The Okada Blue #2 Tall Nakiri 180mm is a distinctive hybrid knife that blends the profile of a traditional nakiri with the height and presence of a Chinese-style cleaver. Hand-forged by Okada-san in Echizen at the Takefu Knife Village, this knife reflects his background as a maker of gardening tools, bringing strength, durability, and character into a bold and highly functional kitchen design.
The core steel is Aogami #2 (Blue #2), a high-carbon steel known for excellent edge retention and toughness. It is clad in stainless steel, which helps reduce maintenance while still allowing the core steel to take a very sharp edge. The blade features a tall profile and a very flat edge, making it ideal for push cutting vegetables, while the added height provides excellent knuckle clearance and makes food transfer easy. The grind is nicely convex, tapering down to a thin edge for smooth cutting performance.
What Customers Are Saying: Customers describe this knife as a perfect blend between a nakiri and a cleaver, offering great cutting performance without excessive weight. The tall blade makes it easy to scoop ingredients and provides excellent control, especially for users with larger hands. Many also appreciate the stainless cladding, noting it helps reduce reactivity when cutting wet vegetables, while still delivering the performance of Blue #2 steel.
Care Instructions: The core steel is reactive carbon steel. Wash and dry the knife thoroughly after each use to prevent rust. Avoid cutting frozen foods or bones. The stainless cladding helps with maintenance, but the exposed edge should be kept clean and dry.
Maker: Okada-san
Location: Echizen, Japan
Edge Steel: Blue #2 Carbon Steel
Construction: San Mai, Hammer Forged
Cladding: Stainless
Edge Grind: Even (50/50)
Hardness: ~62 HRC
Blade Length: 180 mm
Total Length: 342 mm
Spine Thickness at Base: 3 mm
Blade Height: 71 mm
Weight: 8.9 oz (254 g)
Handle: Octagonal
The core steel is Aogami #2 (Blue #2), a high-carbon steel known for excellent edge retention and toughness. It is clad in stainless steel, which helps reduce maintenance while still allowing the core steel to take a very sharp edge. The blade features a tall profile and a very flat edge, making it ideal for push cutting vegetables, while the added height provides excellent knuckle clearance and makes food transfer easy. The grind is nicely convex, tapering down to a thin edge for smooth cutting performance.
What Customers Are Saying: Customers describe this knife as a perfect blend between a nakiri and a cleaver, offering great cutting performance without excessive weight. The tall blade makes it easy to scoop ingredients and provides excellent control, especially for users with larger hands. Many also appreciate the stainless cladding, noting it helps reduce reactivity when cutting wet vegetables, while still delivering the performance of Blue #2 steel.
Care Instructions: The core steel is reactive carbon steel. Wash and dry the knife thoroughly after each use to prevent rust. Avoid cutting frozen foods or bones. The stainless cladding helps with maintenance, but the exposed edge should be kept clean and dry.
Reviews
1 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) Very nicePosted By: Larry Johnson
55 people found this review helpful
It is right between a nakiri and a Chinese cleaver. Not terribly heavy like my Chopper King, but over 20mm taller than my Masutani tall nakiri. But it is certainly a nakiri; thin and very flat. I cut carrots, cabbage, and onions over the weekend. The carrots were incredibly thin and with a proper push cut the blade glided through them effortlessly. And it is really nice to cut onions that are thin without the whole blade turning blue. It is worth the extra money to have stainless cladding when cutting vegetables given their water content.
While the notch at the base is certainly different, it does provide a point to kinda hook your finger to, which gives me incredible control when I modify my pinch grip for a bigger blade.
I didn't need to sharpen it. I stropped it on denim before I put it away.
Another great purchase.
55 people found this review helpful
It is right between a nakiri and a Chinese cleaver. Not terribly heavy like my Chopper King, but over 20mm taller than my Masutani tall nakiri. But it is certainly a nakiri; thin and very flat. I cut carrots, cabbage, and onions over the weekend. The carrots were incredibly thin and with a proper push cut the blade glided through them effortlessly. And it is really nice to cut onions that are thin without the whole blade turning blue. It is worth the extra money to have stainless cladding when cutting vegetables given their water content.
While the notch at the base is certainly different, it does provide a point to kinda hook your finger to, which gives me incredible control when I modify my pinch grip for a bigger blade.
I didn't need to sharpen it. I stropped it on denim before I put it away.
Another great purchase.
