Denka petty - worth it?

[JayGee]

Looking for a yo-petty 150mm or bigger. Have never had a TF. They cost a lot. Do you think the TF wow factor would still be expressed in smaller knives?

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

To me, the question is, does the wow factor offset the potential for the intense so called wabi sabi (aka shoddy work) factor. I know my answer. Others strongly disagree.

 

[JayGee]

To me, the question is, does the wow factor offset the potential for the intense so called wabi sabi (aka shoddy work) factor. I know my answer. Others strongly disagree.

Good point - let's presume its a good one, or the capacity to fix minor-ish problems.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Good point - let's presume its a good one, or the capacity to fix minor-ish problems.

I guess then the question is how much wow factor for steel do you need in a petty?

I can't help because I'll never get passed the original point.

 

[bearhippo]

Hmm... if it's something like a 180mm gyuto then I suppose so but I think anything smaller than that and it wouldn't quite make as much sense IMO (value-wise).

 

[Qapla']

How are you planning to use the petty knife?

 

[bahamaroot]

In a nutshell......no. But as was mentioned, others strongly disagree.

 

[Marek07]

As one who has way too many TFs, if you're just after a wow factor experience, get yourself a nashiji petty. It will probably still impress but at 1/4 of the price of a Denka. My nashiji nakiri still makes me smile when I use it - great bang-per-buck.

In all honesty, I'm not certain a petty can wow you regardless of maker or steel. YMMV. For the record, I don't have a Denka petty.

 

[Chicagohawkie]

In the petty world, I’ve found no difference in high end vs low end. I have 3 Tojiro pettys that cost me 150 bucks that will last me a life time and get the job done flawlessly. IMO spend the money elsewhere.

 

[blokey]

Yeah like people said petty is kind of the knife that grind and steel doesn’t matter that much, I have a Gesshin petty and it is good. I’d say maybe Santoku or small Nakiri would be a good choice. JCK has some white #1 nashiji in stock.

 

[blokey]

Maybe something like this here.
https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/teruyasu-fujiwara-nashiji-gyuto-210mm.63713/

 

[miggus]

I have some petties that I enjoy a lot, amongst them is Nashiji petty. Haven't yet used a Denka petty, but will receive one in the months to come.

I'd assume that the usual TF controversy applies here. If you like TF knives, you will like a Denka petty.

But of course you can get virtually any Petty for the price of one of those, and mamy of those options will have perfect fit and finish.

I would recommend trying one of TFs more affordable lines first and see if you like the way they do petties. If that clicks eith you, you can consider an upgrade.

 

[Corradobrit1]

Not worth the premium. The properties offered by AS are less important for a standard petty sized blade. Save money and get a Yo Mab.

 

[Qapla']

Here's another idea: If you are willing to pay TF-level prices, then maybe contact Korin to discuss a blue-steel (or other preferred steel) Nenox petty with your handle material of choice?

 

[EShin]

Love my Nashiji petty, kind of like a mini gyuto and at great value, would totally recommend that. I don’t think the difference in steel would matter so much in case of a petty knife but it will depend on the user.

 

[Benuser]

A petty has a small contact area with the board, gets some abuse, is sharpened much more than any other knife and has a short life span.

 

[Cliff]

I think great steel matters a lot on short-ish knives, say 180-230mm. Petties, I prefer a softer steel that can take more abuse and sharpens easily. For longer knives, there's more blade, so the edges tend to last longer. It's the heavy-use, shorter knives where I would spend up for great steel.

 

[DitmasPork]

Looking for a yo-petty 150mm or bigger. Have never had a TF. They cost a lot. Do you think the TF wow factor would still be expressed in smaller knives?

IMHO, save up to buy a denka gyuto.

