Kiritsuke knives are as the name roughly translates to, a knife that cuts. It is an ideal choice for people looking into starting a Japanese knife collection. Kiritsuke is a versatile knife, and can easily level up your slicing game twofold. Kiritsuke is a popular buy for sushi, sashimi, and other cuisines involving fishes. For its uniquely designed blade, it makes thin and precise slicing plenty easy.
Kiritsuke knife is made by crossing two other Japanese knives – gyutou and Yanagi knives. Gyutou is equivalent to a western chef’s knife, an all-purpose knife, while Yanagi is a sushi blade, specially designated to slice fishes for sushi. And combining both of these knives, you get a multi-purpose knife which has a longer blade than gyutou and an angled tip which you wouldn’t find on typical yanagis.
But trust me when I say, you want a kiritsuke in your kitchen. These vicious blades are the game changers of precise cutting, because of their convenient silhouette, managing thin slices are easier with minimum bending of the wrist. In this article, I’ve accumulated some of such best kiritsuke knife which is a win considering both the price and characteristics. Read more about the knives below.
Choosing the Best Kiritsuke Knife for Your Kitchen
- Shun Dual Core VG0017 8-Inch Kiritsuke Knife
The dual-core kiritsuke from Shun ensures high-quality materials, from top to bottom. It is designed most functionally; you can tell once you start maneuvering it. Shun proudly announces this model as one of their sharpest.
The 8-inch knife uses dual-core technology to enhance the knife to not only sharpen easy but also so that it retains the sharpness. Dual-core technology stands for 71 micro-layers of two high-quality high carbon steel combination VG 10 and VG 2 high chromium stainless steel combination. You can enjoy the easy edge retention of traditional carbon steel and the longevity of modern stainless steel.
The steels are welded together to give it the beautiful micro-serrations and the fold-forged Damascus steel enhances the blade both functionally and aesthetically. The octagon-shaped handle is constructed of pakkawood with an ebony finish. The package also includes a durable Saya (sheath) to cover the knife while storing it in a drawer or for travels.
Pros:
- Aesthetically rich blade with micro-serrations.
- Features a versatile length.
- Offers dual-core technology combining two high-quality steel.
- Multipurpose knife with ultra-sharpness.
- Thin and flexible blade.
- Resin impregnated handle resists moisture.
Cons:
- Quite tricky to achieve a perfect rocking motion.
- Comparatively heavy.
- TUO Kiritsuke Knife – Fiery Phoenix Series
The fiery phoenix series presented by TUO was chosen as the world’s best kitchen knives by a renowned review website. The consistency of the mesmerizing product is maintained through the kiritsuke knife of this fiery phoenix series.
This multipurpose kitchen knife is constructed of German High Carbon Stainless Steel and measures about 8.5 inches. So, not only will you get very fast and easy re-sharpening you’re also gonna get the low maintenance profile of stainless steel. You will not have to worry about it rusting under any circumstances. The polished blade provides high resistance against corrosion also simultaneously bragging a pleasant look.
The kiritsuke is solidly built with a full tang construction, offering strong balance. The use of an ergonomic high-tech composite pakkawood handle adds more to its charm. Generous circumference and smooth surface ensure a comfortable experience while using and a strong grip. The blade is both heat-treated and cryogenic tempered to ensure longevity, strength, and flexibility. The HRC 56 indicates higher than average edge retention and sharpness.
Pros:
- Can be gifted; easy on the eyes.
- Constructed by using 3 step Honbazuke method.
- Sharp and durable blade – doesn’t chip.
- Slices tender meat, fish & vegetables.
- Features durable patent-pending wood handle.
Cons:
- Not dishwasher safe.
- Quite heavy.
- DALSTRONG Kiritsuke Chef Knife
Dalstrong continues to amaze the customers with their great workmanship on par with their bleeding-edge technology! The kiritsuke knife from the Shogun series is a beast in the skin of beauty. With its outstanding sword-like sharpness and 62+ HRC blade, it outshines others in both strength and flexibility.
It has a slim profile unlike any other, making it more suitable for applications in the domestic and professional ground – don’t just stick to slicing fish strips for sushi, it cuts boneless meats, vegetables, and pretty much anything which is not frozen at ease. The blade measures about 8.5 inches, forged from AUS-10V Japanese super 67- layered Damascus Steel.
While bragging a hand-polished mirror finish with a beautiful “tsunami rose” layer. Due to its full tang built it has an impeccable balance from its tip to the billet, the triple-riveted handle enhances the stability a million-fold. The strong G-10 handle ensures comfort and offers superiority in maneuvering.
Pros:
- High aesthetics; comes in a gift box, PerfectFit sheath included.
- Heat and cryo treated double-beveled blade.
- Blunt polished spine with a surgical cutting edge.
- Taper ground design with maximum longevity.
- Angled through traditional 3-step Honbazuke method.
- Offers a lifetime warranty against defects.
Cons:
- Does not come sharpened.
