The comparisons people actually make
Most knife decisions come down to one of eight comparisons. Here is the short answer to each, with the full guide behind it.
| Comparison | The short answer | Full guide |
|---|---|---|
| Gyuto vs santoku | Same job, different size. The gyuto is longer (210 mm) with a curved belly and pointed tip; the santoku is shorter (165–180 mm), flatter and blunt-tipped. | Read → |
| Nakiri vs usuba | Both are vegetable knives. The nakiri is double-bevel and beginner-friendly; the usuba is single-bevel, handed and a professional tool. | Read → |
| Petty vs paring knife | A paring knife (80–100 mm) works in the hand. A petty (120–150 mm) does that plus light board work — more versatile as a second knife. | Read → |
| Yanagiba vs sujihiki | Both are long slicers. The yanagiba is single-bevel, for sashimi; the sujihiki is double-bevel, easier to use and better for cooked meat. | Read → |
| Bunka vs santoku | The same everyday all-rounder, but the bunka swaps the santoku's rounded tip for an angular k-tip that does finer point work. | Read → |
| Kiritsuke vs gyuto | A double-bevel kiritsuke is a gyuto with a flatter profile and an angled tip. The traditional single-bevel kiritsuke is a different, far more demanding knife. | Read → |
| Deba vs honesuki | Both break things down, but the deba is a thick single-bevel knife for whole fish and the honesuki is a stiff double-bevel knife for poultry joints. | Read → |
| Japanese vs German knives | Japanese knives are harder, thinner and more acutely ground — sharper, but more chip-prone. German knives are softer, heavier and more forgiving. | Read → |
All twelve types, full specs
The same data the comparison tool uses, laid out in full. Figures are typical ranges — individual makers vary, and the region a knife comes from affects how it is finished more than how it is shaped.
| Knife | Category | Blade length | Blade height | Tip | Edge profile | Cutting motion | Best for | Skill level | Bevel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gyuto 牛刀 | All-rounder | 180–270 mm (210 typical) | 45–50 mm | Pointed | Curved belly | Rock & push | Proteins, large veg, all-round | Beginner-friendly | Double |
| Santoku 三徳 | All-rounder | 165–180 mm | 45–50 mm | Rounded (sheepsfoot) | Flatter | Straight chop | Everyday, veg, boneless meat | Beginner-friendly | Double |
| Nakiri 菜切 | Vegetable | 165–180 mm | 50–55 mm | Squared | Dead flat | Straight chop | Vegetables only | Beginner-friendly | Double |
| Usuba 薄刃 | Vegetable | 165–210 mm | ~50 mm | Square (Kanto) / pointed (Kansai) | Dead flat | Straight chop / push | Precise vegetable work (pro) | Advanced | Single |
| Petty ペティ | Utility | 120–150 mm | 25–30 mm | Pointed | Slight curve | In-hand & board | Peeling, trimming, detail | Beginner-friendly | Double |
| Bunka 文化 | All-rounder | 165–195 mm | 45–50 mm | Reverse-tanto (k-tip) | Flatter | Chop & push | All-round with a precise tip | Beginner-friendly | Double |
| Kiritsuke 切付 | All-rounder | 210–270 mm | ~45 mm | Angled (kiritsuke) | Flatter | Push cut | All-round with a striking tip | Intermediate | Double |
| Sujihiki 筋引 | Slicer | 240–300 mm (270 typical) | ~30 mm | Pointed | Straight | Single long draw | Carving & slicing meat and fish | Beginner-friendly | Double |
| Yanagiba 柳刃 | Slicer | 240–330 mm | ~30 mm | Pointed | Straight | Single long pull | Sashimi, raw fish slicing | Advanced | Single |
| Deba 出刃 | Fish | 150–210 mm | ~50 mm | Pointed | Thick spine | Chop & lever | Breaking down whole fish | Advanced | Single |
| Honesuki 骨スキ | Boning | 145–150 mm | ~40 mm | Pointed | Straight, stiff | Jointing | Breaking down poultry | Intermediate | Double |
| Bread knife パン切り | Serrated | 200–270 mm | ~30 mm | Rounded | Serrated | Sawing | Crusty bread without crushing | Beginner-friendly | Serrated |
How to read the specs
Blade length is measured along the cutting edge, in millimetres. The constraint is your cutting board, not your hands: a 210 mm blade wants a board of roughly 40 cm or more. Full detail in the size guide.
Edge profile decides how you cut. A dead-flat edge (nakiri, usuba) meets the board along its whole length, which suits straight-down chopping. A curved belly (gyuto) lets you rock. A flatter profile with some curve (santoku, bunka) does both adequately and neither perfectly.
Bevel is the single biggest usability difference. Double-bevel knives are ground on both sides, cut straight, and work for either hand. Single-bevel knives — yanagiba, deba, usuba — cut with more precision and release food better, but they steer, they are handed, and they take real skill to sharpen. If you are left-handed, read this before buying one.
Blade height affects knuckle clearance and how much food the blade can scoop. A 50–55 mm nakiri keeps your knuckles well clear of the board; a 25–30 mm petty does not, which is fine because it is not doing volume work.
What the table does not show is steel, because steel is a separate decision from shape. Any of these types can be made in stainless or carbon — see VG10 vs Aogami vs Shirogami for that choice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a gyuto and a santoku?
They do the same job at different sizes. A gyuto is typically 210 mm with a curved belly that suits a rocking motion and a pointed tip for detail work. A santoku is 165–180 mm, flatter along the edge, and has a rounded sheepsfoot tip — lighter and easier to control, but it runs out of blade on large cuts of meat.
How do I compare Japanese knives properly?
Compare four things in this order: blade length against your cutting board, edge profile (flat for chopping, curved for rocking), bevel (double-bevel works for either hand; single-bevel is handed and harder to sharpen), and blade height for knuckle clearance. Steel matters, but it matters less than shape for whether you enjoy using the knife.
Are Japanese knife sizes in millimetres or inches?
Millimetres, measured along the cutting edge. 180 mm is about 7 inches, 210 mm about 8¼, 240 mm about 9½. Japanese makers almost always list millimetres, so it is worth getting used to them.
Which Japanese knife types are single-bevel?
The traditional Japanese specialists: yanagiba, deba and usuba. They are ground on one side, cut with great precision, and are made for a specific hand — a left-handed cook needs a left-handed version. Everything else on this page (gyuto, santoku, nakiri, petty, bunka, sujihiki, honesuki, bread knife) is double-bevel.
How many Japanese knives do I actually need?
One, then two. One all-rounder — a gyuto or santoku — covers the large majority of home cooking. A petty as a second knife covers the small, fiddly work the first one is clumsy at. Add a third only when you can name the job it does that the first two cannot.
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