The petty is the most underrated format in a Japanese knife collection. Long enough to handle proteins and detailed prep work at the board, short enough to use in hand for peeling, trimming, and intricate tasks that a full-sized chef knife cannot reach. At 130mm, this Tojiro VG10 Hammered petty sits at the versatile end of the format - compact enough to be precise, substantial enough to be genuinely useful across a wide range of kitchen tasks.
The construction follows the rest of the VG10 Hammered line: a VG10 stainless core clad in softer stainless steel, finished with a tsuchime (hammered) kurouchi surface. VG10 is among the most widely used stainless steels in Japanese knife production, valued for its edge retention, toughness, and ease of maintenance. The short blade is easy to sharpen and quick to strop, which makes it a practical choice for cooks who want a low-effort knife that stays sharp with minimal attention. The Western-style handle is comfortable in both a pinch grip at the board and a standard grip in the hand.
What Customers Are Saying: Customers describe this petty as an outstanding value for detail work - exceptionally sharp out of the box and easy to maintain on short sessions at the stone. One buyer purchased a second for a spouse after seeing how well it handled daily tasks like splitting limes and prepping small ingredients. The short blade length gets credit for making sharpening quick and approachable, and the overall package is described as punching well above its price point.
Care Instructions: VG10 stainless is low maintenance and easy to live with. Hand wash and dry after use - avoid the dishwasher. Sharpen on quality water stones and strop regularly to maintain the edge. Avoid bones, frozen foods, and hard materials that can chip the edge at high hardness.
The construction follows the rest of the VG10 Hammered line: a VG10 stainless core clad in softer stainless steel, finished with a tsuchime (hammered) kurouchi surface. VG10 is among the most widely used stainless steels in Japanese knife production, valued for its edge retention, toughness, and ease of maintenance. The short blade is easy to sharpen and quick to strop, which makes it a practical choice for cooks who want a low-effort knife that stays sharp with minimal attention. The Western-style handle is comfortable in both a pinch grip at the board and a standard grip in the hand.
What Customers Are Saying: Customers describe this petty as an outstanding value for detail work - exceptionally sharp out of the box and easy to maintain on short sessions at the stone. One buyer purchased a second for a spouse after seeing how well it handled daily tasks like splitting limes and prepping small ingredients. The short blade length gets credit for making sharpening quick and approachable, and the overall package is described as punching well above its price point.
Care Instructions: VG10 stainless is low maintenance and easy to live with. Hand wash and dry after use - avoid the dishwasher. Sharpen on quality water stones and strop regularly to maintain the edge. Avoid bones, frozen foods, and hard materials that can chip the edge at high hardness.
- Maker: Tojiro
- Location: Sanjo City, Niigata, Japan
- Construction: San Mai
- Edge Steel: VG10 Stainless
- Cladding: Stainless
- Finish: Tsuchime (Hammered) Kurouchi
- Edge Grind: Even (50/50)
- Handle: Western
- Weight: 2.3 oz (65 g)
- Blade Length: 130 mm
- Total Length: 245 mm
- Spine Thickness at Heel: 2 mm
- Blade Height: 30 mm
Reviews
2 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) Bang for the buckPosted By: Ray
27 people found this review helpful
Great knife for detail work. Crazy sharp OOTB. I bought 1 for the wife too, and it's her go-to knife for splitting limes, grapes (for the toddler), and other miscellaneous tasks. Sharpening isn't difficult since it's not a long blade.
27 people found this review helpful
Great knife for detail work. Crazy sharp OOTB. I bought 1 for the wife too, and it's her go-to knife for splitting limes, grapes (for the toddler), and other miscellaneous tasks. Sharpening isn't difficult since it's not a long blade.
