Sakai Takayuki 33-Layer Damascus Nakiri Vegetable Knife, 160mm / 6.3", Magnolia Wood Handle

This knife looks like a vegetable knife used by sushi chefs (called Usuba), but a Nakiri is thin and super-sharp and so makes a fantastic all-around kitchen chopper (note: it's NOT a cleaver, so don't use it like one... frozen foods, root vegetables and other hard items can damage any thin and sharp knife). Use it like a straighter version of a santoku or chef's knife for chopping vegetables and fruits and other such items. Just as with the other knives in this series, you get a super sharp and long-lasting VG-10 steel cutting core for high performance, reliability and ease of maintenance.

These knives really are very sharp, with excellent construction quality and they just look spectacular with the layered steel, hammered finish and beautiful magnolia wood traditional Japanese-style handle. 

If you like the damascus layered steel look, this is a truly excellent choice. You get a super sharp and long-lasting VG-10 steel cutting core (this is a very hard steel and high quality knife steel, with a Rockwell hardness of approximately 60), with a 33-layer hammered stainless steel surface and a beautifully Japanese-style wooden handle.

NOTE: Handle colour/finish may vary from the version pictured here. It is natural wood, and so some are lighter or darker than others, and small imperfections are to be expected and are not considered defects. The wood is not sealed and so extra care must be taken to keep it dry and clean... do NOT leave it sitting in a sink or in water!! As with all quality knives, wash, rinse, hand-dry and store immediately after use.

I'd recommend the fine Idahone ceramic hone for regular/daily maintenance of the edge. As with any knife, use the hone regularly and you'll keep the edge in good shape for a LONG time before you need to think about doing any serious "re-sharpening" or real grinding and refinishing of the edge.

NOTE: This knife is sharpened 50/50 (equally on the right and left side), so it's easy to maintain and fine for right or left hand use. If you look carefully at the edge, you'll see a slight right-side bias, this is just because the final edge is so tiny and because of the way they finish the edge; it has NO bearing on right- or left-hand use, sharpening or maintenance and can be ignored, so you should treat the edge just like any standard 50/50 edge.