ZDP-189 Petty Black 135mm (5.3″)

The long-awaited ZDP-189 Petty knife from the smithy Yoshida Hamono is here. This petty, made from the hardest steel available for knife making – ZDP-189 – is a perfect match in combination with the larger, multi-purpose ZDP-189 Bunka Black. They share the same steel and hardness (65-67 HRC), same octagonal walnut handle and a similar shape. We designed them to look alike. The only difference is the purpose they serve. Of course, it can also be used in combination with any other larger knife.

Petty knives are basically smaller versions of Gyuto knives (Chef’s knife). Well, in this case, smaller versions of Bunka knives, but we did make the belly of the blade curved enough for the rocking technique. Petty knives are intended for all those smaller tasks where larger knives are deemed unwieldy. On and off the cutting board. A must-have knife in every kitchen, it can be used for peeling, mincing, paring and decorating food.

While most petty knives feature blades of 150mm (5.9″) in length, we decided to fit a slightly shorter blade, 135mm (5.3″), which makes the in-hand use easier, and it eliminates a reason to get a third, shorter petty/paring knife (those have usually 90-100mm (3.5-3.9″) long blades).

Petty is manufactured at the smithy of Yoshida Hamono in Japan, a family company with an age-long tradition in manufacturing state-of-the-art tools and Japanese swords (katanas) by hand. Yoshida Hamono has a great deal of experience forging ZDP-189 steel in the traditional manner.

The heart of the knife is made of ZDP-189 steel, chosen for its superior qualities and long-lasting sharpness. The steel is laminated, meaning that the core is made of ZDP-189 steel, covered with an external layer of softer stainless steel – also known as san-mai clad. The softer external layer protects the core steel from external factors.

The steel contains as much as 3% Carbon (C), which is one of the main elements contributing strength and typically found in amounts of up to only 1% in other types of solid steel, while the Chromium (Cr) content, which prevents corrosion, amounts to nearly 20%. It also features 0.60% Tungsten (W), which considerably increases the abrasion resistance of steel, 1.4% Molybdenum (Mo), which helps to preserve the strength and power of steel under variable temperatures, and 0.10% Vanadium (V), the key element in increasing steel strength. Heat treatment produces steel with a hardness of 65-67 HRC.
ZDP-189 composition: C 3.00 % | Cr 20.00 % | W 0.60 % | Mo 1.40 % | V 0.10 % | Mn 0.50 % | Si 0.40 %

Kuro-uchi finish, the unprocessed (black) part on the top side of the blade has already developed a dark patina, which protects the blade and gives it a traditional Japanese look. The knife bears visible impressions of the hand-forging process (round hammer dents on the blade).

ZDP-189 Petty Black was fitted a traditional Japanese wooden handle, called Wa handle. The wooden handle is made of walnut wood with an octagonal shape, so it will fit equally well into the hands of right- or left-handed users.

ZDP-189 steel contains as much as 3% Carbon (C), which is one of the main elements contributing strength and typically found in amounts of up to only 1% in other types of solid steel, while the Chromium (Cr) content, which prevents corrosion, amounts to nearly 20%. It also features 1.5% Tungsten (W), which considerably increases the abrasion resistance of steel, 1.3% Molybdenum (Mo), which helps to preserve the strength and power of steel under variable temperatures, and 0.10% Vanadium (V), the key element in increasing steel strength. Heat treatment produces steel with a hardness of 65-67 HRC.