nakiri thickness

Richard338

Richard338

Gold Member
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May 3, 2005
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I have a sudden urge to try making a Nakiri.
I have a piece of 1/8" thick A2 lying around, but wonder if that is too thick?
All the Nakiri I found searching old threads seem to be thinner.
I'm thinking roughly 6" x 2", FFG with a little convexing near the edge.
I suppose I could work the FFG until the spine gets slightly thinner than the initial .125"

Should I use up my A2? or save it for something else and order a different piece for this?
 
I like them finish ground or forged to about .08 depending on high tall it is, maybe .09 max
I think you are ok with that 1/8? stock you have
 
Anywhere between .06" and .10" will work. They are thin vegetable cutters, so I go on the thinner side. Nakiri are usually double ground, so that makes construction from thin steel simple. It also makes keeping them sharp much easier. too.
From your .125" steel, you would be making an usuba, not a nikiri. Similar in shape to the nikiri, usuba are actually more versatile, and are the workhorse of many knife blocks. They can be single or double ground. When I make a three knife set, I make a guyuto or sujihiki, a santoku, and an usuba. Those three will do 99% of most home kitchen tasks.
 
In the end I went through with it and made three with silicon bronze and stabilized wood handles.
The first has stabilized redwood and the next two have dyed Oregon maple.
Here are a couple pics of the first one.
It cuts well and I got a pretty nice fit for the handle (by my standards)
One of the next two is getting donated to a church auction fundraiser and will be the first of my knives to leave the house...
I had the A2 hardened to 62 at Peters.
Tc0KJmO.jpg


AL2tPgd.jpg
 
Thanks for the suggestion.
What do you find that geometry useful for?
I haven't used mine much yet, but I imagined that the square tip might let me break into peppers etc.
 
Richard, some advice for both Nakiri and Usuba, mostly I have made double ground (I prefer over chisel edges for almost all applications):

1: A bit of belly near the tip (not much, and just in the last 2" or so of the blade).

2: While I like the looks of a squared off tip, for an all purpose knife, having a point a little more accute than square has some advantages allowing some utility functions that are less convenient without it. (Basically it makes it easier to use the tip to poke/peirce things).

2a: Another way to provide similar function is to accentuate the chin of the knife (the end of the edge closest to the handle/opposite of the tip).

3: As Stacy said, the Usuba is a more useful all around knife than the Nakiri, and with proper geometry I dont think you will find many general kitchen tasks that the usuba is not good at. It will cut veggies just fine. They aren't generally ideal for carving a roast or turkey, but no surprise there.
 
joedhiggins said:
Richard, some advice for both Nakiri and Usuba, mostly I have made double ground (I prefer over chisel edges for almost all applications):

1: A bit of belly near the tip (not much, and just in the last 2" or so of the blade).

2: While I like the looks of a squared off tip, for an all purpose knife, having a point a little more accute than square has some advantages allowing some utility functions that are less convenient without it. (Basically it makes it easier to use the tip to poke/peirce things).

2a: Another way to provide similar function is to accentuate the chin of the knife (the end of the edge closest to the handle/opposite of the tip).

3: As Stacy said, the Usuba is a more useful all around knife than the Nakiri, and with proper geometry I dont think you will find many general kitchen tasks that the usuba is not good at. It will cut veggies just fine. They aren't generally ideal for carving a roast or turkey, but no surprise there.
Click to expand...

I like some designs I've seen like your suggestion 2a.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
I will use the 1st one for a few weeks before finishing the last one (second one that I will keep), and possibly make some changes.
(I'm always only one slip away from melting off the tip or making a recurve...)
 
joedhiggins said:
Richard, some advice for both Nakiri and Usuba, mostly I have made double ground (I prefer over chisel edges for almost all applications):

1: A bit of belly near the tip (not much, and just in the last 2" or so of the blade).

2: While I like the looks of a squared off tip, for an all purpose knife, having a point a little more accute than square has some advantages allowing some utility functions that are less convenient without it. (Basically it makes it easier to use the tip to poke/peirce things).

2a: Another way to provide similar function is to accentuate the chin of the knife (the end of the edge closest to the handle/opposite of the tip).

3: As Stacy said, the Usuba is a more useful all around knife than the Nakiri, and with proper geometry I dont think you will find many general kitchen tasks that the usuba is not good at. It will cut veggies just fine. They aren't generally ideal for carving a roast or turkey, but no surprise there.
Click to expand...
2a, the Chin? I find it a little easier to say, the Heel of the blade and Toe for the tip. My customers get a quick grasp of what I’m explaining with lengthy explanations!
 
Rhinoknives1 said:
2a, the Chin? I find it a little easier to say, the Heel of the blade and Toe for the tip. My customers get a quick grasp of what I’m explaining with lengthy explanations!
Click to expand...

Yeah, heel may be a better descriptor. It is unfortunate that there isn't a totally consistent naming schema for all parts of every possible knife. More ideally, I would remember this hypothetical list of terms perfectly in all cases. Heel and toe seem to work well, but then the butt is below the heel.
 
joedhiggins said:
Yeah, heel may be a better descriptor. It is unfortunate that there isn't a totally consistent naming schema for all parts of every possible knife. More ideally, I would remember this hypothetical list of terms perfectly in all cases. Heel and toe seem to work well, but then the butt is below the heel.
Click to expand...
LOL Knives don’t have a Butt! At least my Culinary knives don’t have a butt!;)
 
joedhiggins said:
What term do you use to describe the base of the handle, farthest from the tip, when no pommel is present?

edit: I realize that your response was in jest.
Click to expand...
Actually I’m serious! LOL . I can’t ever remember having to describe the base of the handle!, but I’d just call it the Stern, Nautical like . But you are welcome to call it the butt if you like!
 
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