Over the next few months we will be showcasing our favourite knife shapes as well as offering awesome deals on each featured shape. Kicking off the knife-shape-palooza is the indispensable petty knife!
What is a Petty Knife?
Also known as a paring or utility knife, the petty is an all-purpose knife that is a must-have in any busy kitchen. Japanese petty knives are typically slightly larger than Western paring knives, but smaller than a gyuto (Japanese chef knife).
Quick Facts About Petty Knives:
- The word petty is said to be derived from the French word "petite".
- They come in a variety of sizes ranging from 65mm to 180mm.
- The most popular sizes are between 120-150mm.
- Most have a similar shape to a Japanese gyuto knife, only smaller.
What Are Petty Knives Used For?
Due to its petite size, a petty knife is perfect for delicate cutting tasks. They are especially useful for anyone with a small workspace or smaller hands that find large chef knives difficult to use.
- Peel, slice and dice smaller fruits and vegetables
- Chop fresh herbs
- Slice garlic and shallots
- Light butchery such as breaking down poultry
- Trim meat
- Fillet small fish
- Remove eyes from potatoes
- Decorative cuts
Considerations When Choosing a Petty Knife:
Size: Do you want a small petty knife for use in your hand or a larger one which would be more comfortable using on a cutting board? What are your intended uses for this knife?
Steel: Would you like a carbon steel knife that will be extremely sharp but require more care to prevent rust? Or perhaps you need a more low maintenance stainless steel or stainless clad knife.
Handle: We have petty knives with either Japanese Wa-handles or Western Style handles made from materials such as natural wood, pakka-wood, stabilized wood or micarta.
Finish: What type of finish do you love your knives to have? We have tsuchime, damascus, nashiji, migaki, kurouchi or mirror-polished petty knives to choose from.
Three of Our Favourite Petty Knives:
- Hatsukokoro Inazuma AS Damascus Petty 150mm- This is a very attractive, extremely sharp and super lightweight petty knife. It is made with one of our favourite steels- Aogami Super. Love this petty!
- Sakai Kikumori Yoshikazu Tanaka Gokujyo Petty 90mm- At 90mm, this smaller petty is the perfect size for shaping vegetables such as potatoes, mushrooms and zucchini. If you like peeling potatoes in your hand, this knife will be your new best friend.
- Takeda NAS Petite 140mm- Our all-time favourite petty and one of the most used knives in our household. The thin, sharp blade holds its edge for a very long time. This petty always sells out quickly and is currently out of stock. If you would like to be added to a waitlist, let us know!
So now you know how awesome petty knives are and why you need one! If you have any questions about choosing the perfect petty, please contact us, we would be more than happy to help!