The Essential Guide to Petty Knives: Mastery in Precision Cutting

Introduction

The petty knife is a small utility knife that can be used for many small precise or delicate tasks in the kitchen. Second only to a chef’s knife or gyuto for usefulness as an all purpose knife, petty knives are loved by professional chefs and home cooks alike.

In this article, we’ll explore what a petty knife is, its origins, uses, comparisons with other knives, and tips on choosing and maintaining one.

Understanding Petty Knives

Learn what makes a petty knife unique, the history of this shape and importance of the petty among other Japanese kitchen knives.

What is a Petty Knife?

The petty knife is believed to have entered the Japanese knife canon during the Meiji Era (late 19th Century) when Japanese society and culture was opening up to Western culture and cuisine. The name is believed to come from the French word ‘petite’, meaning small and in contrast to the gyuto (meaning beef knife) that was the Japanese version of a Western chef’s knife.

Japanese petty knives are small utility knives that typically measure between four and six inches in blade length, about one to two inches longer than a paring knife. 

Anatomy of a Petty Knife - Design and Features

What size are petty knives? Petty knives tend to have blade lengths of 4-6”. They are available in both western-style and traditional Japanese wa-style handles. Handle style is a matter of personal preference, but fans of traditional Japanese handles (often octagonal) find them to be ergonomic and comfortable even through hours of use.

"How thick is the spine on a petty knife?" Spine thickness will vary by craftsmen, but generally speaking, knives made in Japan tend to have thinner blades than those made in France, Germany or China. Most styles of petty come in double-bevel, meaning they are sharpened on both sides for a 50/50 balance and can be used in either your right or left hand. Some knife makers create petty knives with blades in sharper angle grinds such as 70/30, which is suited to right hand use.

Petty Knife Uses and Applications

The versatility of the petty knife makes it a great choice for a range of tasks and uses.
Designed for dexterity, Japanese petty knives are great for cutting smaller ingredients with great precision or performing delicate tasks. One of the most reached for knives, the petty is perfect for tasks such as peeling, trimming, slicing and mincing small fruits, vegetables and herbs. Can you use a petty knife for meat? Yes -The shorter blade is also great for small butchery tasks like deboning poultry and meat. You can also turn to a petty for filleting small cuts of meat, poultry or fish.

Petty Knife vs. Other Kitchen Knives

Although slightly larger than a paring knife, a petty knife is smaller than most every other Japanese knife style. We’ll cover how the petty knife compares to other shapes such as the gyuto, santoku, bunka and nakiri.

Petty Knife vs. Paring Knife

What is the difference between a paring knife and a petty knife? Petty knives are slightly larger (over 4”) where paring knives are usually under 4”. Paring knives are perfect for peeling and cleaning, whereas a petty can do all those functions and more.

Petty Knife vs. Gyuto, Santoku, Bunka, Nakiri

Although all of these knives are all purpose to some degree, a petty is smaller and more agile than a host of other Japanese knife shapes. The gyuto, while also all purpose, starts at 7” and is better suited to larger items. The santoku (usually 6” or 7”) has a taller blade and flatter cutting surface that is suited to chopping with an up and down motion. The bunka and nakiri are similar in size and function to each other, but with a sharp tip (bunka) or a flat front (nakiri). All are suitable for vegetables.

Selecting the Best Petty Knife

One of the first things to consider when choosing the best petty knife is the type of steel. Two factors to keep in mind when choosing a steel type is ease of maintenance and primarily what ingredients you use to the knife to cut.

Stainless Steel: Stainless steels are a great option for minimal maintenance. If you leave the knife wet, it won’t immediately rust or discolor. Stainless steels such as AUS or VG10 are safe to use with highly acidic produce like tomatoes and lemons.

High carbon steels, including White Steels and Blue Steels like aogami super are extremely popular in professional kitchens because they are easy to sharpen, hold an edge well and get extremely sharp, but carbon steel knives require a little more care and attentions. Carbon steel knives should be wiped clean between cuts and washed well with soap in water and dried completely after use. Damascus petties, made from layers of folded steel are a beautiful aesthetic choice and make great gifts.

Our petty knife collection, features a wide range of options in many steel types and price points. Some of our best seller include:

• Best for all around: Sakai Takayuki 45 Layer Damascus Wa Petty 150mm (5.9") $13
• Best for Carbon Steel Enthusiasts: Akira-Saku Blue #2 Petty 150mm (5.9") $115
• Best completely handmade from a legendary blacksmith: Sakai Takayuki Homura Guren Wa-Petty 150mm (5.9") $250

Care and Maintenance

With proper care and maintenance, a petty knife can last a lifetime.

For maximum longevity, We recommend cleaning and drying knives immediately after using. Keep the blade securely covered with a saya (wooden sheath) or other blade cover to protect yourself as well as the blade.

Use cutting boards made from end grain wood or soft natural rubber. Avoid cutting on marble, stone, glass or bamboo surfaces.

Don’t use your high quality knives to cut frozen food or bones (soft joins are ok). Avoid chipping your balde by making clean cuts. Don’t twist the knife while cutting through hard ingredients.

Sharpening Your Petty Knife

How do you sharpen a petty knife? All Japanese knives should be sharpened on a whetstone. The proper angle to be used can vary, but is usually between 15º or 20º. Follow established angle of the blade, keeping in mind a height of 2 pennies. For more tips and techniques for maintaining sharpness visit our blog.

Conclusion

A petty knife is an extremely useful tool to have in your knife set. In fact, many people have more than one petty knife in their kitchen or knife bag. It’s the perfect size to perform a wide range of detail oriented tasks and is usually the first knife to reach for when starting to prepare a meal.

Having a versatile, high quality petty in the kitchen will make cooking safer, more efficient and more enjoyable. Shop our entire petty collection to add an invaluable versatile knife to your knife set.