 

[tag98]

Have you considered a 150/180 gyuto? I have a 150 western mabs that I bought on a whim and has become my go to for work that I would have used a petty before. I find the extra height to be very useful while the short length still allows for in hand work. Worth noting I also a jck nashiji with a killer custom handle that takes a backseat to the 150 gyuto

 

[Delat]

Not sure what size you're looking for, but some nice pettys at very low prices here.
https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/petty-knives-bnib-or-like-new.63698/#post-973446
Also echoing that surprisingly inexpensive TF 210 nashiji linked above. If I had any interested in trying a TF that seems like a painless entry point.

Personally I don't understand expensive pettys since I hardly use them. But I guess if I used them a lot I'd be more willing to spend on them.

 

[parbaked]

The 150mm Denka gyuto is great little knife for only $15-$20 more than the petty.
This is what I would buy if I had to hide a knife at my in laws in Yokosuka.

Petty knives are useful, especially the taller ones that are like a mini gyuto.
They do small tasks better than a 270mm x 58mm gyuto.
The 30mm tall ones are good for fruit, fish and chickens, but less useful as an all around knife.

I don't think they wear out fast.
They're used for smaller tasks on smaller product.
You're not processing huge amounts of food with one so they last fine.

I have an old Nashiji that lives on the side of my fridge.
I use it all the time and rarely have to do more than strop it back to life.
If it was a Denka it would be twice as badass...

 

[Cliff]

I don't think it's cutting lots of product that wears down knives, it's sharpening. If you use a petty hard, scraping up against bone and for board work, it will need to be sharpened more than a 270mm, and there's less height to lose.

 

[blokey]

The 150mm Denka gyuto is great little knife for only $15-$20 more than the petty.
This is what I would buy if I had to hide a knife at my in laws in Yokosuka.

Petty knives are useful, especially the taller ones that are like a mini gyuto.
They do small tasks better than a 270mm x 58mm gyuto.
The 30mm tall ones are good for fruit, fish and chickens, but less useful as an all around knife.

I don't think they wear out fast.
They're used for smaller tasks on smaller product.
You're not processing huge amounts of food with one so they last fine.

I have an old Nashiji that lives on the side of my fridge.
I use it all the time and rarely have to do more than strop it back to life.
If it was a Denka it would be twice as badass...
View attachment 226967

That handle job is beautiful

 

[DitmasPork]

Looking for a yo-petty 150mm or bigger. Have never had a TF. They cost a lot. Do you think the TF wow factor would still be expressed in smaller knives?

I realize that my initial comment above was a bit oversimplified. For me, buying a petty is akin to buying a gyuto, etc. Depends on what you want from it, how you use it, is it for practical or bling purposes.
Pettys are essential in my kitchen—I'll typically have both a petty and gyuto next to the cutting board when prepping. I don't like tall pettys or log pettys—my sweet spot is between 135–150mm length; 128–133mm heel height. I'm usually using a 225 gyuto, so a petty any longer than 150 doesn't give me enough range.
Pettys are my beaters.
Regarding your original question of is it worth it? Yes, it is if you really want a denka. I’m assuming that deep down you really want one—there’s an argument to not fighting the urge.
Whether or not you’re wowed by a denka, that’s yet to be seen—as with any knife.
All said, I love my denka.

 

[JayGee]

Thanks for all these replies - I could have given more context too. I have a cheap slightly shorter wa-petty in I think AS from Aritsugu or something. Anyway, its a beater - I love it. I use it to open boxes etc, and it can still butterfly a chicken no probs. I use it constantly - but it has limitations. I used to have a 180 carter in wh 1 that was super thin super sharp, but it kind only worked for me as a pseudo-slicer so I sold it - not versatile enough.

The sage advice here makes me think a 150 yo mab petty or gyuto is prob the way to go. I know that ProTooling occasionally has them in stock so, being in Australia, I might wait and see what pops up. I was also thinking maybe a a ginga yo-petty, or even one of the Hattori forum knives with a fancy handle.

Would like to try a Denka one day, but I've got a bunch of 240s and not much more room on the rack. I think that is why I was thinking of using the petty as a way to give TF a try.

 

[Qapla']

Have you contacted any Australian makers?

 

[M1k3]

If you'll be cutting anything acidic with it, definitely no.