Single Bevel vs Double Bevel Knives: The Complete 2025 Guide

The way your knife is sharpened affects how it cuts, moves through food, and stays sharp. This matters more than most people realize. Smart chefs and home cooks pick knives that match their cooking style.

This guide will teach you about single and double bevel knives. You'll learn what makes them different and when to use each type. We'll cover how the blade is shaped, how well each performs, their pros and cons, and tips for buying. When you finish reading, you'll know exactly which type fits your skills and cooking habits.

1. Understanding Knife Bevels

A bevel is the angled surface that creates the sharp cutting edge. How this angle is made controls sharpness, how long the edge lasts, and how food slides off the blade. For knife makers, this shape is just as important as the steel type and heat treatment.

Key Definitions:

Single bevel: Only one side is sharpened. The back (called "ura") is flat or slightly curved inward (called "urasuki"). You'll find this on traditional Japanese knives.

Double bevel: Both sides are sharpened. The edge is balanced or nearly balanced. Most Western knives and many modern Japanese knives use this design.

Single Bevel Details:

• One main angled surface meets a flat or curved back
• Usually made for right-handed users (left-handed versions exist but cost more)
• Examples: Yanagiba (for slicing sashimi), Deba (for cutting fish), Usuba (for precise vegetable work)

Double Bevel Details:

• Two angled surfaces meet to form a centered edge
• Works for both left and right-handed users
• Easier to learn and master
• Examples: Gyuto (chef's knife), Santoku, Petty knife, many Nakiri knives

Visual Guide:

• Single bevel: One angled face with a curved or flat back (urasuki)
• Double bevel: Two matching angles that form a centered sharp edge

This basic knowledge helps you understand how each type performs, which we'll compare next.

2. Blade Structure & Edge Geometry

How your blade is built affects how it feels when you cut and how it moves through food.

Important Parts:

• Spine thickness: How thick the back of the blade is (affects stability)
• Primary bevel: The main cutting angle (sharper angles cut better but break easier)
• Micro-bevel: A tiny second angle added for strength (also called "koba")
• Grind and face shape: Can be flat, curved, or hollow (single-bevel backs have urasuki)

Comparison Chart:

What This Means:

Edge angles: Double bevels usually have 12-16 degrees per side on Japanese knives (Western knives often use 15-20 degrees per side). Single bevels might use 10-15 degrees on the front with an almost flat back, sometimes with a tiny micro-bevel.

Steering: Single bevels pull toward the flat side. This helps make straight sashimi cuts but can drift when cutting tall foods if you're new to using them.

Food release: The curved back (urasuki) on single bevels helps food not stick. Slightly curved faces on double bevels also help with wet vegetables.

Care: Single bevels need special back maintenance (uraoshi) and careful burr control. Double bevels are much easier to sharpen evenly.

Pro Tips:

• If your cuts drift, flip the food so the blade's flat side guides the cut you want
• Add a light micro-bevel on double bevels when cutting hard root vegetables

These design choices directly affect how well each knife cuts, which we'll explore next.

3. Performance & Precision

How They Feel When Cutting

Single bevel: Feels extremely sharp because of the acute angle and flat back. Great for controlled, straight cuts with minimal tearing.

Double bevel: Feels stable and predictable for push cuts, pull cuts, and gentle rocking motions.

Edge Retention

How long your edge stays sharp depends mainly on the steel type and heat treatment, not just the bevel style. Harder steels (common in Japanese blades) can hold sharp edges longer but chip more easily. Softer steels get dull faster but are easier to touch up. Your cutting technique also affects how long the edge lasts.

Where Each Type Excels

Single bevel works best for:

• Sushi and sashimi: Yanagiba makes long, clean slices with less damage to fish cells
• Fish butchery: Deba cuts through fish heads and bones while keeping a fine edge for filleting
• Vegetable precision: Usuba excels at katsuramuki (rotary peeling) and paper-thin sheets

Double bevel works best for:

• Daily prep: Gyuto and Santoku handle onions, herbs, and proteins easily
• Mixed techniques: Switch between push, pull, and light rocking on the same board
• Shared kitchens: Ambidextrous edges work for multiple users

User Experience

Single bevels reward good technique. They can "walk" off your cutting line until you learn how the blade naturally moves.

Double bevels are forgiving. They make straight-down cuts easy for most users.

