Most sushi knife guides online are written by people who have never worked in a sushi kitchen. They list knives by price, paste in Amazon links, and call it a guide. This one is different.
I work in a professional sushi kitchen in London. I use a Gyuto, a Yanagiba, a Nakiri, and a Petty knife every single service. I know exactly what each knife does, when to reach for it, and — just as importantly — when not to. I also know what a beginner should start with and what they should wait to buy until they're ready.
This is a complete guide to every knife a sushi chef actually uses — with honest recommendations for every level, from someone making sushi at home for the first time to someone building a serious knife collection.
The Knives — Jump Straight to Any
All knives covered in this guide
How This Guide Works
Each knife section has two tiers — a beginner pick for those starting out, and a serious upgrade for when you're ready to invest properly. You don't need to buy everything at once. Start with one knife, learn it well, and add from there.
01 — Gyuto — The Most Important Knife
If you only ever buy one Japanese knife, buy a Gyuto. It is the most versatile blade in any kitchen — handles fish, vegetables, protein, herbs, everything. In a professional sushi kitchen it's the knife I reach for most during service. It's where every serious cook should start, full stop.
The Gyuto is the Japanese evolution of the Western chef's knife — lighter, harder, sharper, and more precise. It uses a rocking cut motion, comes typically in 210mm (8 inch) for professional use, and holds its edge significantly longer than any Western equivalent at the same price point.
- Size: 210mm (8 inch) is the professional sweet spot
- Best for: Everything — fish, vegetables, protein, herbs
- Cutting motion: Rocking cut and push cut
- Who should buy it: Professional chefs, serious home cooks, anyone starting a Japanese knife collection
Best Beginner Gyuto
Shan Zu Chef's Gyuto Knife
Shan Zu · High Carbon Stainless Steel
The knife I'd hand to any chef starting out. High-carbon stainless steel gives you real Japanese knife performance — proper sharpness and edge retention — without the fussiness of pure carbon steel that needs oiling and careful drying after every use. Balanced, responsive, handles everything a kitchen throws at it. Learn on this, build your technique, and you'll know exactly what you want when it's time to upgrade.
Premium Gyuto — SharpEdge
Takamura Gyuto Migaki VG-10 210mm
Takamura Hamono · VG-10 Steel · 61-62 HRC · Made in Japan
Takamura Hamono is a family smithy in Echizen, Fukui Prefecture — one of Japan's most respected knife-making regions. This is their entry Gyuto and it punches well above its price. VG-10 steel at 61-62 HRC gives you genuine edge retention and sharpness. The blade is exceptionally thin at 1.9mm spine — you feel the difference immediately in how precisely it moves through fish and vegetables. Western Yo handle in black pakka wood makes it immediately familiar. Gordon Ramsay, René Redzepi and Martha Stewart have all used Takamura knives. When you're ready to invest in something that will last your entire career, this is where to start.
02 — Santoku — The Home Cook's Best Friend
Santoku means three virtues — meat, fish, vegetables. At 6–7 inches with a flat edge and rounded tip, it's shorter and lighter than a Gyuto and immediately more approachable for someone who doesn't use a knife professionally every day.
The flat edge suits a straight up-and-down chopping motion rather than the rocking cut of a Gyuto — which is actually how most home cooks naturally cut anyway. It's easier to control, less intimidating, and still handles everything you'd need for home sushi making. If you're making sushi at home and want one excellent Japanese knife, this is the one.
- Size: 6–7 inches typical
- Best for: Vegetables, fish prep, everyday home cooking
- Cutting motion: Straight chop — up and down
- Who should buy it: Home cooks, beginners, anyone upgrading from a Western knife
Best Beginner Santoku
Shan Zu Santoku Knife
Shan Zu · High Carbon Stainless Steel
Same quality steel as the Shan Zu Gyuto — shaped for home kitchen use. Shorter and lighter which makes it much more approachable if you're not using a knife professionally every day. The flat edge is perfect for clean straight cuts through vegetables and fish. Sharp out of the box, easy to maintain on a whetstone, and genuinely good quality for the price. The right starting point for anyone making sushi at home.
Premium Santoku — SharpEdge
Hikari Santoku SLD Satin Polish 170mm
Hikari · SLD Steel · Satin Polish · 170mm
SLD steel is a step above VG-10 — a semi-stainless tool steel with exceptional edge retention and toughness. The satin polish finish gives it a clean professional look that holds up in a working kitchen. At 170mm it sits at the longer end of Santoku sizing, giving you more versatility than a shorter blade without losing the flat edge advantage. If you've been cooking with an entry-level Santoku and you can feel what it's missing, this is exactly what it's missing. A serious home cook's knife that will genuinely last years.
