30 DAYS OPEN PURCHASEThe nakiri's rectangular blade is not merely a question of aesthetics. The straight edge is constructed for straight downward cuts against the board, without the rocking motion a chef's knife spine requires, and the blade height of nearly six centimetres provides natural clearance for the knuckles without them hitting the board. That makes the knife fast on vegetables: carrots, onions, cabbage, and root vegetables move along without needing adjustment, and the wide blade doubles as a built-in scraper for transferring what has been chopped.
Pallarès Solsona has been making knives in Solsona in Catalonia since the early 1900s. It is a craft tradition with deep roots in the region, and the brand is associated with well-tempered carbon steel and a manufacturing precision that shows in how the knives behave in the hand and hold their edge. This nakiri's blade is forged in CX65, a high-carbon steel that hardens to 59 HRC and holds an edge that stainless steel rarely matches. The blade is convex-ground, meaning the angle curves out gently rather than meeting in a straight bevel, giving better contact along the entire edge and reducing the tendency for, say, potato slices to stick to the blade.
Carbon steel develops a patina with use and reacts to acidic foods, which is normal and does not affect performance. It does mean the knife should be wiped dry after use and must never go in the dishwasher. The handle is boxwood, one of the hardest and toughest timbers used in knife-making, with a natural weight in the hand that suits the character of the blade.
Blade length: 18 cm. Blade height: 5.9 cm. Blade thickness: 2 mm. Handle length: 12.5 cm. Total length: 30.5 cm. Weight: 195 g.
