Shun Classic Paring Knife 9cm (3.5")

A petty is a small utility knife, from the French petit. It is commonly shaped like a small gyuto and runs from 120 to 150 mm, up to 180 mm. Its clearest role is detailed work where a larger knife feels cumbersome: fruit peeling, garnish work, condiments, and small board work beside a gyuto or santoku.

A knife maker, Tojiro, frames the petty as a useful second knife, not an automatic necessity, and recommends santoku plus petty or gyuto plus petty combinations. It is not a replacement for a full size chef's knife; it lacks the blade length and belly for efficient chopping, rocking, or breaking down larger proteins. Treat it as a precision tool, not an all-rounder.

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.

KAI, the company behind Shun, says VG-MAX builds on the VG10 formula with more carbon for strength and durability, additional chromium for wear and corrosion resistance, and increased tungsten, which it says makes the steel very fine-grained so the edge can be extremely sharp.

KAI attributes corrosion resistance and strength to molybdenum, and impact resistance and carbide formation to vanadium. KAI uses VG-MAX in its Shun Classic and Premier series.

KAI lists a VG-MAX cutting core, sharpened to a 16 degree angle.

Our line page lists the blade as sanmai with stainless Damascus cladding.

Yes. KAI launched Shun in 2000, and its own history page calls it a premium knife (高級包丁). KAI traces its history to 1908, when Saijiro Endo began making pocket knives, and the company was established in Seki, Gifu, in 1920.

Seki Magoroku is also a KAI brand. KAI says it carries the craft and spirit of the swordsmith Seki no Magoroku into modern knifemaking, fused with KAI's own technology, and its top tier is the Master Line.

Imayo (いまよう) is a series inside KAI's Seki Magoroku line. KAI says its hammered tsuchime pattern gives a luxurious look, and that its high-hardness blade is finished with a three-step sharpening process for a sharp edge with long-lasting cutting performance.

It is one of the series on KAI's Seki Magoroku knives page.

We suggest keeping Seki Magoroku knives out of the dishwasher. Wash each knife by hand and dry it straight away.