Samura Okinawa Review: Rosewood Handles, AUS-8 Blades and Who the Line Suits
The short answer in this Samura Okinawa review: Okinawa is SAMURA's traditional Japanese-style line. Every knife has a single-layer blade of AUS-8 stainless steel hardened to 58–59 HRC and a rosewood handle with a nylon bolster, and the range is built around the classic shapes: gyuto, santoku and nakiri for everyday prep, single-bevel yanagiba and deba for fish, and a tanto slicer. Okinawa Stonewash is the same line with a matte stonewash finish on the blade. It suits cooks who prepare fish at home, like a wooden handle and want the real single-bevel shapes rather than a Western knife with a Japanese name. It is not the line for anyone who wants a dishwasher-safe knife or a blade for bones and frozen food.
Below: what is in the Okinawa and Okinawa Stonewash collections, what steel, edge geometry and handle mean in daily use, how the knives compare with SAMURA's other AUS-8 lines, which knife to start with, and how to look after it.
Samura Okinawa review at a glance
| Knife | Blade | Edge | Blade height | Weight / length | Made for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gyuto 170 mm | AUS-8, 58–59 HRC | Double bevel | 40 mm | 106 g / 325 mm | All-round chef's knife work: boneless meat, fish, vegetables, bread |
| Santoku 175 mm | AUS-8, 58–59 HRC | Double bevel | 47 mm | 131 g / 330 mm | Mincing, dicing and slicing vegetables, meat and fish |
| Nakiri 172 mm | AUS-8, 58–59 HRC | Double bevel | 47 mm | 142 g / 326 mm | Chopping, slicing and shredding vegetables and fruit |
| Deba 170 mm | AUS-8, 58–59 HRC | Single bevel | 54 mm | 201 g / 326 mm | Preparing and portioning fish; vegetables and fruit |
| Yanagiba 240 mm | AUS-8, 58–59 HRC | Single bevel | 40 mm | 133 g / 390 mm | Slicing fish fillets in one stroke, sushi and sashimi |
| Yanagiba 270 mm | AUS-8, 58–59 HRC | Single bevel | 33–36 mm | 226 g / 420–425 mm | Longer slices of fish; vegetables |
| Slicing knife Tanto 230 mm | AUS-8, 58–59 HRC | Double bevel | 37 mm | 121 g / 384 mm | Slicing boneless meat, fish fillets and sausage |
All seven shapes exist in both finishes: the plain AUS-8 blade of the Okinawa collection and the matte, textured stonewash blade of Okinawa Stonewash. Steel, hardness, handle, weights and edge geometry are the same in both, so the choice between them is a matter of looks and of what is in stock.
The steel: single-layer AUS-8 at 58–59 HRC
Every Okinawa blade is a single layer of AUS-8 stainless steel, hardened to 58–59 HRC. SAMURA uses this steel across its everyday lines, and the choice makes sense for a traditional range: AUS-8 is corrosion-resistant, which matters for knives that spend their working life in contact with fish and water, and 58–59 HRC is hard enough to hold a keen edge through regular use while staying straightforward to resharpen on a whetstone. It is not a super-hard steel; it will not hold an edge as long as SAMURA's 60–61 HRC Damascus blades, but it is far easier to bring back when it dulls.
The factory bevel is 15–17°. A thin edge like this slices cleanly through raw fish and dense vegetables, which is what the shapes in this line are for, but it is not designed for twisting, prying or chopping through bone. SAMURA's product texts send bones to a cleaver and frozen food to a double-sided serrated saw knife.
Single bevel or double bevel: the edge decides the knife
This is the detail that sets Okinawa apart from most of SAMURA's range. The gyuto, santoku, nakiri and tanto slicer have a double-bevel edge, ground on both sides, like a Western knife. The yanagiba and deba have a single-bevel edge: one side is ground to the edge, the other side stays flat.
- What a single bevel does. With only one bevel, the edge angle is very acute and the flat side acts like a guide, so the blade separates thin, even slices from a fish fillet with almost no drag. That is why the yanagiba is the sushi and sashimi knife, and why a deba can split a fish along the bone cleanly.
- What it asks of you. A single-bevel knife is ground for one hand, and these shapes are traditionally ground for right-handed use; the product data lists no left-handed version, so a left-handed cook should check before buying. Sharpening is different too: you work the bevelled side on a whetstone until a uniform burr appears, then pass the flat side lightly over the stone a few times.
- When double bevel is the better buy. If you want one knife for everything, the gyuto or santoku sharpens like any Western knife, one side and then the other.
For shape-by-shape buying advice, see our guides to the yanagiba knife for sushi and the deba knife for fish.
The handle: rosewood with a nylon bolster
Every knife in both collections has a rosewood handle, fitted with a nylon bolster where the handle meets the blade. Rosewood is a dense, dark hardwood with a visible grain, and on a knife it does two things: it gives the warmth and grip that cooks who dislike plastic look for, and it keeps the weight towards the hand. On the long yanagiba, SAMURA's product text notes that the bolster adds balance, which you feel on a 390 or 425 mm knife.
The handle is also why Okinawa knives need a little more care than SAMURA's all-metal or plastic-handled lines: wood should never sit in water or go through a dishwasher. If you want wood but a different look, the wooden-handle knives collection gathers Okinawa alongside Kaiju with Pakka wood and the Yakovlev chef's knife with cocobolo.
