The Japanese Petty knife – Japan’s version of the Western all-utility kitchen knife
A Petty knife, with the exception of it’s extended blade length (5-7 inches), is not that much different from the Western all-utility knife.
A Petty knife performs like a paring knife for peeling, paring, carving vegetables and fruits and cutting herbs.
It is also perfect for slicing sandwiches and taking on some of the larger task of slicing and dicing jobs that are generally relegated to a short length (6-inch) Chef’s knife.
The only significant differences between a Petty knife, a paring knife and a short Chef’s knife is not just their blade lengths but their blade materials as well.
High quality Western paring knives and Chef’s knives are made using softer stainless-steel, which requires frequent sharpening, while the Japanese Petty knife has a harder steel blade that once sharpened holds its edge much longer.
Although the longer blade length of the Petty knife is useful in a variety of cutting tasks, some may find its extra length awkward and unwieldy.
While paring knives are available in a variety of blade shapes for special tasks, e.g., bird’s beak, sheep’s foot, and so on, and a Chef’s knife come in two types of blade configurations, the Petty knife comes in one blade shape which allows you to handle the same cutting tasks as its two Western counterparts.
Here is list of some the best Japanese Petty knives:
- Tojiro Petty Knife (DP): One of the better performing paring knife tested out of the box and it retains its edge after repeated uses better than most.
- Phoenix Petty Knife: Excellent for many utility tasks- peeling, paring, coring, carving
- Sugimoto Petty Knife: An excellent performer. Super sharp and has great edge retention.
- Shun (Classic): – You get a lifetime warranty with this knife which for many may offset the high price ($60). It’s the most expensive of the bunch but it is perfectly designed for chopping, peeling, paring, etc.
- Kikuichi Petty Knife (Molybdenum): Not quite as sharp out of the box as the Sugimoto or Shun but an good overall performer.
- Hiromoto Petty Knife: Razor sharp. The edge develops a patina which some users might not like.