- Too many counterfeits around
- Shun Classic 8-Inch Kiritsuke Kitchen Knife
Shun’s Kiritsuke is a great knife that is handcrafted in Japan. Kiritsuke knife is a symbol of status, so unless you’re the head chef it’s out of bounds because of the difficulty. Keeping that in mind shun has designed a simpler kiritsuke with a unique design that can also be used by amateur learners.
Unlike most other Kiritsuke knives out there, Shun uses a blade with a slightly curvier profile, the advantage of it is that it makes chopping with a rocking machine easier. The 8-inch blade is made of high-quality VG MAX steel, which is enhanced through 68 layers of Damascus steel. So it’s rich with properties of both high carbon and stainless steel. Also due to Shun using precision-forged harder steel, the blade is comparatively thinner and lighter. The balance is also worth a lot of praise on par with its sharpness and edge retention ability.
This versatile knife can be used as both an usuba and a yanagiba knife. Due to its innovative design in the handle – D shaped pakkawood handle with a clean ebony finish, ensures a marvelous performance. So whether you’re going for baton, batonnet, or julienne shape, Shun’s Classic Kiritsuke has your back.
Pros:
- Multi-purpose – Useful as a vegetable, sushi, and chef’s knife.
- Razor-sharp, double-beveled & flexible blade.
- Balanced and lightweight.
- Extensive edge retention.
- Resin infused handle for moisture resistance.
Cons:
- Quite expensive.
- Too many counterfeits are available.
- 9 inch Kiritsuke Knife by Findking-Dynasty series
For a true kiritsuke lover this knife is a must-have. No matter which glass you look through this one will always seem perfect. Judging from its aesthetically pleasing yet highly functional design to its application and performance in the kitchen will simply amaze you every day.
The size of the blade is called “true 9-inch” as it optimally uses its length and delivers maximum output. It’s constructed of 3 layer 9Cr13MoV alloy that offers crazy good sharpness and due to the blade providing HRC 60+/-2 hardness its edge retention is no joke either. You may use 1000/6000 grit whetstone to sharpen it, it can sharpen at the lowest angle and retain the edge for a long time, due to hardened steel construction. Ultimately reducing the drill of difficult maintenance.
Also, you’re going to notice the clad dimple on the spine of the blade, along with beautification, the purpose of those are so the chopped food does not stick with the blade, the clads allow easy release. Another highlight of the product is its octagon handle. Despite being ergonomic, on top of geometrically accurate, the African rosewood handle ensures premium comfort to the wielder.
Pros:
- Full tang built – unyielding balance.
- Double beveled blade enabling easy sharpening.
- Sharp cutting edge out of the box.
- Efficient design – comes in a gift box.
- Low maintenance.
Cons:
- Refrain from washing in the dishwasher.
- Poor quality control.
Final Verdict
At this point, the importance of having a kiritsuke in your kitchen should be as clear as day by now. These are applicable in not only slicing fishes but also vegetables and most types of edibles that need clean and thin slices. However, they do need a bit of practice before you get used to it. The angled tip is also pretty good for chopping details and mincing of both vegetables and fishes.
A kiritsuke knife can also be a great addition to your Japanese knives collection. And buying the best kiritsuke knife will not be a complex task at all if you have paid attention to the list. The models that I’ve mentioned in this review are the best of what the market has to offer in the respective price range. So hope you’ve been benefitted from the post. Good luck!
FAQ
Q: What’s the most general use of the Kiritsuke knife?
A: Kiritsuke knives are a versatile creation found by combining features of two other Japanese knives. One of those knives is a chef’s knife, while the other is excellent to work on fishes. By combining their attributes, you get a long-bladed Kiritsuke, which is great at slicing pretty much everything. But they are especially sought out for their finery in cutting fishes for cuisines.
The angular tip is also good for regular chopping and mincing chores. However, as it is quite difficult to handle, and the sophisticated meals it is used in, it’s often out of bound for anyone other than the executive chef in restaurants. So a kiritsuke knife symbolizes status in the concerned workplace too.
Q: Are Kiritsuke knives high in maintenance comparing to other Japanese knives?
A: Likely so, kiritsuke knives do require quite a frequent sharpening, however, but it takes edge pretty quickly. That’s only if you do it right, otherwise, if you’re haste about it the edge of the blade may brittle. Taking care of it is also straight forward, handwash it and wipe it clean afterward before storing. You may need to oil it from time to time if it’s made of carbon steel.
Q: What’s the Best angle to optimally sharpen a Kiritsuke knife?
A: Kiritsuke knives are known to have a flat and straight silhouette, it can either be double or single beveled, although double-beveled models are more popular in the west. So, certain measures are to be considered while sharpening a Kiritsuke. Aspects to be taken into consideration is if it’s made of hard or soft steel and the size of the angle.
Kiritsuke knives are generally constructed of hard steels starting from 60 HRC in the Rockwell Hardness scale, so they are advised to be sharpened at a small angle for maximum performance. Such as, if the knife has a cutting edge of 30°, the suggested sharpening angle is 30°/2 as in 15°.
