some off for the actual shape of the hammered dents. The edges are a too pronounced and will trap moisture. If they were more smoothed it would be more functional. If one has the equipment, you could finish grind the dents and acid etch the blade again and polish. Usage 4.75 stars The first thing you notice when holding the knife is it's weight. This is not a light knife, but despite the heft it is well balanced and comfortable to hold. This type of hidden tang unbolstered construction is meant for pinch grip. The grip is comfortable with no hotspots on the blade spine and back edge. The curve at the back is well formed for your finger when using the pinch gripe making the heavy blade easy to control. I chopped and sliced some peppers on to get a feel for the performance of the blade in action. The factory hone is very sharp. So sharp while chopping I used the back of my pairing knife to slide any peppers attached to the blade rather than my hands. The blade cut through the surface of the surface and meat of the peppers effortlessly. The knife is fast and accurate. It was surprisingly agile and easy to take thin slices quickly with a slight raise of the forearm and gentle down and forward rocking stroke. Adjusting width of the next cut was intuitive and quick. The octagonal handle provide flat surfaces that provide grip stability and prevent the knife from turning in your hand. The knife should be handle with the utmost care and used on appropriate wood cutting board. I prefer wood over plastic. This is a professional level knife with specific purpose of fine slicing and popular for preparation of vegetables and fruit, for that task this shape is unmatched. This affordable knife is an excellent tool for that purpose. Ease of Care - 4 This is a fine instrument. As a result it does require more care. It should not be put in a dishwasher. It requires careful cleaning, drying and oiling with a fine mineral oil after each use and returned to the provided sheath. Acids from fruit and veg could corrode the outer layer of steel. I have not tested honing the knife. I use fine whetstones to return a blade to factory sharpness and repair damaged and dull edges. I do not use a steel or ceramic rods on my knives as I feel it simply damages the knife more than they sharpen. I have other blades with similar core edge steel and they are quick to return the edge with my sharpening stone kit. I touch up my home knives every few months. Most are kept on a magnetic holder on the wall. Value - 4.5 stars This knife is an exceptional value. Without the box it sells for $29. I purchased it in the wooden presentation box for $42. The attention to detail of construction and the five layer blade makes puts it above other similar knives in terms of value. For a first Nakiri knife, I can't imagine developing bad habits in using this knife for it's intended purpose. Experienced cooks and chefs will appreicate it's accuracy. The 9CR18MOV steel used is a Chinese made 440B stainless steel and popular for use on kitchen knives. 440B is deemed safe for food use but is not listed as NSF or FDA certified (from my research) The handle material plays into individual knife NSF certification. This knife does not carry a NSF stamp. (wooden handle and hammed texture preclude NSF certification) Check you local Health Code regulation for rules concerning chef knife construction. Total Score 27.25 of 30 stars averaging 4.54 stars - rounded up for Amazon to: 5 stars. 11/2025 - Update With Photo: After almost a year of using these knives in a professional kitchen doing prep, trimming brussell sprouts, chopping cilantro, breaking down and dicing pineapple, jicima, cucumber, onions (50 pounds at at time), julienne 35 pounds of red onions slicing jalapeno for tacos, and much more...the knives are have performed well. I have sharpened them three times. My concerns of the "unfinished" edges has not caused any issues. In fact it forces me to use proper technique and after I year, I no longer have any issues with fatigue during long tasks. The octagonal shaped handles provide positive and precise grip that facilitates developing speed. Ingenious actually. Using your finger tips to lock on the flat shapes keeps the blade steady for clean fast cuts. Rolling the blade does not happen. No concerns about maintenance. No rust. I wash and sanitize the knives after each task in the kitchen by hand and use food grade mineral oil on the handles and blades in frequently. The knives sit in my canvass rollup with blades the guards on and more often then not the rollup stays in my car, even in cold or hot weather. I will keep using them. They just work quite well.

