Sushi knives are cutting tools made specifically for making sushi. They are usually made from the highest quality of carbon steel. This is the same type used in making a “katana,” a traditional Japanese sword. The more affordable sushi knives now are made from stainless steel.



A sushi knife is differentiated from a regular western knife with its sharpness. Western knives are sharpened on both edges of the blade. A sushi knife, on the other hand, has only one end sharpened. This style is recognized as “kataba.”

Because only one end is sharpened, it takes a great deal of precision to perfect cutting sushi or other Japanese food. Because of this also, there is a different knife for lefthanders. And lastly, a sushi knife produces cleaner cuts because the food being cut is kept on the sharpened end only.

Making sushi is considered an art. Take good care of a sushi knife by following some simple guidelines.

Before using it, always hone a sushi knife. A dull blade will crush a maki. A sharp knife will require little pressure to cut through a sushi.

When cutting “maki,” make sure that the blade of your knife is barely wet. It makes sure to produce clean cuts. It is recommended to first dip the knife tip in water. Turn the knife up so that it points upward, and then tap the handle on the table for water to flow down on the cutting edge.

There are many different types of sushi knives depending on a specific cut to be used.

In slicing sashimi, there are three common knives used. First is the yanagi. It looks very much the same as the paring knife of the West. This is mostly used for fish. The second one is the fugu hiki. This is generally used for filleting. The puffer fish is the most common to be filleted. The third sashimi knife is called a yanagi ba. It has long and thin blades that can cut more difficult meat like octopus or squid.

Some fishes can be very large, like a tuna. For this kind, there are special heavy duty knives. It can measure to around 6 feet long and has very sharp blades.

Another common sushi knife is the deba bocho. This looks like a carving knife used by Westerns and is wider than a yanagi. Deba bocho is designed for cutting thick meats of big fishes. This can also be useful in cutting through beef and chicken.

Next in the popular line of sushi knives is unagisaki hocho. This is used in filleting fishes like eels. There is a sharp pointed tip specifically designed to take off the heads of eels. The body is shaped like a square and used to slice the meat afterwards.

To cut vegetables, there are two sushi knives usually used. First is the usuba bocho. And the other one is the nakiri bocho. Because of their unique straight edge feature, both knives can slice vegetables very easily without have to push down the blade.

The thin blades make clean and precise cuts without damaging the vegetables. So what is the difference between the two knives? The usuba bocho has only one sharpened edge. Nakiri bocho has both sides sharpened.

For those who love Japanese food like sushi, making your own sushi is part of the fun. Make sure to procure a sharp and durable sushi knife.