What Is a Double-Bevel Japanese Knife?
Sep 27, 2026
A double-bevel Japanese knife has an edge formed from both sides of the blade. Most modern gyuto, santoku, petty and nakiri knives use double-bevel geometry.
Does double bevel mean 50/50?
No. A symmetrical 50/50 edge is common and normally works for either hand, but some Japanese knives use asymmetric double bevels such as 70/30 or other maker-specific grinds.
Which knives are usually double bevel?
Gyuto, santoku, petty, nakiri, sujihiki and many modern general-purpose Japanese knives are commonly double bevel.
How does it feel in use?
Double-bevel knives generally feel familiar to cooks coming from European chef’s knives. They are well suited to general chopping, slicing and push-cutting and are less specialised in steering than traditional single-bevel geometry.
Are they ambidextrous?
A true 50/50 grind usually is. Strongly asymmetric double bevels may favour one side, so left-handed users should check the product specification.
How are they sharpened?
Both sides are sharpened, but not necessarily with identical numbers of strokes. Preserve the original asymmetry rather than automatically converting every Japanese knife to 50/50.
Double bevel vs single bevel
Single-bevel knives use specialised one-sided geometry and are common in traditional yanagiba, deba and usuba. They require different technique and sharpening.
Read Single Bevel vs Double Bevel and Japanese Knife Geometry Explained.
