Hatsukokoro Ginga ATS34 Damascus Petty 150mm Dyed Birch

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.

Proterial makes ATS-34, a stainless blade steel. Its YSS page describes it as one for custom knives and high-quality cutlery tools, listing 14.00% chromium and 4.00% molybdenum and keeping the carbon figure closed.

That chromium is above the JSSA's 10.5% minimum for stainless steel, and the association notes that stainless, strictly, means it rusts less. Wash the knife and dry it after use.

Yes. The Echizen Uchihamono association's roster of certified craftsmen lists Yoshihiro Yauji as certified as a traditional craftsman in fiscal 2018.

The roster says he wants to pass on traditional techniques and develop them into new things. It also says he formed a team that has begun making products while sharing the history and culture of traditional tatara iron making.