Tsunehisa Ginsan Nashiji Petty 150mm Ebony Handle

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.

Ginsan, also known as Silver 3, is a stainless steel from Proterial, the Yasugi Specialty Steel division. Proterial describes it as a stainless steel which has hardness and sharpness comparable to carbon steel, and lists its uses as kitchen knives and scissors.

Knife makers use it when they want the corrosion resistance of a stainless together with the hardness and sharpness that Proterial compares to carbon steel. The steel maker lists 59 HRC or over after hardening, but that is a heat treatment figure, not a finished knife figure.

Dry it after use, like any stainless knife. Its performance depends on the heat treatment and construction of the specific knife, not the steel name alone.

Yes. Proterial lists the steel as GIN 3 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.