Okinawa vs Okinawa Stonewash
The Stonewash line is the same seven knives with a stonewash-finished blade. Mechanically nothing changes: AUS-8, 58–59 HRC, the same heights and weights, the same single- or double-bevel edges and the same rosewood handle. The difference is the surface. A stonewash finish is matte and lightly textured rather than bright, which gives the knives a more rustic, worked look next to the wood, and a textured finish of this kind tends to show fine marks less than a polished blade. Choose plain Okinawa if you like the classic bright blade and Okinawa Stonewash if you prefer the matte look.
Okinawa compared with Kaiju, Harakiri and the other AUS-8 lines
SAMURA builds several series on the same AUS-8 steel at 58–59 HRC, so the differences are in finish, handle and the shapes on offer.
| Series | Blade | Handle | Japanese-style shapes | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Okinawa / Okinawa Stonewash | Single-layer AUS-8, plain or stonewash | Rosewood, nylon bolster | Gyuto, santoku, nakiri, yanagiba and deba (single bevel), tanto slicer | The traditional line; the only one with single-bevel fish knives |
| Kaiju | Hammered AUS-8 | Pakka wood | Santoku, nakiri, yanagiba (double bevel), tanto slicer, plus chef's, utility and paring | Striking hammered look, wooden handle, broader everyday range |
| Harakiri | AUS-8 | Black or white ABS plastic or acrylic | Gyuto, santoku, nakiri, hakata, hamokiri next to a full European range | Light, low-maintenance everyday knives |
| Mo-V | AUS-8 | G-10 with steel bolster | Santoku, nakiri | Moisture-resistant workhorse for home and professional kitchens |
In practice: Okinawa is the only SAMURA line with a single-bevel yanagiba and deba. If you want a wooden handle but a double-bevel yanagiba that sharpens like a normal knife, read our Kaiju knife review; for the lowest-maintenance route into Japanese-style shapes, the Harakiri review covers the plastic-handled range.
Which Okinawa knife should you choose?
- You cook fish regularly and want to slice it properly. Start with a yanagiba. The 240 mm is the easier length to control and store; the 270 mm gives longer single-stroke slices for large fillets. The Stonewash yanagiba 240 mm and its 270 mm counterpart are the currently stocked versions.
- You break down whole fish. The Okinawa deba 170 mm is the heaviest knife in the line at 201 g, with a 54 mm tall blade that carries weight behind the cut. It also handles vegetables and fruit.
- You want one knife for everyday prep. The gyuto 170 mm is the lightest all-rounder at 106 g; the Stonewash gyuto is the stocked version. The santoku 175 mm adds blade height for scooping.
- Vegetables are most of your cooking. The Okinawa nakiri 172 mm has a straight edge and a 47 mm tall blade for chopping, dicing and shredding cabbage.
- You carve and slice roasts, fish and sausage. The tanto slicer 230 mm is the double-bevel long knife of the line, 37 mm high and 121 g.
Caring for Okinawa knives
- Rinse and dry before first use, then wash by hand with non-abrasive materials after every use and dry straight away. A dishwasher is not recommended, and the knife should not sit in the sink.
- Cut on wood or plastic, never on glass. A thin 15–17° edge rolls or chips on glass, stone and ceramic.
- Leave bones to a cleaver and frozen food to a serrated saw knife.
- Hone between sharpenings. Draw the edge along a honing rod from heel to tip at the existing angle.
- Sharpen on a whetstone at 15–17°. Double-bevel knives: one side until a burr forms, then the other. Single-bevel yanagiba and deba: the bevelled side until a uniform burr appears, then a few light passes of the flat side. Our step-by-step guide on how to sharpen kitchen knives covers the stone work.
- Store the blade away from metal, in a brush block or knife holder, and dry the rosewood handle together with the blade.
Samura Okinawa review: the verdict
Strengths. The only SAMURA line with single-bevel yanagiba and deba knives; a complete set of traditional shapes on one steel and one handle; rosewood with a bolster that balances the long blades; corrosion-resistant AUS-8 that is easy to resharpen; a plain or stonewash finish.
Limits. The wooden handle rules out the dishwasher and careless storage; the single-bevel knives need a different sharpening routine and suit right-handed cooks; 58–59 HRC will not hold an edge as long as SAMURA's harder Damascus steels; and the thin edges are not for bones or frozen food.
Who it suits. Home cooks who prepare fish and Japanese dishes and want the proper tools for it, cooks who prefer wood in the hand, and anyone building a Japanese-style set who wants the fish knives to match the gyuto and nakiri. If you only need an all-purpose knife and want zero maintenance, a Harakiri or Bamboo knife is the more practical buy.
Samura Okinawa FAQ
What steel are Samura Okinawa knives made of?
Single-layer AUS-8 stainless steel, hardened to 58–59 HRC, with a factory bevel of 15–17°. The same steel and hardness apply to the Okinawa Stonewash knives.
What is the difference between Okinawa and Okinawa Stonewash?
Only the blade finish. Stonewash blades are matte and lightly textured; plain Okinawa blades have the standard bright surface. Shapes, steel, weights, edges and the rosewood handle are the same.
Are Okinawa knives single bevel?
The yanagiba and deba are single bevel. The gyuto, santoku, nakiri and tanto slicing knife are double bevel.
Can left-handed cooks use the Okinawa yanagiba?
Single-bevel yanagiba and deba knives are traditionally ground for right-handed use, and the product data lists no left-handed version, so a left-handed cook will find them awkward. The double-bevel Okinawa knives work equally well in either hand.
Can Okinawa knives go in the dishwasher?
No. Wash them by hand, dry them at once and keep the rosewood handle out of standing water.