03 — Nakiri — The Vegetable Knife
The Nakiri has a completely flat rectangular blade with no pointed tip — built purely for vegetables. That flat edge means full contact with the cutting board on every stroke, producing clean cuts from end to end with no gaps or uncut sections. If you've ever noticed vegetables staying partially attached after cutting with a rounded blade, that's the problem a Nakiri solves.
It's not a beginner's first purchase — get your Gyuto or Santoku first. But as a second knife, especially if you do serious vegetable prep for sushi — cucumber, avocado, daikon — a Nakiri makes an immediate difference.
- Size: 6.5–7 inches
- Best for: Vegetables only — julienne, brunoise, thin slices
- Cutting motion: Straight up-and-down chop
- Who should buy it: Second knife purchase, anyone doing heavy vegetable prep for sushi
- Important: Not designed for fish or protein
Best Beginner Nakiri
Mitsumoto Sakari Nakiri Knife
Mitsumoto Sakari · High Carbon Stainless · Made in Japan
Made in Japan — not Japanese inspired, actually made there. High-carbon stainless steel with the flat rectangular profile a proper Nakiri needs. Every stroke connects fully with the board, giving you clean cuts through cucumber, avocado, daikon and any other vegetable without tearing or dragging. A solid entry into Nakiri territory at a price that doesn't require a big commitment.
Premium Nakiri — SharpEdge
Hatsukokoro Ginrei Nakiri Ginsan-ko Nashiji Ebony 160mm
Hatsukokoro · Ginsan-ko Steel · Nashiji Finish · Ebony Handle
This is a beautiful knife. Ginsan-ko (Silver #3) steel gives you near-stainless properties with the sharpness and edge retention closer to carbon steel — the best of both worlds for a kitchen knife. The Nashiji hammered finish reduces food sticking to the blade during prep. The ebony handle is weighted and balanced perfectly. If you're serious about vegetable prep for sushi — cucumber, daikon, avocado, everything that needs clean precise cuts — this Nakiri will make it effortless. A knife you'll reach for every session and never want to put down.
04 — Yanagiba — The Sashimi Knife
The Yanagiba is the knife most people think of when they think sushi. Long, thin, single-bevel — designed exclusively for slicing raw fish. A single pulling stroke through salmon or tuna with a sharp Yanagiba produces a cut that no other knife can replicate. The flesh isn't compressed or torn. It's clean, smooth, and presentation-ready.
But it is not a beginner's knife. A Yanagiba requires single-bevel sharpening technique which is different from anything you've done before. It requires a specific pulling motion. And it requires enough knife experience to read when the edge needs attention. Start with a Gyuto or Santoku. Come to the Yanagiba when you're ready.
If you want to move towards fish work before committing to single-bevel, the Hajegato 255mm below is the smart bridge knife — long enough for proper fish slicing, double-bevel so it's far easier to maintain.
- Size: 240mm home use, 270mm–300mm professional
- Best for: Raw fish slicing, sashimi, nigiri prep only
- Cutting motion: Single long pulling stroke
- Who should buy it: Experienced cooks, those learning fish work seriously
- Important: Do not buy this as your first knife
🔪 Step Towards Fish Work
Hajegato Premium Gyuto 255mm
Hajegato · Long Gyuto / Yanagiba Hybrid · 255mm
Before you commit to a full single-bevel Yanagiba, this is the knife to buy. At 255mm it's long enough for proper fish work — full pulling strokes through salmon and tuna — but it's double-bevel, which means sharpening it is the same as any other Japanese knife you already own. Use this to develop your fish cutting technique and build confidence with a longer blade. When you're consistently producing clean sashimi cuts on this, you're ready for a Yanagiba.
Best Entry Yanagiba
Mitsumoto Sakari Yanagiba 11 inch
Mitsumoto Sakari · Tungsten Steel · 11 inch
This is not the most expensive Yanagiba available — and that's deliberate. For someone learning single-bevel technique for the first time, this is the right entry point. Tungsten steel holds a serious edge and rewards proper sharpening with exceptional fish work. At 11 inches it's long enough for full sashimi pulls. Maintain it properly on a whetstone and it will outlast many knives at twice the price. Don't rush to this one — but when you're ready, it's worth it.
