Xinzuo Ji Damascus 7.2" Nakiri
A mid-priced Damascus nakiri built purely for vegetable prep — hard 12Cr18MoV core, real ebony handle, and a tall flat edge that stays glued to the board.
Pros
- +67-layer Damascus over a hard 12Cr18MoV core (HRC 60±2)
- +Tall 182 mm flat blade — clean push cuts through dense veg
- +Real ebony handle with a stainless bolster, not composite
- +Well-finished for the $112 price bracket
Cons
- −Factory edge is a wide >60° inclusive angle — benefits from thinning
- −Vegetable-only geometry, not a do-everything blade
- −Wood handle + Damascus cladding = strictly hand-wash, dry immediately
Full review
Design
The XZ Ji Series is a straightforward vegetable knife dressed up nicely. A 12Cr18MoV core is sandwiched between 67 layers of patterned Damascus cladding, and the nakiri profile — tall, rectangular, with a nearly straight edge — is exactly what you want for push cutting. The ebony scales are stabilized properly and mated to a stainless bolster, so the handle actually looks and feels like the price tag. It's clean without being flashy.
Edge retention
12Cr18MoV run at HRC 60±2 is a sensible pick for a nakiri: hard enough to hold a fine edge through weeks of vegetable prep, forgiving enough to touch up on a ceramic rod without chipping. Expect to strop or hone every couple of weeks with daily use and hit a 1000/6000 stone every few months. The one caveat is the factory grind — Xinzuo ships it around a 60°+ inclusive angle, which is thicker than it needs to be. A single session on a stone taking it down to ~30° transforms the knife.
Ergonomics
The 124 mm handle is on the shorter side, which suits the nakiri's push-cut style — you don't need a lot of leverage, you need control. Balance sits right at the bolster, giving a neutral pinch grip that doesn't fatigue during long prep. The 182 mm tall blade gives generous knuckle clearance over the board, and the flat edge stays in full contact through the stroke — no rocking, no stragglers.
Value
At $112 this sits above the entry Xinzuo lines and just under the price of a decent Japanese-branded nakiri in stainless. What you're paying for is the ebony handle, the Damascus cladding, and a core steel that's happy at HRC 60. If you already own a chef knife and want a dedicated veg blade that looks the part on the rack, it's an easy recommendation. If you're buying your first knife, get a chef knife instead — a nakiri is a specialist.
Specifications
| Brand | Xinzuo |
|---|---|
| Model Number | XZ-CFYJ |
| Type | Nakiri (vegetable knife) |
| Blade Material | 67-layer Damascus |
| Core Steel | 12Cr18MoV |
| Core Hardness | HRC 60±2 |
| Blade Length | 7.2 in / 182 mm |
| Handle Length | 4.9 in / 124 mm |
| Handle Material | Ebony wood + stainless steel |
| Blade Angle | >60° inclusive (factory) |
| Certification | CE/EU, CIQ, LFGB |
| Origin | Mainland China |
| Price | $112 |
A properly built Damascus nakiri at a fair price. Thin the edge once on a stone and it'll out-cut knives twice its cost through vegetables.
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