Tsunehisa Ginsan Nashiji Petty 135mm Ebony Handle

A petty knife is a small Japanese utility knife, typically with a blade between 120mm and 180mm, designed for precision tasks like peeling, trimming, and slicing fruits and vegetables. You need one when your main chef’s knife feels too large for detail work, think deveining shrimp, cutting garnishes, or any in-hand peeling where a bigger blade gets in the way. Its slightly longer and slimmer profile than a Western paring knife gives you more control for intricate cuts without sacrificing the nimble feel you want for small jobs. If you regularly find yourself reaching for a smaller blade for finishing work, a petty fills that gap cleanly.

A petty is not a replacement for a gyuto or santoku. It lacks the blade length and belly for efficient chopping, rocking, or breaking down larger proteins. If your work is mostly bulk prep, like dicing onions or slicing roasts, a petty will feel slow and underpowered. It also won’t handle heavy tasks like splitting bones or prying, so treat it as a precision tool, not an all-rounder.

The petty’s role in a Japanese kitchen is as the smaller counterpart to the gyuto, built for tasks where a full-size blade is clumsy. At Knives and Stones, the petty category covers a range of steels including VG10, White#2, Swedish Steel, VG5, SG2, and MV, from makers like Sakai Takayuki, Masamoto Sohonten, Ryusen, Nigara, Hatsukokoro, and Sentan. Most are double-beveled, and the blade length runs from 120mm to 180mm, which is what gives it that balance of reach and precision. For more on how this fits into your knife kit, see the Knives and Stones Education Centre.

Petty knife lengths vary by maker: KAI's guide defines a petty (ペティナイフ) as a small knife with a narrow blade measuring 150 mm or under. Its table gives 90 to 150 mm, and it describes the shape as a smaller gyuto with a pointed tip.

We list petty knives from 70 mm to 165 mm, including lengths above the limit used in KAI's guide.

Ginsan steel, also known as Silver #3 or G3, is a stainless steel made by Proterial in Japan, containing 0.95 to 1.10% carbon and 13.00 to 14.50% chromium, and it is used in Japanese knives because it combines the sharpness and ease of sharpening of carbon steel with the rust resistance of stainless steel. It is a fine-grained steel that takes a very sharp edge, and rated by Proterial at over 59 HRC, it offers a practical balance of edge retention and sharpenability for everyday kitchen use.

The name "Ginsan" (銀三) literally means "silver three," referring to its Silver #3 designation. Its moderate chromium content makes it far less reactive than carbon steels, so it won't discolor or rust as quickly, while its carbon content keeps the edge keen and responsive on the stones. For home cooks and professionals who want a stainless knife that still feels like a traditional Japanese blade, Ginsan is a common middle ground.

Yes. Proterial lists the steel as GIN 3 (銀紙3号) with 13.00 to 14.50% chromium, above the Japan Stainless Steel Association's 10.5% minimum for stainless steel.

Proterial describes it as a stainless steel with hardness and sharpness comparable to carbon steel, used in various kitchen knives and scissors, and the association notes that stainless, strictly, means it rusts less. Wash the knife and dry it after use.

The Tsunehisa Ginsan Nashiji line is an entry-level series of Japanese kitchen knives featuring a textured Nashiji finish and a workhorse grind, making it best suited for first-time buyers, students, and household users who need an affordable and easy-to-maintain tool.

This series is designed for those new to Japanese cutlery, offering a balance of functionality and lower cost without the fragility of more delicate steels. The blades are on the thicker side, which provides durability but requires a bit more effort to push through dense ingredients compared to thinner, more specialized grinds. The textured Nashiji finish is a key visual and functional feature, created by sandblasting the bevel to meet the surface in a wavy line, which helps reduce food sticking.

The series is positioned as a practical workhorse for daily home cooking. It avoids the high maintenance of premium carbon steels, aligning with the "easy to look after" requirement for students or anyone just starting their knife collection.

Tsunehisa (恒久) means permanence. Shibata Knives describes Tsunehisa as its original brand, and says it selects knives that will have a long life, inspecting each one before delivery. Its own words are that it delivers knives worthy of a permanent position in your home.

The brand is built on traditional Japanese forging techniques with modern materials, and Shibata Knives offers after-sales maintenance and sharpening for the line.

Tsunehisa is a brand, not a single smith or a workshop. Shibata Knives describes it as an original brand of the company, run by Takayuki Shibata, and Shibata Knives does not name the workshop that makes each line. The company inherits traditional Japanese forging techniques with modern materials, and experienced staff inspect each knife before it is delivered.

What stands behind each Tsunehisa knife is that selection and inspection, and the company offers after-sales maintenance and sharpening for the line.