A Kiritsuke is a cross between a Yanagi and an Usuba. A Yanagi is typically used to slice raw fish for sushi and an Usuba is intended for vegetables. Most Kiritsuke designs retain a single bevel, although double bevel Kiritsukes are becoming more popular.
The Usuba knife is best for cutting vegetables, especially for making thin sheet cuts of vegetables or for more delicate work such as kazari-giri (decorative cutting). Its sharp and exceptionally thin edge allows chefs to make precise cuts and slice through firm and dense vegetables without cracking them.
What is a Kiritsuke knife best for? The Kiritsuke is best for cutting vegetables and slicing fish, just like the Usuba and the Yanagiba. It can also be used to thinly slice or portion boneless proteins, such as chicken. However, it is not a substitute for a Chef's Knife or the Gyuto, and should not be treated like one.
The single bevel knives have a ridiculously thick spine which makes using them more difficult due to the added heft. Also since the kiritsuke is a multi-purpose knife, the flat cutting edge can make slicing meats more challenging to the uninitiated.
The kiritsuke yanagiba is designed for three primary cutting methods: push-cutting , pull-cutting, and chopping. Push-cutting works well for thin slices of sushi-grade fish, while pull-cutting is ideal for long vegetables like cucumbers. Use chopping for denser foods such as root vegetables.
Whereas a nakiri is invariably a double-bevel knife, the usuba is (almost always) a kataha or single bevel blade. The styles share a flat blade profile, with neither having any belly to speak of.
The Yanagiba is designed to cut through fish in a single stroke to avoid damaging or tearing the fish. To achieve this, it has a very long blade, so it doesn't need to be sawn back and forth.
If you need a workhorse for some heavy-duty cutting then the Western chef knife is ideal, for precise and versatile cutting the Santoku will be your best bet and the Kiritsuke is best suited to those looking for ultra-fine precision and is best utilised by professional chefs doing prep work with vegetables or slicing ...
If precision and specialized tasks are your focus, a Kiritsuke might be the right choice. However, for versatility and everyday kitchen tasks, a Santoku knife offers ease of use and efficiency. Whether you choose the Kiritsuke knife or the Santoku knife, you will elevate your kitchen capabilities.
In Japan, the Kiritsuke is considered a multi-purpose tool suitable for most kitchen tasks including cutting vegetables or meats.
Look for a kiritsuke knife made from high-quality steel, such as VG10 or AUS-10, which helps to maintain a sharp edge and resist corrosion.
Sharpen the rounded edge of the blade.
In the first step, angle the blade at 45 degrees and sharpen on a medium grit whetstone, being careful to maintain an even distribution of pressure and control. The blade on an Usuba is incredibly thin and you can very quickly grind too much away, so extra care is needed.
There is usuba (square tip) and kamagata-usuba (round&pointed tip). General sizes are 180 mm to 240 mm. The kamagata usuba has a pointed tip, which allows for more delicate work and decorative carving. Originated in Kansai (Osaka) region where the Imperial Court was located for long years.
The single bevel edged Kiritsuke is a versatile knife that can be used to perform some of the tasks usually done by the Yanagiba and Usuba. The heel section of the knife is virtually flat and can be used just like an Usuba.
➝ Bunka has a shorter blade with a wider profile and a double-bevel edge, which means it makes for a great multi-purpose knife, suitable for a wide range of tasks and dishes. ➝ Kiritsuke is a single-bevel knife, specialized for the traditional preparation of raw fish and vegetables.
Ramsay likes Henckels knives. This is a German brand known for their toughness and bulky blades. The Shun Classic Western Chef's Knife, handcrafted in Japan, is Bobby Flay's recommendation for the best chef's knife. He's talked about the Shun brand many times, and says he uses this particular knife for most everything.
The kiritsuke knife is a Japanese style slicing knife that is used mainly for thinly slicing fish, vegetables, and fruit, using push/pull cutting. It is traditionally only used by executive chefs because of its difficulty of use and significance as a symbol of status in the kitchen.
A gyuto is one of the most versatile knives because it can be used with vegetables, fish, and meat. It resembles a Western-style chef's knife, with a rounded blade that lets you rock the knife while chopping, but it's a bit longer and not as tall.
The Usuba Knife is a traditional Japanese blade that can measure between 165 — 240mm in length. Designed specifically for cutting vegetables, the Usuba knife is known for its long straight blade edge and traditional wooden handle with a partial tang.
These knives are used for cutting, chopping, and skinning vegetables in Japanese cuisine. Usuba knives generally have an incredibly thin cutting edge, allowing for razor-thin peeling. For example, using an usuba properly would let you make a ratatouille you could almost see through!
Yes, a Yanagiba knife can be used to slice meat, especially for cutting clean, thin slices of raw boneless meat such as chicken.