Everyone loves the taste of sushi, but what is sushi without the right knife to get the fillet in the most desired cut? Choosing the best sushi knives isn’t so easy because many brands present thin bade knives that seem to be able to do the job. However, we have reviewed the top seven knives that will do the exact thing you want a sushi knife to do.
Type of Sushi Knives
Sushi originated from Japan, but it is now fancied all over the world. When you go to a great sushi shop, and you wonder how the roll is perfectly sliced, you should give credit to the knife first before the expertise of the chef who made it. This is because a bad knife can ruin perfect sushi.
Since sushi is majorly the combination of vegetables and seafood, then the most delicately edged knife is needed to arrive at those fancy looking slice you are used to seeing. The traditional sushi knife is often horned to have a single edge tip unlike the western-styled knives with double edges. Sushi is a Japanese meal that has been prepared traditionally using six types of sushi knives and: Deba, Santoku, Nakiri, Usuba, Takohiki, and Yanagi.
For beginners or lovers of homemade sushi, the Usuba, Yanagi, and Takohiki will give you the best kind of flexibility you want in a sushi knife. They offer enough balance in making sure that the best sushi slice is achieved. The Deba, Usuba, and Nakiri are shaped like the Chinese cleaver and look so much like it. Hence, it is expected that you have all the flexibility and support that you need to work your vegetables and raw seafood with total ease.
The Santoku has a well-honed edge and broad blade that is very distinct from the Chinese cleaver looking sushi knives. It comes with bolster support and a full tang that gives it almost a western feel. The Takohiki and Yanagi have thin blades, and the blades are long. They are very lightweight to hand and they are amazingly flexible for filleting and cutting smaller pieces from small cut seafood.
Sushi Knives vs Sashimi Knives
So many people mistake a sushi and sashimi knife to be the same. In case you do, I am happy to tell you that you are not the first. Both knives look almost the same, and an amateur sushi maker could use the sashimi knife to make sushi from scratch to finish. The question now is, what is the difference?
In making sushi, as mentioned earlier, so many things are diced and sliced. This may include vegetables, seafood, rice, and so on. While a sushi knife is designed to be capable of cutting all of these ingredients, a sashimi knife is designed to cut raw fish or seafood only. A sashimi knife is particularly horned to give you an effortless slicing experience. In sushi making, a professional chef cold has both sushi and sashimi knives to carry out some specific task while making sushi.
The Yanagida, for instance, is a sashimi knife that is excellent for filleting fish. This knife helps a professional sushi maker to cut deep into a fish to slice out the desired shape without bruising the surface of the fish. Also, the fuguhiki is an excellent sashimi knife that is used in cutting a tinier piece of fish into desired shapes and slices.
Top 7 Best Sushi Knives from Our Reviews
| Rank | Knife | Blade Material |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yoshihiro Shiroko Kasumi Yanagi Sushi-Sashimi Chef Knife | Carbon steel |
| 2 | Dalstrong Phantom Series Four-Inch Paring Knife | Japanese AUS-8 steel |
| 3 | Paudin Razor Sharp Eight-Inch Sushi-Sashimi Nonstick Knife | High-quality German stainless steel |
| 4 | Lucky Cook Ten-Inch Sashimi Sushi Knife | High-quality stainless steel |
| 5 | Tojiro DP Sujihiki 10.5-Inch Sushi Knife | High-quality stainless steel |
| 6 | Simple Song Eight-Inch Japanese Gyuto Kitchen Knife | 420HC stainless steel |
| 7 | Pokalee Santoku Seven-Inch Japanese Sushi Knife | German High Carbon Stainless Steel |
1. Yoshihiro Shiroko Kasumi Yanagi Sushi-Sashimi Chef Knife
Ranking top on our list is this amazing Yoshihiro knife for anyone searching for the best sushi knife in the world. You don’t have to buy two types of the knife all because you want to achieve the most perfect cut of sushi. This amazing knife can serve as both a sushi knife as well as a sashimi knife.
Most interestingly, this knife is handmade in Japan to offer you a second to none quality that rare to find. With over sixty-two rate in the Rockwell hardness scale, this knife is exceptionally strong, but yet offers all the needed flexibility you need to get the right sushi shape. It is a Yanagi cut sushi-sashimi knife that can as well serve as a multipurpose chef knife for filleting and general cutting.
