HAP40 is what CKTG has been calling Voodoo Steel for years - a powdered high-speed semi-stainless alloy from Hitachi Metals that holds its edge three to five times longer than traditional carbon or stainless steels. At 65-66 HRC it is harder than Aogami Super and SG2, fine-grained enough to take a razor-sharp edge, and semi-stainless enough to handle daily kitchen use without the reactive surface care that carbon demands. Gihei has been building around this steel in Sanjo City since the shop was established in 1928. Atsushi Hosokawa and his son run the operation today.
The petty at 150mm blade length is the compact utility knife in the Gihei HAP40 line - precise for in-hand work and small board tasks. At just 2.4 oz it is feather light with HAP40 at 65-66 HRC. Peter calls it very good for the price - usably sharp out of the box but genuinely excellent after a session on quality stones. He is amazed at how light it is and calls the wa handle a nice size and comfortable. An experienced sharpener notes the HAP40 at this hardness gets dramatically sharper when worked properly. Oak Octagonal Urushi handle. Even 50/50 double-bevel grind. Free US shipping over $100.
What Customers Are Saying: Eight five-star reviews. Peter calls it very good for the price - usably sharp out of the box and genuinely excellent after a session on quality stones. He is amazed at how light it feels and calls the wa handle comfortable. An experienced sharpener describes spending time on stones and achieving dramatically better results - HAP40 at 65-66 HRC rewards proper technique with an edge that holds through sustained use. Multiple reviewers note the edge retention is noticeably better than any stainless alternative they have used.
Care Instructions: HAP40 is a semi-stainless steel - highly stain resistant under normal kitchen conditions. Hand wash and dry after each use. Avoid the dishwasher. Use wood or rubber cutting boards. Avoid bones, frozen foods, and hard materials. Sharpen on quality water stones - HAP40 at 65-66 HRC sharpens more readily than its hardness suggests and responds well to stropping between sessions. The extraordinary edge retention means sharpening sessions are less frequent than with any other steel in the lineup.
The petty at 150mm blade length is the compact utility knife in the Gihei HAP40 line - precise for in-hand work and small board tasks. At just 2.4 oz it is feather light with HAP40 at 65-66 HRC. Peter calls it very good for the price - usably sharp out of the box but genuinely excellent after a session on quality stones. He is amazed at how light it is and calls the wa handle a nice size and comfortable. An experienced sharpener notes the HAP40 at this hardness gets dramatically sharper when worked properly. Oak Octagonal Urushi handle. Even 50/50 double-bevel grind. Free US shipping over $100.
What Customers Are Saying: Eight five-star reviews. Peter calls it very good for the price - usably sharp out of the box and genuinely excellent after a session on quality stones. He is amazed at how light it feels and calls the wa handle comfortable. An experienced sharpener describes spending time on stones and achieving dramatically better results - HAP40 at 65-66 HRC rewards proper technique with an edge that holds through sustained use. Multiple reviewers note the edge retention is noticeably better than any stainless alternative they have used.
Care Instructions: HAP40 is a semi-stainless steel - highly stain resistant under normal kitchen conditions. Hand wash and dry after each use. Avoid the dishwasher. Use wood or rubber cutting boards. Avoid bones, frozen foods, and hard materials. Sharpen on quality water stones - HAP40 at 65-66 HRC sharpens more readily than its hardness suggests and responds well to stropping between sessions. The extraordinary edge retention means sharpening sessions are less frequent than with any other steel in the lineup.
- Blacksmith: Atsushi Hosokawa
- Workshop: Gihei
- Location: Sanjo City, Japan
- Founded: 1928
- Construction: San Mai
- Edge Steel: HAP40 PM Semi-Stainless (Hagane)
- Cladding: Stainless Steel (Jigane)
- HRC: 65-66
- Edge Grind: Even 50/50 Double Bevel
- Handle: Oak Octagonal Urushi
- Weight: 2.4 oz (68g)
- Blade Length: 150mm
- Total Length: 274mm
- Spine Thickness at Heel: 2mm
- Blade Height: 30mm
Reviews
8 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval)
1st HAP40, 1st GiheiPosted By: Peter
24 people found this review helpful
I am happy with this knife. It is very good for the price. Out of the box it was usably sharp, but not 'wicked' sharp. Spending a little time on my stones improved it. It holds an edge very well. I'm a fan of wa handles. This one is a nice size and comfortable. I'm amazed at how light this knife is. I cook a lot, but more importantly I know this is an excellent knife because my wife likes it.
24 people found this review helpful
I am happy with this knife. It is very good for the price. Out of the box it was usably sharp, but not 'wicked' sharp. Spending a little time on my stones improved it. It holds an edge very well. I'm a fan of wa handles. This one is a nice size and comfortable. I'm amazed at how light this knife is. I cook a lot, but more importantly I know this is an excellent knife because my wife likes it.
Perfect little petty knifePosted By: Sam
15 people found this review helpful
I bought this knife so I could check out the HAP40 steel and, according to my wife, we needed a medium sized knife. This knife impresses me every time I pick it up! The size is great, the edge has been nicely thinned and preforms amazingly, and the steel seems to have all of the good qualities and none of the bad. If Gihei comes out with a chef knife that is a little taller and a paring knife then I might just have to switch out those knifes on my board. Overall I am really glad I bought this knife.
