ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PETTY

Deciding on a new knife is not an easy task, with so many options to choose from, how on earth do you know what knife is "the one". We spend most of our time searching for the best Japanese knives available so you can rest assured that once you have found a knife that meets your criteria, it will exceed  your expectations. 

BENEFITS AND VERSATILITY OF THE PETTY

The petty knife can be thought of as the Japanese equivalent to a western style utility knife. They typically range in size from 90 mm (3.5 inches) to 150 mm (6 inches) and have a slender blade. They are a perfect accompaniment to a Gyuto, Nakiri, Santoku, Bunka, or Kiritsuke and can be used on the board or in the hand for all those small jobs  you'll come across. 

COMMON USES OF THE PETTY

The Petty is one of the shapes I use most at home now and was one of my most utilized shapes in a professional setting as well. They are great for butchery tasks like breaking down whole chickens, trimming excess fat and connective tissue on larger pieces of meat and  for slicing smaller proteins. The slender, short blade makes them really easy to control which helps when trying to get in and around bones and joints. I use mine a lot for breakfast and lunch prep nowadays, they don't take up a lot of space and are great to have accessible when cutting up fruit or cutting a sandwich in half real quick for lunch. They can also be used in hand - Off the board - to trim the tops of Brussels Sprouts or strawberries for example.

ALTERNATIVES TO THE PETTY

While the petty is no slouch in the butchery department, if this is the intended use of your petty, but you're looking for something designed specifically for butchery, you might consider a Honesuki. The Honesuki isn't as good for vegetable prep as the Petty, but it has a thicker spine and is a butchery specific blade. 

TIPS FOR CHOOSING YOUR FIRST PETTY

While it can be tempting to purchase a Petty knife based purely on aesthetics (I should know, I've done it once or twice), We would highly recommend considering a few factors before making a decision. Japanese knives are made from a variety of steel types which can impact their maintenance requirements. Knives made from carbon steel can and will rust if not properly maintained, while knives made from stainless steel will remain rust free. All of our knives have their steel type and care instructions listed on the product page so you can make a better informed decision. You can also check out our Knife Maintenance blog post here. The biggest consideration for a petty is the length; Shorter versions in the 90 mm range are the easiest to use off the board, in your hand, but the shorter blade makes it difficult and less efficient to use for other tasks. The longer versions in the 150 mm range are more difficult to use off the board but are great for quick slicing jobs and will better handle any butchery tasks you may encounter.