Furthermore, the best Japanese sushi knives are often made from carbon steel, and this knife here isn’t an exception. It is also honed to be a double-edged tip blade. This knife helps you cut through food without damaging the cells and surface of the food. Hence, texture and taste are retained within the food. The handle is a Mongolian handle that is carved to offer ergonomic benefits. Also, it comes with a wooden sheath to protect the knife after use.
Pros and Benefits
- Mongolian handle with an ergonomic advantage
- Protective wooden sheath
- Precision blade with double-edged feature
- Multipurpose
2. Dalstrong Phantom Series Four-Inch Paring Knife
A sushi knife doesn’t have to be so long before they function effectively. With this four-inch sushi knife, you will be able to achieve as much as any other knife with a long blade will achieve. Here is the best sushi knife for beginners that are luxuriously designed to be portable and stylish for all sushi occasions. It is honed into a double-edged blade made from high carbon stainless steel that is further enhanced for hardness and durability.
Thus, the Dalstrong paring knife is resistant against oxidation, corrosion, and stains. With the fifty-eight rate in the Rockwell hardness scale, this knife offers you the strength you need to get your sushi job done. It has excellent edge retention features that help you cut through food easily without damaging the texture, taste, and surface of the food.
This knife helps you create an intimate moment between the knife and your sushi such that the best slices are achieved. To give your hands all the comfort it needs is a handle that is designed with pakkawood. This handle gives you a complete ergonomic advantage that you seek. You won’t even have to deal with an awkward slippery situation.
Pros and Benefits
- Ergonomically designed pakkawood handle
- High carbon steel blade
- Double-edge hone
- The excellent edge retention feature
3. Paudin Razor Sharp Eight-Inch Sushi-Sashimi Nonstick Knife
With an eight-inch blade, there’s hardly anything you want this knife to do for you that it wouldn’t do. The edge retention mechanism is so perfect that not only will help you cut through your sushi swiftly that the surface and the texture of your sushi are not affected. The knife works swiftly to retain the taste of the fish, and with the blade length, you can slice the fish into your desired size.
The blade is handmade for perfection, and it is coated with non-stick that ensures whatever you cut comes off almost immediately. Furthermore, the blade is made from high carbon German stainless steel that assures you premium durability and maximum strength. That is why we are not surprised that the blade rates almost sixty in the Rockwell hardness scale, and is considered to be the best sashimi knife you can currently get.
To provide enough comfort while you cut is its handle that is ergonomically designed for effortless cutting. The handle is soft and offers a completely secure grip. Hence, you don’t have to worry about the knife slipping off while you are using it. The knife is also very multipurpose in functionality and ideal for use on all other meats and poultry. Just make sure you do not debone with this knife, and you are good.
Pros and Benefits
- Soft and secure handle with ergonomic feature
- High carbon stainless steel blade
- Non-sticky edge
- Antirust and stain-proof features
4. Lucky Cook Ten-Inch Sashimi Sushi Knife
If you are a big fan of traditional Japanese sushi knife, then this knife will suit you like no other. It is honed to have a single-edge blade tip like a traditional Japanese sushi knife. The blade is, however, made from high carbon stainless steel that gives it strength and timeless durability. Also, this makes it resistant to rust and stain all in a bid to ensure the blade retains its dauntless look all year long.
You won’t just be getting a knife; you will be getting a quality sheath too. The sheath is carved like a box, and you can safely secure the knife in it after use to avoid unnecessary oxidation. Furthermore, this ten-inch blade is all your need whether you are a sushi chef or you need an excellent knife to fillet or work your meat with.
It comes with a comfortable handle that is easy to grip and secure to hold. You don’t have to worry about the knife slipping off while you use it. The handle comes with its unique ergonomic feature that eases your hand on the knife effortlessly and comfortably.
Pros and Benefits
- Easy to handle
- Suitable for multipurpose chef needs
- Ergonomic handle
- Single-edge knife with great edge retention
5. Tojiro DP Sujihiki 10.5-Inch Sushi Knife
Here is a premium Japanese Sushi knife made by a brand that understands all the techniques of making blades that can penetrate raw flesh without disrupting the surface and texture. It is designed to carry the traditional sushi knife designed, and it is double-edged to make slicing and cutting very easy.
