How to Use A Kiritsuke - Japanese Kitchen Knife Skills

The kiritsuke is a super handy multipurpose Japanese knife to have in your kitchen. It's got enough rock to cut meat, but often has a flat back edge in order to easily mince your parsley and green onions. The kiritsuke is an ultra-versatile knife, but having some good knife skills really makes the difference! Former chef Mike is here to show you how to use a kiritsuke like a pro.
NOTE: Today we're talking about the version of the kiritsuke that's essentially a flatter-bellied gyuto, not it's single-beveled cousin. Let us know if you'd like to hear more about the single bevel kiritsuke!
Mike is using the Masashi Shiroshu Kiritsuke 210mm: knifewear.com/...
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Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:05 Horizontal Cucumbers
2:26 The Mighty Onion
4:51 The Mighty (Spring) Onion
8:05 The Pepper Roll
12:20 Prepping Fennel
16:40 The Parsley Mince
18:54 Ring the Bell

[@FerociousSniper]

I just got a kiritsuke. Really excited to use it at work. Also, I used to have to medium dice 5 gallons of holy trinity once or twice a week, and that's exactly how I did my bell peppers, and my chef LOVED how nice my diced bell pepper were coming out.

[@KnifewearKnives]

Respect the holy trinity!

[@abumpersticker]

Such a great video. I came here to simply learn more about Kiritsuke knives and I walked away with a bunch of great, useful tips to better cut with any knife. I will probably use that onion technique till the day I die. Bravo!

[@KnifewearKnives]

That's great news, thank you!

[@FoxHound-ch1yy]

Almost ready to buy myself one of these knives. so professional and sophisticated. I've heard too in restaurants in Japan by tradition it's ONLY the executive chef that has the Kiritsuke

[@KnifewearKnives]

Good question! We've heard this too, but our Japanese colleagues have confirmed this is a myth.

[@randomdudeontheinternet9926]

A kiritsuke looks cool but a gyuto is a better choice I think. There is more of a curve at the top which allows more of a rocking motion and you’re less likely to shove the tip in the cutting board.

[@wyfyj]

Love this. Gotta remember, tool not jewel

[@frostgarcia5257]

A kiritsuke is my go-to knife

[@jamericanvirgo5944]

Likewise , it was my first Japanese knife and instantly became my preferred go to knife at home /work. Great Video!!

[@stephanieprado2880]

Great tips, I thought there wasn't much more to learn about knife skills, turns out there is! Loved it

[@KnifewearKnives]

Thanks for watching!

[@Mark_Nadams]

Obviously a western dual bevel sharpened cutting edge on your kiritsuke. I recently ordered one very similar made of VG-10 steel with a full tang and more western style handle, because my knife skills are good but not great. I can hardly wait to make use of my new knife. Thanks for the technique tips. A high end true Japanese kiritsuke has a single bevel cutting edge available in left and right hand versions. The blade should be pretty heavy and typically only used by someone with top notch knife skills like a head chef. In the right hands it can be used for almost everything from super thin sushi to primal cut butchery. It will be a few years before I might consider my knife skills worthy of a single bevel edge Japanese kiritsuke.

[@KnifewearKnives]

Glad I could help, enjoy your new knife!

[@jonny9884]

Im looking at a modified Kiritsuke. 15 cm, slight curve to the edge, to use as my high-end Santoku. Thanks for the tips, reminders, and examples of cutting, slicing using one !

[@KnifewearKnives]

Glad I could help!

[@H4KnSL4K]

BTW, great job with the background music

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

I definitely need a nice Kiritsuke and Gyuzo quality set of Japanese knives.

[@gaurlglmistrz]

Thanks for this awesome video, I've learned so much! Sorry for bitchin but could see all the detail cause of the overblown highlights but apart from that it was a pleasure to watch!

[@gabrieldorthe9937]

“cook'em something great-tell'em to shut it”: now that's a very useful piece of advice! The whole video is great, thanks guys!

[@KnifewearKnives]

Words to live by.

[@KnifewearKnives]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@TheFilletingfish]

Beautiful blade. Would be ideal in a professional kitchen. Thanks for the video. Great cutting technique too

[@KnifewearKnives]

Thanks for watching!

[@H4KnSL4K]

Another great video, thanks!

[@KnifewearKnives]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@H4KnSL4K]

@@KnifewearKnives I enjoyed it while making a salad using a sweet bunka that I had obtained from Knifewear recently. 😜

[@AlbertaBoy247]

This was great, thank you! I was kind of intimidated by the idea of a kiritsuki knife, hearing that even in professional Japanese kitchens, only the top chefs are allowed to use them…. I have been struggling for a month now, trying to decide which knives to go with as it is time to replace our “arsenal” for two busy home cooks. One thing I got a kick out of was your explanation of using the root of the onion to keep things together while you slice, while I swear you cut off the root and stem just seconds prior… ;) Anyway, great video. It inspired me to make a side dish of fennel tonight. Cheers!

[@KnifewearKnives]

Hey, glad you enjoyed it! We've heard that story about the kiritsuke being for top chefs. After confirming with a few experts, it turns out to be a myth!

[@furialiam]

Great videos. Thanks))

[@KnifewearKnives]

Thank you!

[@catadioptre]

Nice video, didn't know the fennel's root was edible. By the way, as your joint is good, I think my english is fluent (since i'm french).

[@theredbar-cross8515]

I've used a gyuto and kiri a lot. The kiri is definitely the cooler looking of the two styles, but the fragility of that tip is a liability. The TINIEST ding against anything, even something soft, can take that tip off. A gyuto doesn't really have this problem. And there's really nothing that the kiri can do that the gyuto can't do at least 90% as well.

