do we need nakiris

I am looking at expanding my working knife colection and was wandering what peoples opinion on nakiris were.
I am a chef in a gastro pub, working staters and salads, so I dabble in almost everything but not in great big quantities.
I have the
210 hiromoto as gyuto
150 hiromoto as petty
Unknown turning knife
Unknown bread knife
250 sabatier chef knife
Am waiting for J Adams cooks knife 10"

The unknown knives are cheep gifts from other chefs just to help me along at the moment.
Any and all thoughts are welcome.
The one thing that has surprised me in the industry is how little most chef know about knives and there proper maintenance.
Definitely not including you guys in my last comment.

 

I have a nakiri and usuba but use them almost never. I would say no.

You should look into getting a nice sujihiki IMO

 

I happen to love nakiris. Great veg knives. Out of curiosity, who is J Adams?
Also, where are you located?

 

Contrasting views on the nakiri already, I like it, Knives are such a personal choice type of thing.

J Adams is a traditional Sheffield knife maker more famous for hunting and trade knifes. A friend of mine said his cooks knifes were thin, sharpe and good at keeping an edge. They are not very expensive and I wanted a larger gyuto/chef knife so I thought id give it a go. I went for the plastic handle knife as performance is more important than looks and the wooden handles have a rep for swelling at the first sign of water. I could put a link to his site in this reply but this is my first time on this site and I don't want to break any rules.
Soz forgot to give my location im in kent at the moment.

 

Thanx for the advice Brad do you use you sujihiki just as a slicer or is it more general purpose.

 

Don't need a Nakiri, do like one.

 

Don't have a Nakiri - and probably won't get one, I do have a CCK 1303 small cleaver - smaller than a full size cleaver but somewhat bigger than a Nakiri. I actually quite like it and use it when I'm in the mood, so I don't see the need for a Nakiri.

 

I have one. Sometimes I remember to use it. A chef knife is far more valuable. I wouldn't go out of my way to get a nakiri.

 

I also actually have three nakiris & an usuba and I use them both daily. I cut a ton of vegetables, pretty much every day so both styles suit my current work situation well. Additionally, I gave my first cook an old nakiri (carbon) and it is by far her favorite knife (I would have to say that she uses it much as a "line knife".) Hope this helps.

 

Very interesting I never really considered a CCK, I don't know much about them, are they thicker and heavier than nakiris and are the in the same price bracket? (Damb you I may have to start a whole new line of research)

 

I recently moved from a large kitchen where I done alot of veg prep (rough and detailed) but now I barely do a sack of carrots a week. In fact I am now topping up service friges more than prepping large amounts of any one ingredient. I just don't know if the nakiri is versatile enough to justify me giving it the space in my station, but if it can be used as a line knife (even a secondary one) then I may well make the investment.

 

I guess we don't want to derail this to a cleaver thread. The 1303 is probably somewhat heavier than a Nakiri would be, but it's lighter than a real cleaver - sub 300 grams. From what I read it's got mediocre steel, but it's very thin and cuts very well, I think it's popular for a reason, because it's light(ish) it's quite wieldy, and kind of fun to use, but it's a matter of taste. It's also quite cheap, could be had for $50-60 I guess.

Ahh, I see you're in the UK, don't know where to get it in the UK, maybe London's Chinatown ? Are you close ?

 

Of course we need them. What kind of silly question is that? :k

A nakiri is a great vegetable knife and more versatile than an usuba. I much prefer it to a santoku (a chick's knife- there, I said it).

It won't replace your gyuto but it's a good addition to your collection. And if you ever have to slice a peking duck, it's perfect.

 

Not to far away from london but have no idea about china town. Think I would enjoy the culture shock though.

 

I have a nakiri as well as santokus. (Guess I can have more than one since I'm a chick.) I find the santoku a little more useful than the nakiri since it has a point, but I enjoy the nakiri. I don't use it as often as some of my other knives, but I like it. I don't know that I'd miss it much if it were gone. If I were forced to get rid of my knives, it would be one of the early ones to go. It's more a fun toy in my kitchen than a necessary tool.

 

Thanks Jay I think I will end up buying one, I am now just to intrigued not to.

 

Thanx lucretia I think I might buy a lower end nakiri and see if I like the feel of it. Don't have money to waste on a good knife I never use.

 

Thanks everyone for all the great feedback and advice, I shall find a cheapish nakiri and see if I can get a feel for them. Any recommendations on makers or indeed ideal size would be very much appreciated.
I am uk based though

 

My favorite "chic knife"

 

I love my Nakiri's, but to be honest, I wouldn't say they are needed. I absolutely love using them....there are times when you need a lot of veg and the knife just falls through. Having said that, personally I don't think I've encountered a time where a Nakiri does something another knife can't.