Petty knife help

LOCATION
What country are you in? USA



KNIFE TYPE
What type of knife are you interested in? Petty

Are you right or left handed? Right

Are you interested in a Western handle or Japanese? Wa octagon

What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)? 150

Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no) no

What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife? $200 USD



KNIFE USE
Do you primarily intend to use this knife at home or a professional environment? Home

What are the main tasks you primarily intend to use the knife for (e.g., slicing vegetables, chopping vegetables, mincing vegetables, slicing meats, cutting down poultry, breaking poultry bones, filleting fish, trimming meats, etc.)? (Please identify as many tasks as you would like.) Daily veggie prep for meals.

What knife, if any, are you replacing? I want this for a smaller option to replace my 240 mm gyuto for daily stuff.

Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.) Pinch

What cutting motions do you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for types of cutting motions and identify the two or three most common cutting motions, in order of most used to least used.) Push cut, some rocking from habit.

What improvements do you want from your current knife? If you are not replacing a knife, please identify as many characteristics identified below in parentheses that you would like this knife to have.) I want better food release than my 240 mm gesshin ginga gyuto. Particularly on onions and celery.

Better aesthetics (e.g., a certain type of finish; layered/Damascus or other pattern of steel; different handle color/pattern/shape/wood; better scratch resistance; better stain resistance)? Prefer a darker handle like burnt chestnut or something other than the common ho wood and black ferrule.

Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)? I would like similar or better FnF to the gesshin ginga as I will be using this daily.

Ease of Use (e.g., ability to use the knife right out of the box; smoother rock chopping, push cutting, or slicing motion; less wedging; better food release; less reactivity with food; easier to sharpen)? Not sure, I like how easy the ginga is to sharpen but I don't have much comparison.

Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)? I have a hi-soft cutting board and I only have to sharpen my ginga every 2 months or more, although I let it go much longer out of laziness and lack of time. Again not really experienced enough to give a clear answer. I don't want to have to sharpen more than once a month.



KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.) Hi soft synthetic board

Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.) Yes

If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.)

Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.) I have a gesshin 2000 stone right now with a flattening plate. Looking to get a coarser stone around 300-400 and a 6000.



SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS

I want the knife to have enough height so that my knuckles don't hit the board all of the time.



Thanks

Sounds like a Santoku or nakiri might suit you better than a petty with the knuckle clearance thing.

Petty isn't really a replacement for gyuto, merely a supplement to one. For strictly veggie prep I too would suggest a nakiri perhaps.

Thanks for your suggestions.

My main goal here is a small knife, for use with a very small cutting board so I don't have a lot of stuff to clean after making breakfast. This is why I don't want to use my gyuto, it is bigger, and I have to pull out a bigger board.

I am not cutting up much at one time with this knife, just a scant 1/4 cup of a few things at most and then I'm done.

Thinking more like, 1/4 of an onion, half a potato, some herb, the end.

I have never used a Nikiri and while I understand how it would be great for many vegetable techniques it looks a nightmare to dice an onion. I think if I were to buy a highly specialized knife for strictly vegetables I would just get an Usuba.

When do you use Usuba and when do you choose nikiri instead?

This petty at EE is taller than most, and satisfies many of your criteria.

http://www.epicedge.com/shopexd.asp?id=90555

If you decide to try a usuba, I have a brand new one in bst.

What about something like:

http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/chokuhan/item/1465581/

http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/chokuhan/item/1465587/

http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/buk-r/item/115-002/

they have a variety of knives and pricepoints.

Not trying to put you off rami's lovely new usuba, but the nakiri is better suited to western use.
The usuba is specifically designed for Japanese cuisine with very thin slicing. You can certainly use one, just be aware of what you are getting into.
I am intending to find out for myself in the not too distant future.

An usuba, through denser veges, is prone to steer. Definately a more specialized knife.

TexasMethod said:

Thanks for your suggestions.

My main goal here is a small knife, for use with a very small cutting board so I don't have a lot of stuff to clean after making breakfast. This is why I don't want to use my gyuto, it is bigger, and I have to pull out a bigger board.

I am not cutting up much at one time with this knife, just a scant 1/4 cup of a few things at most and then I'm done.