Pro Tips:

• For ultra-clean slices, use one stroke with a yanagiba - don't saw back and forth
• On tall vegetables, a double bevel with a slightly curved face reduces wedging and sticking
• If your cutting board is small, a compact Santoku gives you control without overreaching

This performance comparison leads us to practical, task-based recommendations.

4. Typical Uses & Culinary Scenarios

Single Bevel Tasks and Examples:

Sashimi and sushi:

• Yanagiba for long, single-pull slicing of raw fish
• Pro tip: Lightly wet the blade to reduce sticking between cuts

Fish butchery:

• Deba for breaking down whole fish, including heads and collars
• Pro tip: Use the heel for bones and the mid-edge for clean fillets

Vegetable precision:

• Usuba for katsuramuki, brunoise, and decorative cuts
• Pro tip: Keep the back (ura) flat on the sharpening stone to maintain proper geometry

Specialty slicing:

• Single-bevel Kiritsuke (traditional style) for refined push cuts
• Pro tip: Practice on cucumbers to learn steering before working with expensive seafood

Double Bevel Tasks and Examples:

Daily knife work:

• Gyuto or Western chef's knife for slicing, dicing, and mincing
• Pro tip: Choose 210-240mm for high-volume prep; 180mm for smaller boards

Vegetable prep:

• Santoku or Nakiri (double-bevel type) for push cuts and thin slices
• Pro tip: A Granton/hollow pattern helps with wet produce

Detail work:

• Petty/utility knife for trimming, supremes, and delicate fruit cuts
• Pro tip: Add a 1-2 degree micro-bevel for durability when cutting citrus and tomatoes

Meat and poultry:

• Gyuto for trimming and portioning; boning knife for joints
• Pro tip: Avoid twisting through bone with thin edges to prevent chipping

These scenarios help you match your cooking style to the right bevel type.

5. Pros & Cons

Single Bevel

Pros:

• Very high precision and control on straight cuts
• Urasuki (curved back) helps food release
• Purpose-built for sushi, sashimi, and traditional techniques

Cons:

• Sharpening is more complex - requires back maintenance
• Usually right-handed only; left-handed versions cost more and are harder to find
• Steers during cuts; technique takes time to master

Pro tip: Start with a medium-length yanagiba (270mm) to learn consistent stroke technique.

Double Bevel

Pros:

• Works for both hands and beginner-friendly
• Versatile across all cuisines and techniques
• Easier to sharpen and maintain at home

Cons:

• Less specialized precision for classic Japanese tasks
• Food can stick more without curved faces or hollow patterns

Pro tip: If you notice sticking, lightly curve the primary bevel during sharpening to improve food release.

These trade-offs help you decide what matters most before making your purchase.

6. Buying Guide & Recommendations

Match the Knife to Your Situation:

Cuisine:

• Japanese techniques, raw fish, and decorative knife work favor single bevels
• Mixed global cooking and daily prep favor double bevels

Skill level:

• Beginners usually learn faster with double bevels
• Choose a single bevel if you plan to practice technique and sharpening skills

Kitchen needs:

• Small boards: 165-180mm Santoku or 210mm Gyuto
• Large prep: 240mm Gyuto for volume; 270mm Yanagiba for long pulls

Handedness:

• Right-handed: Both types are available
• Left-handed: Look for lefty-ground single bevels or choose double bevels

Budget and maintenance:

• Stones: Around 1000 grit for routine maintenance; 3000-6000 for polishing; 8000+ for mirror finish. Use coarser stones (400-800) for major repairs
• Micro-bevels and stropping (leather or balsa) can extend edge life
• Carbon steel gets sharper; stainless steel is easier to maintain

Expert Selection Tips:

• Check single bevels for a clean, even urasuki and consistent shinogi line
• For double bevels, verify balance (or intended 70/30 grind) and edge straightness
• Choose comfortable handles (wa or yo style) and balanced weight for your grip
• If you cut dense vegetables often, consider tougher steel or slightly higher edge angles

About KasumiJapan

KasumiJapan curates handcrafted Japanese knives from famous regions like Seki, Sakai, Takefu, and Tsubame-Sanjo. Our team focuses on edge geometry, urasuki quality on single bevels, and grind balance on double bevels. We provide practical guidance on care, angle ranges, and left-handed options. International shipping helps cooks worldwide access consistent, reliable blades with full support and documentation.

These steps and checks give you a clear path to the right bevel type and knife.