You won’t just be slicing and cutting your sushi or ingredients; you will be doing that a lot faster because this knife carries a ten and a half-inch of the premium blade. The blade is made from high carbon stainless steel, and as such, it is resistant against rust and stain. You are set to enjoy a lifetime of strength and durability with this knife. It also comes with an excellent edge retention feature that means you won’t be sharpening the edge too frequently than desirable.
Furthermore, the blade is so lightweight that you enjoy genuine flexibility and easy maneuvering with the knife. It comes with a triple-riveted handle that secures the blade and ensures it doesn’t fall off while in use. Also, the knife is carved to ensure the essential ergonomic benefit and easy grip.
Pros and Benefits
- Lightweight and easy to use
- Handle with the ergonomic benefit
- Double-edged blade with great edge retention
- Resistant to stain and rust
6. Simple Song Eight-Inch Japanese Gyuto Kitchen Knife
There is one thing about Japanese knives that make them very outstanding. Perhaps, it is the single bevel edge or not, but we are sure they are distinctive. This particular knife isn’t an exception. Firstly, it is made from high carbon stainless steel and forged with heat for unique blade hardness. Thus, the blade becomes resistant to stain and rust.
This makes the knife uniquely durable and strong for lifetime use. We are not surprised when we realized that the knife rated almost sixty in the Rockwell hardness scale. The blade is lightweight and offers completely easy handling to both professional use and regular home use. Yes, it is great for both sushi and sashimi, and you can also use it for other use aside deboning.
Also, the knife comes with a full tang that runs deep into the rosewood handle to secure the blade firmly into the handle. Hence, the knife is forever secured and will not slip or come off while in use. The handle also comes with an interesting level of ergonomic benefits that makes handling even more comfortable.
Pros and Benefits
- Full tang and single bevel edge feature
- Lightweight blade with blemish resistant advantage
- Rosewood handle with ergonomic benefits
- Multipurpose
7. Pokalee Santoku Seven-Inch Japanese Sushi Knife
Santoku knives are often very versatile. They are versatile enough to help you achieve neatly slices sushi and versatile enough for general kitchen use. This knife offers the same versatility at an amazingly affordable price. The fact that it comes with a seven-inch blade also comes it a fancy of most professional sushi maker.
You don’t have to invest in the most expensive sushi knife before you enjoy the premium features like durability and flexibility. This knife is very affordable, and it is equally made with high carbon stainless steel. Thus, the knife is fortified for maximum strength, and you also enjoy resistance against rust and general stain. The Rockwell hardness scale rates fifty-eight, and this means the knife carries enough strength to help you achieve all your cutting needs.
Nothing beats a triple-riveted handle because it means the knife is well-secured, and you won’t have to deal with the knife snapping off and injuring you while in use. Furthermore, the knife comes with a full ergonomic advantage that makes handing very comfortable and the knife very easy to use.
Pros and Benefits
- Triple-riveted handle with ergonomic feature
- Fifty-eight Rockwell hardness scale
- Bolster support and high carbon stainless steel blade
- All-stain resistant feature
How to Choose a Sushi Knife?
Choosing a sushi knife isn’t all that difficult when you know what you are looking for, and you are essentially looking for three main features. These features are the blade, the handle, and the weight of the knife.
The blade has to be specifically manufactured to ensure precision cutting that ensures the surface and texture of your raw food isn’t destroyed on impact. That is why high carbon stainless steel that is precision forged with heat is most desirable.
The weight of your blade matters and you should always settle for a product that is lightweight and offers a balanced weight between the blade and the handle. This makes it easier to handle. The handle most also offers full ergonomic support so that your wrist will work more effortlessly without any strain. Also, watch out for handles with a non-slippery feature.
So, what is the best sushi knife?
Sushi knives are not difficult to choose, and if you still think they are, we have reviewed even the best sushi knives that you can choose from. This guide offers a complete overview of all you need to understand about a sushi knife; and the difference between a sushi knife and a sashimi knife. And our recommendation is:
Yoshihiro Shiroko Kasumi Yanagi Sushi-Sashimi Chef Knife
These knives have amazing features, and they are affordable, depending on what your budget is. However, you need to understand that sushi knives are an investment, and you need to invest right to enjoy all the benefits that come with a good sushi knife.