Thinking more like, 1/4 of an onion, half a potato, some herb, the end.

I have never used a Nikiri and while I understand how it would be great for many vegetable techniques it looks a nightmare to dice an onion. I think if I were to buy a highly specialized knife for strictly vegetables I would just get an Usuba.

When do you use Usuba and when do you choose nikiri instead?

Click to expand...

It's not a petty, and it's not 150 mm, but this knife from Ian Rogers (Haburn Knives) may be just what you are looking for:



Find it here:

http://www.haburnknives.com/store/ko-bunka-1095-1-of-2

I have never used a Nikiri and while I understand how it would be great for many vegetable techniques it looks a nightmare to dice an onion.

Click to expand...

I did not find the technique to be any different from gyuto if you push cut or chop.

As somebody suggested 165mm santoku might fit the bill nicely. Small, nimble, knuckle clearance perfect for small tasks on small boards.

+1 on the santoku. I got a 165mm santoku specifically for the type of small tasks you describe. Use it on the small board without any problems.

Use an Usuba when you want to do this.

[video=youtube;3HDro-KP9Wo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HDro-KP9Wo[/video]

[video=youtube;eC7EUa-S_qs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC7EUa-S_qs[/video]

Pensacola Tiger said:

It's not a petty, and it's not 150 mm, but this knife from Ian Rogers (Haburn Knives) may be just what you are looking for:

Find it here:

http://www.haburnknives.com/store/ko-bunka-1095-1-of-2

Click to expand...

this is a really good suggestion and the price is right. You should also really consider a santoku. Like the Gesshin Uraku skd santoku.

Ruso said:

I did not find the technique to be any different from gyuto if you push cut or chop.

As somebody suggested 165mm santoku might fit the bill nicely. Small, nimble, knuckle clearance perfect for small tasks on small boards.

Click to expand...

Never having used one I can't say really but without a point at the tip of the knife, is it not difficult to split the onions into wedges without separating the root before cutting across them to dice? I know there are many ways to skin the cat, this is just how I dice an onion.


The Uraku santoku looks pretty nice and the price is good, I also like having the wide bevels to make thinning easier. I am pretty new at sharpening and am not looking forward to thinning my Gesshin Ginga. Would like a better looking handle on the Uraku though however.

Which brings me to the Haburn.

Damn. Great looking knife. Perfect size, good price. Styling is like a Wa-ish shaped western handle. The tip looks great for onions, and the flat profile is similar to a nikiri.

Anyone have some feedback on Haburn knives? I know he is new on the block. How does this steel compare to the Uraku's SKD 11 or more traditional White or blue steels?

Any comment on Haburn's heat treatment? This knife is listed at 63HRC, anyone sharpened 1095 at 63HRC?

I think a Tosa style knife is right for the job.

http://www.japaneseknifeimports.com...uri-165mm-blue-1-kurouchi-tosagata-bocho.html

I too favor small boards and knives at home for ease of cleanup. For everyday home kitchen tasks small knives like this are perfect. I think of them almost more like a pocket knife than I do my large work gyutos. And this Zukuri looks like it can get in and out of a mayo jar pretty well. :clown:

Also it might be worth checking out this Chinese Cleaver. It is only 180mm for $88 and would make transferring from the board to the pan a snap. You could get both and still be able to get the Misono fruit knife from Korin without breaking budget. To do better I think you would have to increase budget and get a Takeda Banno Bunka.

http://korin.com/Misono-Fruit-Knife?sc=27&category=280078

TexasMethod said:

Never having used one I can't say really but without a point at the tip of the knife, is it not difficult to split the onions into wedges without separating the root before cutting across them to dice? I know there are many ways to skin the cat, this is just how I dice an onion.

Click to expand...

A thin nakiri (or even one with a decent distal taper) can make the first horizontal and vertical cuts to dice an onion just fine.

The Masakage Yuki line (not that I've ever used one, but seem to get generally good reviews) also has 130mm and 170mm Bunkas that would fit your budget. I like the looks of that Haburn as well.

I vote Intinommon bunka. I've found mine very handy!

Geshin Ginga, white #2, 210mm petty. Call or email Jon Broida @ JKI and he will point you in the right direction......