I recently acquired the **Nakiri Knife** for my professional kitchen, and I couldn't be more satisfied with its performance. This exceptional blade, priced at a reasonable $36, has proven to be a valuable asset in my culinary endeavors. From the very first use, I was impressed by the knife's precision and quality. Its razor-sharp edge effortlessly sliced through vegetables and herbs with unmatched precision. The Nakiri knife's design is a testament to its Japanese craftsmanship, featuring a straight blade profile and a thin, sharp edge, which makes it perfect for the precision cuts required in my professional kitchen. One of the standout features of this knife is its exceptional balance and comfort. It feels natural in my hand, allowing for extended use without causing discomfort or strain. This balance enhances my control over the knife, ensuring that every cut is accurate and uniform. The blade of this Nakiri knife is crafted from high-quality stainless steel, which has proven to be incredibly resilient and easy to maintain. It retains its sharpness for an extended period, reducing the need for frequent sharpening. In a fast-paced professional kitchen, this durability is essential for maintaining efficiency. I appreciate the attention to detail in the design of the handle. It's comfortable to grip, even in high-stress situations, and its ergonomic shape minimizes the risk of hand fatigue. In a professional kitchen, time is of the essence, and this Nakiri knife has consistently delivered efficiency and accuracy. It's become my go-to tool for a wide range of cutting tasks, from delicate herb work to precise vegetable dicing. Considering its remarkable performance, balance, and durability, the Nakiri Knife priced at $36 (when purchased on prime day) is an incredible value for any professional chef or avid home cook. I highly recommend it for its exceptional quality and ability to streamline your culinary endeavors. It has truly become an indispensable tool in my kitchen.

Sharpest knife I have!

Careful it’s sharp

Solid knife and case for the price. Well balanced and sharp. I have been using it like a workhorse and it’s keeping up.

I was instantly impressed as soon as I got this out of the box. It’s so sharp it practically slices through vegetables by gravity alone. Very little hand pressure and it slices straight down through a raw potato. Very comfortable and easy to control. It doesn’t slice off in some unwanted direction, it slices how you guide it. I’ve bought a bunch of kitchen prep knives recently and this one is the best when it comes to razor sharpness, comfort, control and style. I’d expect this to be a lot more expensive but I’m glad it is budget friendly yet very professional in its quality.

My son uses this knife in a professional kitchen. He has been using it for about a year and it is the blade most used by him. The knife is not Japanese. It does, however, holds an edge well, is nicely balanced, and is comfortable to hold. The blade has developed some micro nicks over time but they have not impeded the functionality of the knife, and could be easily be removed with some directed sharpening. It's a good purchase if bought on sale!

It works but it chipped 2 weeks into using it cuts good though veggies steak or porkchop

Excellent value at $34. I don't think you can find better this this. As for performance its edge retention is above average. The steel is on the hard side but not too hard. The factory edge that comes on it is quite rough, only there to protect it from chips during shipping. It's decently sharp compared to your typical big box store knives but you can hand a sharpen a much sharper edge on it. I'm a professional sushi chef in Toronto. I have really expensive Japanese knives with really hard steels but those tend to chip when I'm cutting something hard or rough. I usually buy cheap knives to do rough work. Knives with softer steels don't chip as easily. That being said this knife has a high carbon stainless steel form china that's all over the market right now. It's a very good steel, strikes a good balance between sharpness and edge retention and stainless on top of that. Japanese high carbon steels are harder and sharper but those will rust and way more expensive. German steels are very soft by comparison. Henckles knives for example are softer, while they can be sharpened to equal sharpness. I find that henckles knives do not retain its edge very long. I don't like them for professional work. The steel aside. The knife is on the heavy side. The handle is octagon which is not my favorite. I personally like the D handles but since in left handed it's impossible to get a left handed D unless you custom order a knife for a lot of $$$. So I will take octagon over a right handed D haha.

So happy to have discovered this knife. I cook a lot of Japanese and Korean food so I'm constantly chopping vegetables and this handles the job perfectly, from shredding cabbage and lettuce and perfect matchsticks of daikon and carrot. It is SHARP, so kitten paws when cutting to protect yourself. I even sliced a heel of bread in half to make a sandwich and it cut it easily!

Long. Sharp right out of the box. This is not full tang knife, i feel the balance is a little bit off. But overall it is good for the price.

Really good value for the price. Quality is good. I'm a knife collector, and have some really expensive knives. This knife for the price is definitely worth it. Came sharp out the box; gave it a few swipes on the honing steel and is now shaving sharp. Tested on tomatoes and can slice extremely thin with no effort. I seen people in the reviews complaining about rust but that's because you're supposed to oil it. After washing and drying it, you coat it with a thin layer of food grade mineral oil with a paper towel and it will never rust. Just part of the maintenance with these types of knife steels. Personally I would not wash this in the dishwasher, it will most likely be rusted by the time you take it out.

Loving this knife! It has some weight to it which I love. Very sharp out of the box.