The Best Japanese Knife for Beginners: 4 Top Picks (UK, 2026)

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Updated June 2026 · 6 min read · UK Japanese knife specialists

Buying your first proper Japanese knife shouldn't feel like a test. You don't need the most expensive blade in the shop, and you definitely don't need a temperamental carbon-steel knife that rusts if you look at it wrong. For most people starting out, the best first Japanese knife is an easy-care stainless santoku or all-purpose chef knife: sharp, forgiving, and comfortable to use from day one.

We sell these knives every day, so this guide is built around what actually suits a beginner — not the rarest steel or the showiest handle. Below are four genuinely beginner-friendly picks from our range, with honest pros and cons, real customer ratings, and the prices you'll pay today. We've also kept every recommendation to stainless steel, because that's the single biggest favour you can do yourself when you're learning.

If you're still weighing up a single knife versus a full set, our guide on whether a knife set or a single knife is better value is a useful companion read.

How to choose your first Japanese knife

Four things matter when you're buying your first one. Get these right and almost any well-made knife will serve you for years.

1. Pick a forgiving stainless steel

Japanese knives come in reactive carbon steels and stainless steels. Carbon steel can take a wickedly sharp edge, but it stains, can rust, and needs wiping dry the moment you finish. As a beginner you want stainless. The steels in our beginner picks — VG10 (around 60–61 HRC on the Rockwell hardness scale), AUS-10 (around 59–60 HRC) and forged 440C (around 58 HRC) — are all stainless, hold a keen edge, and shrug off everyday kitchen moisture. The slightly lower hardness of AUS-10 and 440C also makes them a touch tougher and easier to re-sharpen, which is exactly what you want while you're learning. If you'd like the background, our guide to the Rockwell hardness scale explains what those numbers mean.

2. Start with an all-purpose shape

Don't begin with a specialist blade. A santoku (its name means “three virtues” — meat, fish and vegetables) or an all-purpose gyuto chef knife will do 90% of your kitchen work. The santoku's flatter profile and shorter, tip-down blade feel safe and controllable for a new user, while a gyuto suits you if you like a longer blade with a pointed tip. Either is a far better first buy than a nakiri, kiritsuke or deba. Our santoku spotlight goes deeper if you want to compare the two shapes.

3. Get the size right

A 7″ santoku or a 8″ gyuto suits most home kitchens and most hands. Bigger isn't braver — an over-long blade is harder to control on a small board. If you're unsure, our guide on what size Japanese chef knife to buy first walks through it.

4. Don't overspend on day one

A great first Japanese knife costs less than you might think. Every pick below is between roughly £40 and £100, and all of them outperform a typical supermarket knife by a wide margin. Spend your money on one good blade, a wooden board and a way to keep it sharp, rather than a drawer full of mediocre ones. For the full beginner picture, our beginner's guide to buying Japanese chef knives covers the wider basics.

The 4 best Japanese knives for beginners

Compare the beginner picks

Knife	Price	Steel	Best for
Minato 7″ Santoku	£89.99	AUS-10	Best all-round first knife
Riku VG10 — best value	from £49.99	VG10 Damascus	Most edge per pound
Aiko Black Damascus	from £64.99	VG10 Damascus	Popular, scales to a set
Haru Ebony Set	£99.99	Forged 440C	Best complete starter set

Whichever you choose, look after it and it'll repay you for years: hand-wash and dry it (never the dishwasher), use a wooden or plastic board rather than glass or stone, and touch up the edge on a whetstone when it starts to drag. Our complete Japanese knife care guide covers the routine in full.

Beginner FAQs

What is the best Japanese knife for a beginner?

For most beginners, an easy-care stainless santoku is the best first Japanese knife. The Minato 7″ Santoku (£89.99, rated 4.88/5) is our top pick: it's tough AUS-10 stainless steel, the all-purpose shape handles vegetables, meat and fish, and the 7″ length suits a typical home kitchen.

Should a beginner buy a santoku or a gyuto?

Both are all-purpose knives, so you can't go far wrong. A santoku has a shorter, flatter blade with no long pointed tip, which many beginners find safer and more controllable. A gyuto (Japanese chef knife) has a longer blade with a pointed tip, better if you want extra length and a rocking motion. Start with whichever shape feels more comfortable in your hand.

Are Japanese knives hard to look after?

Not if you choose stainless steel, like every knife in this guide. Hand-wash and dry it after use, keep it off glass or stone boards, and store it safely on a magnetic rack or in a block. Avoid the dishwasher. That's the whole routine. Reactive carbon-steel knives need more attention, which is why we don't recommend them as a first knife.

How much should I spend on my first Japanese knife?

You can get an excellent first Japanese knife for £50–£100. A single quality blade in that range will outperform almost any supermarket knife. Spend your budget on one good knife, a wooden board and a way to keep it sharp, rather than a large set of mediocre knives.

Should I start with one knife or a set?

If budget is tight or you mostly cook simple meals, one good all-purpose knife covers nearly everything. If you'd like a few knives from the start, a complete starter set like the Haru (£99.99) is better value than buying singles one at a time. Our guide on whether a knife set or a single knife is better value breaks down the maths.

Are Japanese knives suitable for left-handed cooks?

Yes. All the knives in this guide are double-bevel (sharpened evenly on both sides), so they work equally well in either hand — no special left-handed version needed. Single-bevel traditional knives are the exception, but those aren't beginner knives anyway.

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