Kanjo Tsukahara has built a growing reputation in Seki, Japan for working in ZDP189, an ultra premium powdered steel, and we were the first company anywhere to carry his knives. This 150mm petty brings that same steel to a smaller, more controlled format.
The ZDP189 core is hardened to 66 HRC, among the hardest steels we carry, and the blade is precision laser cut in a san mai construction rather than hand hammered, keeping the edge grind even and the fit and finish excellent. At this size the knife handles in-hand work, fruit, bread, and detail tasks with real precision, and it carries the same stabilized gray pakka wood handle and black pakka wood ferrule found across the rest of the line, chosen for durability and a clean look.
What Customers Are Saying: Both reviewers describe a petty that punches above its size. One calls it always sharp and ready, describing the slightly compact dimensions as a genuine advantage rather than a drawback. The other bought it specifically for in-hand work, fanning fruit, slicing bread, and small produce, and found the out-of-the-box sharpness excellent, improving further after a strop on bovine leather. He notes it slices through avocado peel effortlessly and cuts cleanly through house-baked kaiser rolls without tearing the crust, and sums it up simply: if you need a petty, this is it.
Care Instructions: ZDP189 is a stainless powdered steel, but its extreme hardness means it can chip if it meets something it should not. Use wood or rubber cutting boards, avoid bones and frozen foods, and hand wash and dry the blade rather than letting it sit. The handle is well sealed and needs no special care beyond normal cleaning. Strop regularly between sharpenings to keep the edge in top shape.
The ZDP189 core is hardened to 66 HRC, among the hardest steels we carry, and the blade is precision laser cut in a san mai construction rather than hand hammered, keeping the edge grind even and the fit and finish excellent. At this size the knife handles in-hand work, fruit, bread, and detail tasks with real precision, and it carries the same stabilized gray pakka wood handle and black pakka wood ferrule found across the rest of the line, chosen for durability and a clean look.
What Customers Are Saying: Both reviewers describe a petty that punches above its size. One calls it always sharp and ready, describing the slightly compact dimensions as a genuine advantage rather than a drawback. The other bought it specifically for in-hand work, fanning fruit, slicing bread, and small produce, and found the out-of-the-box sharpness excellent, improving further after a strop on bovine leather. He notes it slices through avocado peel effortlessly and cuts cleanly through house-baked kaiser rolls without tearing the crust, and sums it up simply: if you need a petty, this is it.
Care Instructions: ZDP189 is a stainless powdered steel, but its extreme hardness means it can chip if it meets something it should not. Use wood or rubber cutting boards, avoid bones and frozen foods, and hand wash and dry the blade rather than letting it sit. The handle is well sealed and needs no special care beyond normal cleaning. Strop regularly between sharpenings to keep the edge in top shape.
- Maker: Kanjo Tsukahara
- Location: Seki, Japan
- Construction: San Mai, Laser Cut
- Edge Steel: ZDP189 Stainless Steel
- HRC: 66
- Cladding: Stainless
- Edge Grind: Even, 50/50
- Handle: Wa Octagonal, Gray Pakka Wood
- Ferrule: Black Pakka Wood
- Weight: 2.9 oz (82 g)
- Blade Length: 150 mm
- Total Length: 274 mm
- Spine Thickness at Heel: 2 mm
- Blade Height: 30 mm
Reviews
2 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) Keeps going. If you need a petty this is it. Posted By: Osbaldo Garcia
31 people found this review helpful
Got this petty as I needed something for inhand work and small little fruit or bread to be cut. OTB sharpness was fantastic and stropped on bovine leather just improved it. I had to be careful when fanning avocados in hand because it would just slice through the peel effortlessly! Slicing the house baked kaiser rolls is easy and doesn't break the bread at all. If you need a petty this is it.
31 people found this review helpful
Got this petty as I needed something for inhand work and small little fruit or bread to be cut. OTB sharpness was fantastic and stropped on bovine leather just improved it. I had to be careful when fanning avocados in hand because it would just slice through the peel effortlessly! Slicing the house baked kaiser rolls is easy and doesn't break the bread at all. If you need a petty this is it.