Premium Yanagiba — SharpEdge
Tsunehisa Yanagiba 240mm
Tsunehisa · 240mm · Single Bevel · Made in Japan
Tsunehisa is a respected Japanese knife maker and this 240mm Yanagiba is the right size for serious home sashimi work — long enough for full pulling strokes through salmon and tuna, manageable enough that you can develop proper single-bevel technique without fighting the blade. This is the upgrade to make when you've outgrown your entry Yanagiba and you know you're committed to proper fish work. A single long pull through a piece of salmon with this knife maintained correctly is one of the most satisfying things you can do in a kitchen.
The One Thing You Must Buy With Any Knife
A Japanese knife without a whetstone is a temporary knife. Pull-through sharpeners remove too much metal and destroy the edge geometry over time. Honing rods are wrong for harder Japanese steel. A whetstone is the only correct tool for maintaining a Japanese knife edge — and it's not as hard to learn as it looks.
The King 1000/6000 is the whetstone I use and the one I recommend to everyone starting out. Made in Japan, trusted in professional kitchens worldwide. 1000 grit restores a dull edge, 6000 grit polishes it to a razor finish. One stone. Works on every knife in this guide.
🪨 Non-Negotiable — Buy This With Every Knife
King 1000/6000 Whetstone
King · Made in Japan · Dual Grit 1000/6000
Made in Japan. Used in professional kitchens. The King 1000/6000 is the first whetstone recommendation of almost every serious knife person in the world — and for good reason. It covers everything: 1000 grit to bring back a dull edge, 6000 grit to finish it razor sharp. It works on every knife in this guide. Buy this alongside your first knife and learn to use it properly. A sharp knife maintained on a whetstone is safer, more enjoyable, and performs better in every way than a dull one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best sushi knife for home use UK?
For home cooks making sushi, a Santoku is the best starting point — shorter, lighter, and immediately approachable. It handles fish prep and vegetables well and suits the straight chopping motion most home cooks naturally use. Pair it with a King whetstone and you have everything you need.
Do I need a Yanagiba to make sushi at home?
No. A Yanagiba is a specialist single-bevel sashimi knife that requires specific technique to use and sharpen. Most home cooks making sushi don't need one. A Santoku or Gyuto handles home sushi making perfectly well. The Hajegato 255mm is a good middle step if you want to develop fish slicing technique before committing to a full Yanagiba.
How much should I spend on my first sushi knife?
Between £50–£100 for a quality first knife. Below £40 and the steel usually isn't good enough to hold an edge properly. Above £150 as a first knife is unnecessary — spend enough to get genuine high-carbon stainless steel, learn on it properly, and upgrade when you've developed enough technique to appreciate the difference.
What's the difference between a Gyuto and a Santoku?
The Gyuto is longer (around 8 inches), more pointed, and suits the rocking cut motion used in professional kitchens. The Santoku is shorter (6–7 inches), has a flatter edge and rounded tip, and suits the straight chopping motion most home cooks naturally use. Professionals tend to start with a Gyuto. Home cooks tend to find a Santoku more comfortable from day one.
When should I upgrade from Amazon knives to SharpEdge?
When you've been using your knife regularly for 6–12 months, you understand how to maintain it on a whetstone, and you can feel the difference a sharper edge makes. At that point you'll appreciate what a premium Japanese knife from a specialist retailer actually offers. Before that, a good entry-level knife teaches you everything you need to know.
Can I use a Japanese knife for everything when making sushi?
A Gyuto or Santoku handles most of what home sushi making requires — fish prep, vegetables, rolling ingredients. Japanese knives are harder and more brittle than Western knives, so avoid hard bones, frozen food, and anything requiring twisting or prying. Use them for what they're designed for and they'll perform brilliantly for years.
Quick Reference — Which Knife to Buy
The Short Answer
- First knife — professional chef → Shan Zu Gyuto on Amazon
- First knife — home cook → Shan Zu Santoku on Amazon
- Second knife — vegetable work → Mitsumoto Sakari Nakiri, made in Japan
- Moving towards fish work → Hajegato 255mm long Gyuto — the bridge knife
- Ready for sashimi → Mitsumoto Sakari Yanagiba 11 inch — not your first knife
- Ready to invest seriously → Browse SharpEdge for premium Japanese knives
- With every knife → King 1000/6000 Whetstone, made in Japan — non-negotiable
Every knife on this list has its place. Buy one, learn it properly, maintain it on a whetstone. Add the next one when you're ready. That's how a proper knife collection is built. 🔪