Most People Don't Have a Petty Knife-They Should

"A Japanese petty knife is the perfect li'l buddy to your favorite chef's knife. And just the thing for a lots of kitchen tasks, including bigger ones like portioning out a roast chicken. Smaller, thinner petty knives can swiftly find their way between joints, separating out all the parts with little to no effort. They're also deft enough to remove the breast from the chicken's ribcage with clean, neat cuts."

"What really sets the petty knife apart is its pronounced heel-the part of the blade that elevates the handle off the cutting board. This gives you more options for incorporating a pinch grip for handheld tasks, while also providing enough knuckle clearance between the handle and the cutting board for light chopping. That means I can use it like a paring knife to peel a shallot and then easily change grips for chopping and dicing."

"The smaller size also gives you greater precision in making cuts with a smaller target-the last time I tried to dice a shallot with a gyuto, the hand holding the onion was over 10 inches away from my knife hand. Not the most stable cutting position. Most Western-inspired Japanese knives, like the gyuto and petty knife, have a drop point, where the spine curves downward toward the point."

Japanese petty knives combine optimal design features for kitchen versatility. Their tall heel provides knuckle clearance and enables consistent chopping, while the curved blade with drop point delivers precision cuts. These knives excel at tasks like portioning roast chicken and breaking down whole birds by navigating joints smoothly. Unlike cleavers, petty knives are thin enough to separate chicken parts cleanly without excessive force. Their pronounced heel allows flexible grip options, transitioning easily between pinch grips for handheld tasks and chopping positions. The smaller blade size provides greater precision than chef's knives, keeping hands closer together for stable cutting. The drop point design, where the spine curves downward, distinguishes Japanese petty knives from Western utility knives and enhances their cutting capabilities.

Read at Bon Appetit