[@Angel_Cortez_NYC]

Mike is cool AF actually him & Naoto are my favorite at knifewear! Masashi Yamamoto is awesome too however not sure if I’d like this Shiroshu would have to hold it see in RL

[@KnifewearKnives]

Thanks! Once you pick one up they hard hard to put down.

[@saquibamjad189]

Thank you for this demo! I just bought a Hasashi Yamamoto Kiritsuke SLD 210mm. I really love it but the place where I bought it (Dictum Germany) did not have a knife sheath for it, mainly as its width is more than the average Kiritsuke (53mm). Do you know where I can get a knife sheath? What material is best for keeping the longevity of the knife?

[@joetaylor1089]

If you are wondering, most japanese knives tend to come with a wooden "sheath" (I believe it has a different name. A sword scabbard is called a saya and I believe it is the same for knives). You can find some pre-manufactured ones online that might work if you are diligent and check the dimensions. I saw one on Amazon and a Google search for your knife dimensions and "saya" at the end will probably get you something close. If it is a bit longer, it would probably be ok. Otherwise, I know there are a lot of ideas on the internet for more universal solutions. I hope this helps you.

[@mattiereid77]

I expect peeled onions too. thank you pimp D

[@stever5620]

What is the cutting board you are using, please? That thing is awesome! Love the knife too. LOL

[@KnifewearKnives]

It's an amazing board! It's this guy: knifewear.com/products/larch-wood-end-grain-cutting-board This is the knife: knifewear.com/products/masashi-sld-damascus-kiritsuke-210mm

[@danielbottner7700]

Your ability to communicate concepts to improve our cutting skills are outstanding. The benefits of this knife design are well explained. - I am interested in your thoughts on the value equations of various elements of knife blade & knife handle design elements. - Are there knife blade or handle design elements you find less than optimal, any areas of knife design where real improvements would be appreciated ?

[@eronavbj]

When I remove the seeds from a cucumber, I half it lengthwise then scrape out the seed portion with a teaspoon. It’s quicker, cleaner, and FAR safer.

[@nathanarnould256]

Hey, great great video ! Love the knife and the explanation. Something bugs me tho, you said in the video description that it is a 210mm however on the website it looks like a 240mm because of the handle color. are you aware of a possible change of color of the handle for the 210mm ? Thanks in advance !

[@KnifewearKnives]

Hey, my bad, that Masashi is absolutely a 240mm!

[@coldfoamer]

Hi there. What’s the difference between this knife and a bunka?

[@KnifewearKnives]

Hi! The short answer is length.The bunka likes to hang out around the 165-180mm area, whereas the Kiritsuke tends to start around 190-210mm and goes up from there.

[@KnifewearKnives]

Bunka is typically shorter and has a blade profile similar to that of a santoku.

[@MrDavid1310]

What brand and model is that knife?

[@KnifewearKnives]

That's a Masashi Shiroshu! knifewear.com/products/masashi-sld-damascus-kiritsuke-210mm

[@nunoaraujo3688]

Does that knife good for cut meat?

[@KnifewearKnives]

Absolutely!

[@johanntoday]

Where to get a cutting board like that ? It’s giant. I want.

[@KnifewearKnives]

Right here! knifewear.com/products/larch-wood-end-grain-cutting-board?variant=12315280516

[@johanntoday]

@@KnifewearKnives thanks! It’s a great look

[@tonycrescitelli5511]

What the name of the knife your using?

[@KnifewearKnives]

Masashi Shiroshu Kiristuke 210mm!

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

... you're* using

[@Henry-y8d2s]

At 4:35 says not to scrape the knife blade across the cutting board. Then at 6:42 does what he said not to do.....Scrapes the blade OMG. Again at 17:23 scrapes the blade. Again at 18:16 scrapes the blade. There is a saying...."Practice what you preach". DO IT

[@fourgedmushrooms5958]

You need to cut with heel of the blade more

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

You use a kiritsuke just like any regular chef knife with the addition of showing it off with its supposedly bad-ass looking cut-tip-blade to your friends. Seriously, what exact purpose does the angular tip serve?

[@KnifewearKnives]

It looks awesome, that's it! Some folks find it more precise, but some blacksmiths started making it that way because doing a straight cut was easier than curving the tip.

[@baolicious]

This is more accurately called how to use a double beveled one.

[@philliplamb6046]

Not a kiritsuke. Show technique with traditional, single bevel kiritsuke.

[@philliplamb6046]

That is NOT a kiritsuke.

[@earlycheese6083]

I’d forbid calling a kiritsuke a double beveled knife 😂

[@douglasborgaro6801]

@earlycheese I guess. I’m not messing with single. I’m not worthy.

[@gonzacesena]

what is it then?

[@absidyabsidy2727]

@@gonzacesenait is a kiritsuke-style gyuto. A kiritsuke is a single beveled knife.

[@barbarayhivjaneahl3198]

Why are we calling a bunkas kiritsukis? For clout?

[@81Garret]

The u is silent bro kiritske

[@perniciouspete4986]

If you're going to call a Japanese knife by its proper name, you should at least pronounce it correctly.

[@wasabi_san]

you have so much knowledge about knives but you can't pronounce santoku and bunka.

[@trevorw66]

Or kiritsuke. The u is silent.

[@jks3190]

I'm Japanese, but it's 95% correct so I'd say it's close enough. Unlike some people that say "Gyoto" and "Santuko" for some reason lol.