The Nakiri / Chukabocho is a hand-forged Japanese-style vegetable cleaver with an 18 cm straight, double-bevelled high-carbon steel blade — built for clean, full-contact push cuts through vegetables. At 435 g with a 10 cm tall blade and a 4 mm spine, it sits between a lightweight nakiri and a heavier Chinese-style chukabocho: enough height to keep your knuckles clear and enough mass to power through hard-skinned produce. It ships with a safety sheath and is priced at £69.99.

At a glance

• Best for: julienne, brunoise and allumette cuts; hard-skinned produce (squash, swede); precise vegetable prep
• Blade: straight, double-edged (double-bevel) high-carbon steel
• Not for: bones or frozen food — the thin, hard edge is built for clean produce cuts, not impact
• In the box: knife + safety sheath

Specifications

Why the straight edge matters

Unlike a curved chef's knife, a nakiri-style blade meets the board along its whole length in a single downward push — no rocking, no sawing. That delivers cleaner, more uniform slices and faster vegetable prep (Nakiri bōchō, Wikipedia). The 10 cm blade height gives generous knuckle clearance and doubles as a bench scraper for moving prepped veg.

Forged for edge retention

Each blade is hand-forged and heat-treated: quenched at 780 °C, then tempered at 180–200 °C. High-carbon steels of this class are typically hardened to roughly 58–62 HRC, the range that balances long edge retention with easy resharpening (ChefPanko, HRC & Steel Types). The result is a knife that takes a very fine edge and, with care, lasts 15–20 years.

Care

• Hand-wash only; dry thoroughly to prevent the high-carbon steel from staining or rusting
• Hone regularly; resharpen on a whetstone as needed
• Do not cut bones or frozen food

FAQ

What is a nakiri knife used for?

A nakiri is a Japanese vegetable knife. Its straight, double-bevelled edge makes clean push-cuts through vegetables — ideal for julienne, brunoise and thin, uniform slices — without the rocking motion a curved chef's knife needs.

What's the difference between a nakiri and a chukabocho?

A traditional nakiri is light (around 150–200 g) and compact; a chukabocho is a taller, heavier Chinese-style cleaver. This blade is a hybrid — 435 g with a 10 cm tall face — giving more heft and knuckle clearance than a standard nakiri while keeping the straight vegetable-cutting edge.

Can a nakiri cut meat or bones?

It handles boneless meat, but it is not a butcher's tool. Do not use it on bones or frozen food — the thin, hard high-carbon edge is designed for clean produce cuts and can chip on impact.

How do I care for a high-carbon steel knife?

Hand-wash and dry it immediately after use. High-carbon steel rusts and stains more readily than stainless, so never leave it wet or in a dishwasher.