DALSTRONG Nakiri Vegetable Knife Review

Japanese knives are well-known in chef circles around the world.

Their purpose-built design and performance in the kitchen set them apart from the rest.

One of the most important Japanese knives is the Nakiri knife.

If you’d like to add one to your collection, you might want to check out the DALSTRONG Nakiri Vegetable Knife.

Can it speed up the most time-consuming tasks in the kitchen, which is prep work?

DALSTRONG Nakiri Vegetable Knife

DALSTRONG produces a wide range of professional knives in different sizes and with different kinds of steel.

This six-inch Nakiri knife is from their Shogun Series X.

While it hasn’t seen any upgrades, it’s still one of the most popular knives from the brand.

It features the distinct Shogun X Series tsunami rose pattern. The company calls it the vegetable assassin.

Who Is This Product For?

This six-inch Nakiri knife from the Shogun X Series is a professional vegetable knife designed for use by the pros.

It is ideal for restaurant kitchens because they demand speed and efficiency, which a Japanese knife like this can definitely provide.

From this, we can say that it can essentially reduce hours of prep work cutting vegetables for the day.

The blade is just the right size to cut a variety of greens.

As such, it can suit any restaurant’s kitchen regardless of its focus cuisine or culture.

If you’re a home chef, you may find this expensive for regular use.

That said, if you can afford a high-end knife like this, it doesn’t hurt to get the same professional cutting experience in your home.

Since it’s for cutting vegetables, it may not serve the same purpose as a versatile Chef’s knife or a smaller paring knife.

What’s Included?

This Nakiri knife arrives packed in the intricate DALSTRONG packaging, a nice box with the blade wrapped in paper.

It comes with a knife cover with the DALSTRONG engraved logo and printed name.

Overview of the Features

DALSTRONG has designed this knife to last a lifetime using materials that are not only sturdy but also luxurious.

Believe it or not, it takes 60 days to make one of these knives.

This just goes to show how intricate and detailed the craftsmanship is.

Let’s look at the blade and the handle individually to get to know their features and functionalities.

• Blade

This Nakiri knife has a seven-inch-long squarish blade with Japanese AUS-10 V steel at its core.

On top of that, a whopping 66 layers of high-carbon stainless steel enhance the strength and stain resistance.

It features a very sharp edge that is polished to have a mirror-like surface.

The angle is eight to 12 degrees on each side, achieved through the meticulous three-step Honbazuke method.

The tapered design makes the cut smooth, as the blade pierces through even the hardest of vegetables, like carrots, beets, and taro.

As the blade is wide, it also helps pick up the chopped vegetables to transfer onto a plate or bowl from the chopping board.

The hammered design on the surface, which is standard on Nakiri knives, allows the blade to come out of the vegetable effortlessly by creating air pockets.

The blade scores over 62 on the Rockwell hardness scale, which means it’s pretty sharp and has reliable edge retention.

Thanks to the nitrogen cooling treatment, the blade has extra hardness and is corrosion-resistant.

• Handle

Of course, a knife is as good as its handle, and this one features a beautiful riveted handle with an ergonomic shape.

Since you use such knives for long hours, the handle must be comfortable and offer a firm grip.

This G-10 Garolite handle is smooth and lightweight, perfect for hours of chopping vegetables in the kitchen.

The center rivet has a copper mosaic pin for a decorative effect.

More than anything, the highlight is the stainless-steel end cap, which has a beautiful DALSTRONG lion head engraving.

It’s not just a decorative edge cap but also bolsters the knife’s function.

The black handle is hand-polished to match the shiny aesthetic of the knife. On the other end, the blade’s spine is easy to pinch grip.

The handle and blade move harmoniously without the need for much force from your hand.

How To Use This Nakiri Knife

Using a Nakiri knife does require some learning.

Although it’s supposed to make cutting vegetables easy, that only applies if you do it correctly.

It really depends on what you’re chopping and what kind of cut you want.

Here’s a tutorial video that shows how to use the DALSTRONG Nakiri knife.

Basically, you’ll want to pinch the top of the blade with your thumb and index finger, with the other three wrapped around the handle.

For a straight cut, pinch the spine of the blade with the other hand.

Alternative

As this DALSTRONG Nakiri Vegetable Knife review shows, it’s an expensive, professional knife.

Still, you may want to consider an alternative as well.

The Wallop Nakiri Knife is a 6.5-inch vegetable knife made using German steel, a kind of high-carbon steel that received vacuum heat treatment.

Unfortunately, it does score lesser on the Rockwell hardness scale, coming in at 56+.

The handle has an ergonomic shape and is ambidextrous; you can easily use it with either left or right hand.

This handle is Pakkawood, so it has a lightweight construction and gives the knife a very natural feel.

Unlike the DALSTRONG knife, the blade has a smooth finish with no hammering or design.

It does have the Wallop logo and brand name printed. Plus, the satin finish of the blade looks aesthetically pleasing.

Lastly, it is also very sharp and cuts vegetables effortlessly.

Conclusion

This DALSTRONG Nakiri Vegetable Knife review has probably convinced you to make this your next vegetable knife.

Yes, it’s expensive, but it is a worthy one-time investment that will improve your prep experience and reduce prep time.

Any restaurant’s success hinges on efficiency and punctuality.

If you run a busy kitchen, this Japanese Nakiri knife will help you serve your guests in a timely manner.