15 people found this review helpful
I bought this knife so I could check out the HAP40 steel and, according to my wife, we needed a medium sized knife. This knife impresses me every time I pick it up! The size is great, the edge has been nicely thinned and preforms amazingly, and the steel seems to have all of the good qualities and none of the bad. If Gihei comes out with a chef knife that is a little taller and a paring knife then I might just have to switch out those knifes on my board. Overall I am really glad I bought this knife.
Great knifePosted By: M Leonard - verified customer
7 people found this review helpful
This knife out of the box was about a 6 out of 10 but a little sharpening and this little petty is awesome. Handle was a little rough on the feel but put a little mineral oil on it and it's much better. It's very light and very durable. Excellent overall. CKTG is my go to!
7 people found this review helpful
This knife out of the box was about a 6 out of 10 but a little sharpening and this little petty is awesome. Handle was a little rough on the feel but put a little mineral oil on it and it's much better. It's very light and very durable. Excellent overall. CKTG is my go to!
Great in every wayPosted By: GaryT
6 people found this review helpful
This knife feels great in the hand. I found it easy to manipulate through anything. It looks great. The finish is beautiful. The handle looks great. I did sharpen it a tad more and it is unbelievable. Every knife I get from CKTG I think becomes my favorite. The same is true of this petty knife. Big enough to handle most jobs and small enough to be nimble. I like it !
6 people found this review helpful
This knife feels great in the hand. I found it easy to manipulate through anything. It looks great. The finish is beautiful. The handle looks great. I did sharpen it a tad more and it is unbelievable. Every knife I get from CKTG I think becomes my favorite. The same is true of this petty knife. Big enough to handle most jobs and small enough to be nimble. I like it !
Gihei HAP40 Petty 150mm Gihei HAP40 Voodoo Steel Posted By: Brent - verified customer
8 people found this review helpful
This knife is an amazing little petty. I like the profile, and I LOVE the steel~! OOTB sharp, but takes and holds a wicked edge. It is easy to see why some call HAP40 steel 'voodoo steel''. The blade is very thin and light, the walnut handle and maple ferrule are a great match as they are lightweight and nicer than a plain Ho handle. However, I personally find the handle to be a bit large for the blade - a smaller diameter handle would allow for a more nimble and adept use for a petty, in my opinion. Overall a great purchase from a great company, thank you CKTG~!
8 people found this review helpful
This knife is an amazing little petty. I like the profile, and I LOVE the steel~! OOTB sharp, but takes and holds a wicked edge. It is easy to see why some call HAP40 steel 'voodoo steel''. The blade is very thin and light, the walnut handle and maple ferrule are a great match as they are lightweight and nicer than a plain Ho handle. However, I personally find the handle to be a bit large for the blade - a smaller diameter handle would allow for a more nimble and adept use for a petty, in my opinion. Overall a great purchase from a great company, thank you CKTG~!
Really nicePosted By: Terry Faulkner - verified customer
5 people found this review helpful
This Gihei Petty was sharp enough out of the box to slice through the newspaper test with ease. Besides great function on the cutting board it is a very attractive knife with excellent fit and finish.
5 people found this review helpful
This Gihei Petty was sharp enough out of the box to slice through the newspaper test with ease. Besides great function on the cutting board it is a very attractive knife with excellent fit and finish.
Awesome KnifePosted By: Sam - verified customer
4 people found this review helpful
Reading Mark's comments on the HAP40 steel, I decided to buy one of these Giheis.It absolutely glides through anything I have cut with it so far. I haven't pushed it hard,but it has been holding the sharp edge perfectly so far. The handle works well, and islarge enough for mid western hands. The edge shape works very well in the averageslicing motion. The narrow profile and optimal satin finish help it glide through foodswith almost no friction. The OTB edge is satisfactory. I have been working on optimizingmy sharpening skills using the Wicked Edge sharpening system. The edge I put on thisknife with the Wicked Edge system is unreal. Using the ceramic stones to fully polish thebevels further reduces cutting friction to almost nothing. Holding the knife with two fingersis all that is needed for slicing through a thick steak. I have sampled a variety of steelsand knife brands for my sharpening education project. I have no need to look further nowthat I own a Gihei.
4 people found this review helpful
Reading Mark's comments on the HAP40 steel, I decided to buy one of these Giheis.It absolutely glides through anything I have cut with it so far. I haven't pushed it hard,but it has been holding the sharp edge perfectly so far. The handle works well, and islarge enough for mid western hands. The edge shape works very well in the averageslicing motion. The narrow profile and optimal satin finish help it glide through foodswith almost no friction. The OTB edge is satisfactory. I have been working on optimizingmy sharpening skills using the Wicked Edge sharpening system. The edge I put on thisknife with the Wicked Edge system is unreal. Using the ceramic stones to fully polish thebevels further reduces cutting friction to almost nothing. Holding the knife with two fingersis all that is needed for slicing through a thick steak. I have sampled a variety of steelsand knife brands for my sharpening education project. I have no need to look further nowthat I own a Gihei.
