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7" Nakiri Knife - Zhen Series (X05Z)
The Zhen 7" Nakiri is built around a Japanese ZDP-189 powder-steel core, clad in stainless and hardened to 65-67 HRC. The tall, flat blade rides the board edge-to-edge, so push-cuts through onion, cabbage and herbs land clean every time. An octagonal wa-handle in North American desert ironwood and white buffalo horn finishes a knife made for serious vegetable prep.
$405.95
or 4 interest-free payments of $101.49 with
30-day returns
Regular Post $14.95 - 2-5 business days
Lifetime warranty
FAST SHIPPING
Only 4 left
65-67 HRC
ZDP-189 Core
15° Per Side
Flat Nakiri Edge
Desert Ironwood
Octagonal Wa-Handle
DESCRIPTION
If you love salads, stir-frys, or soup prep, the Nakiri will quickly become your favorite tool. With its straight edge and flat, squared-off tip, this Japanese-style blade is designed for one thing: push-cutting vegetables without them clinging together like an accordion.
The Push-Cut Specialist
Unlike a curved chef knife that rocks, the Nakiri is designed to make full contact with the cutting board. This allows for clean, precise vertical chops through greens, carrots, and onions, keeping all your ingredients neatly separated. The ultra-hard ZDP-189 core ensures effortless slicing and exceptional edge retention.
Uncompromising Materials
The XZ05 Series represents the pinnacle of knife craftsmanship, combining exotic materials with meticulous attention to detail:
- ZDP-189 Core: Known for its extreme hardness (65-67 HRC), this Japanese powder steel delivers unparalleled sharpness and edge retention.
- Three-Layer Construction: The ZDP-189 core is clad in softer stainless steel for enhanced durability and corrosion resistance.
- Desert Ironwood Handle: Prized for its density, stability, and rich figuring, the desert ironwood handle provides a comfortable and secure grip.
- Buffalo Horn Ferrule: A classic touch of elegance, the white buffalo horn ferrule adds both beauty and balance to the knife.
Specifications
- Blade Length: 7 inches (178mm)
- Blade Material: ZDP-189 core, 3-layer composite steel
- Handle Material: Desert Ironwood with White Buffalo Horn Ferrule
- HRC Hardness: 65-67
- Knife Type: Nakiri
- Series: XZ05 (Zhen)
- Model: X05Z-XC
Complete Your Set
Explore the rest of the XZ05 Series to assemble a complete collection of high-performance kitchen knives, each crafted with the same uncompromising attention to detail.
READY TO GIFT
All our knives arrive in a beautiful, premium gift box that’s ready to impress. (Whether it's for a very lucky cook, or just for you.)
THE NERDY BITS
- Knife type: Nakiri (Japanese double-bevel vegetable knife, flat straight profile)
- Core steel: ZDP-189 Japanese powder steel
- Blade construction: 3-layer san-mai composite, ZDP-189 core clad in SUS405 stainless
- Hardness: 65-67 HRC
- Edge angle: 15° (±1) per side
- Heat treatment: vacuum heat treatment + deep freeze
- Blade length: 7.0 in / 178 mm
- Handle: octagonal Japanese wa-handle, North American desert ironwood + white buffalo horn
- Tang: hidden tang
- Product weight: 185 g
- Care: hand-wash only, dry immediately (not dishwasher safe)
- Warranty: lifetime
- Origin: ground and finished by Xinzuo in Yangjiang, China; ZDP-189 steel sourced and heat-treated in Japan
ZHEN SERIES NAKIRI
A flat edge built for full-contact vegetable prep
The Zhen Series sits at the top of the Xinzuo range. This 7" nakiri runs a Japanese ZDP-189 powder-steel core, clad in SUS405 stainless as a 3-layer san-mai blade. The straight profile and 178mm length mean the whole edge meets the board in one push, so you slice through a row of vegetables without the rocking a Western chef's knife forces. Tall enough to knuckle-clear and guide product, light enough at 185g to stay quick through long prep sessions.
Add to cart — $405.95
In stock. Ships from Australia. Hand-wash only.
WHY A NAKIRI
Push-cut, don't rock
The flat edge and full board contact make clean work of onions, cabbage, leek and herbs. No accordion slices, no rocking heel. A nakiri is the knife you reach for when the whole board is vegetables.
- Flat straight profile
- 178mm full-contact edge
- Tall blade for knuckle clearance
- Double-bevel
- both hands
THE STEEL
ZDP-189 powder steel at 65-67 HRC
ZDP-189 is a Japanese powder-metallurgy steel that takes and holds an edge harder than almost anything in a kitchen. Here it runs 65-67 HRC after vacuum heat treatment and a deep-freeze cycle, ground to 15° (±1) per side. The core is clad in two outer layers of SUS405 stainless as a 3-layer san-mai blade, so the hard cutting steel is protected and the knife stays easy to live with. Hand-wash only, dry immediately.
Specification
The details.
TypeNakiri Knife
Blade length178.0mm
Weight185g
SteelZDP-189
Hardness65-67 HRC
Edge angle15° (±1) per side
ConstructionHidden Tang
HandleNorth America Desert Ironwood + White Buffalo Horn
Made inChina (Yangjiang)
Hand-wash only — not dishwasher safe.
IN THE HAND
Octagonal wa-handle, desert ironwood and buffalo horn
The octagonal Japanese wa-handle is shaped in North American desert ironwood with a white buffalo-horn ferrule. The eight-sided profile locks into a pinch grip and indexes the same way every time, so you always know where the edge is sitting. Hidden tang. At 185g the balance stays forward and nimble for fine vegetable work.
The difference
Why this knife
Xinzuo Zhen Nakiri
- ZDP-189 powder-steel core at 65-67 HRC
- Flat 178mm edge built for push-cutting
- Desert ironwood + buffalo horn wa-handle
- 15° per side, deep-freeze heat treated
- Lifetime warranty
Generic vegetable knife
- Soft stainless that dulls in weeks
- Shallow or curved edge that crushes more than cuts
- Moulded plastic handle
- Factory edge, no per-side grind spec
- No warranty to speak of
In the box
Everything it comes with.
- 7" Nakiri Knife (Zhen Series, X05Z-XC)
- Paulownia wooden gift box
- Care card
Arrives ready to gift.
Zhen Series
Ready when you are.
ZHEN SERIES NAKIRI
Add to cart — $405.95- 30-day returns
- Regular Post $14.95 - 2-5 business days
- Lifetime warranty
FAQs
Is this a Damascus knife?
No. The Zhen nakiri is a 3-layer san-mai blade, a ZDP-189 powder-steel core clad in two outer layers of SUS405 stainless. It is a composite construction, not a patterned Damascus blade.
How hard is the blade?
65-67 HRC. ZDP-189 is a Japanese powder steel, and at this hardness it holds a fine edge far longer than standard kitchen stainless. The trade-off is that hard steel wants a careful hand on the stones.
What's the edge angle?
15° (±1) per side, a true double bevel, so the nakiri cuts evenly from both hands.
Why a nakiri instead of a chef's knife?
The flat profile makes full board contact, so you push-cut straight down through vegetables instead of rocking. It is faster and cleaner when the whole board is onion, cabbage or herbs.
Can I put it in the dishwasher?
No. Hand-wash only and dry immediately. The handle is natural ironwood and buffalo horn, and the hard core steel keeps its edge longest with proper care.
What handle is it?
An octagonal Japanese wa-handle in North American desert ironwood with a white buffalo-horn ferrule, on a hidden tang.
Does it come with anything?
Yes, it ships in a Paulownia wooden gift box and is backed by a lifetime warranty.
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