The Kouhei-Shinmatsu ZDP-189 Petty 135mm (5.3") comes as the culmination of a decade’s worth of expertise gained through selling and working with knives on our part, and the knowledge and mastery of Japanese knife forging, passed on through generations within the Suncraft smithy.
Due to our continued and successful collaboration with Suncraft, we decided to honor the founders of the smithy by naming this line of knives after them: Kouhei (耕平) Kawashima, who started Suncraft more than 70 years ago, and his father, Shinmatsu (新松).
A petty knife is an essential piece of any knife collection, filling in when bigger, longer knives can be a bit awkward to use. This particular petty is a bit on the thicker side, so it will complement the thin Kouhei-Shinmatsu ZDP-189 Bunka very nicely. Aside from excelling at usual tasks, such as peeling, paring and other in-hand cutting, you can use it for some heavier work as well. Light butchering, poultry deboning and fish filleting are completely within its reach (🚨 Just keep in mind that it's still an extremely hard knife, so cutting through bones and joints is out of the question!). The pronounced “K-tip” proves very useful with fine, decorative work with vegetables and fruit, as well as with trimming and skinning, as it’s great for piercing through the skin.
ZDP-189 steel has stood the test of time as the ultimate kitchen knife steel and remains a favorite among professional chefs, as well as aspiring home cooks. Therefore, we felt it was appropriate that a hardcore duo—such as this Petty and Bunka—was forged out of the most hard-core (literally) steel! Coming in at 65-66 HRC on the Rockwell scale, these knives are easily one of the hardest knives we offer, so edge retention will be second to none.
Put this in an equation together with subtle hammer marks (tsuchime) adorning the blade and a beautiful octagonrosewood handle, and you got yourself a winner!
This petty knife is basically a smaller version of the Kouhei-Shinmatsu ZDP-189 Bunka. 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.
STEEL:
This knife was forged out of ZDP-189 steel, which falls into the powder steel category. The ZDP-189 steel has gained a reputation as one of the most technologically advanced steels in Japanese knife making, due to its unique characteristics. The carbon (C) content is around 3%, meaning it can be treated to extreme hardness (65-66 HRC), which results in extended sharpness retention. ZDP-189 steel is also highly corrosion resistant due to its high chromium (Cr) content of 20%. Because of its composition, though, it can be hard to treat and forge, so it can only be trusted to the most experienced blacksmiths. → Read more on Steel: The Heart of Japanese knives.
LAMINATION:
The technique used to laminate this blade is called san-mai. The core of the blade, which is made of harder (and subsequently more fragile) steel, is sandwiched between two layers of softer steel. This results in a blade that is more flexible, and therefore less prone to breakage and other outside factors. → Read more on Blade construction: Lamination.
The upper part of the blade was treated with hammer blows, which resulted in an intricate tsuchime (hammered) finish. The lower half is polished down to the hairline, which is the curvy line marking the border between the laminated part of the blade (jigane) and its core (hagane). The kanji on the blade reads “Kouhei-Shinmatsu” 耕平新松, paying homage to the founders of the Suncraft smithy. → Read more on Blade construction: Blade finish.
HANDLE:
Traditional rosewood Japanese (Wa) handle with a black pakka wood ferrule. Its octagonal shape makes it especially ergonomic and comfortable to use, both for right- and left-handed users.
EACH KNIFE COMES WITH:
Instructions and knife care leaflet.
A preventive Band-Aid – the knives are very sharp! 😉
Original box from the blacksmith, which we wrap in an old Japanese newspaper sheet – so every knife is ready to be passed on as a gift as soon as it hits your doorstep!
We also offer a special gift wrapping option with the traditional Japanese washi paper.
Location of the smithy: Seki / Gifu Prefecture / Japan
☝️ Japanese kitchen knives in our store are handmade from natural materials. Slight variations in color, texture, weight and other dimensions are possible. We try to give a good photographic representation of our products, however computer screen resolution and colors do vary, so products might not look exactly as they are seen on screen.
Blade wear depends on the quality of steel, usage and maintenance of the blade. Japanese knives are made of high-quality steels. Follow these tips to keep your Japanese knife in top-notch shape:
✔ Use a wooden, plastic or rubber cutting board. ✔ After use, wash the knives and wipe them dry. ✔ Use a magnetic rack, knife blocks, or use protective knife sheath (saya). ✔ A good cutting technique is your best bet to prolong sharpness. ✔ Use sharpening stones to sharpen the knife.
❗️Don’t leave the knife in the sink. Wash it by hand. ❗️Don’t wash the knife in the dishwasher. ❗️Don’t use the knife on glass, ceramics, marble or steel surfaces. ❗️Don’t scrape the food off the cutting board with the edge of the blade. Use the spine of the knife instead. ❗️Knife is a tool intended for specific use - cutting food. It is not a can opener, screwdriver, trowel, wire cutter, hammer etc.
