Tsunehisa Petty Ginsanko Nashiji 135mm (5.3″)

Tsunehisa Petty Ginsanko is a small multi-purpose Japanese kitchen knife that can be used for peeling, mincing, paring and decorating food. Tsunehisa combined their proven blade shape, unique nashiji blade finish and stainless steel (Ginsanko or Silver III Steel with a hardness of 63 HRC!), then matched it with a lightweight Western style handle made of pakka wood (known for its durability and comfortable grip).

The not-so-common feature of this petty is the color of the pakka wood handle. Red is not a color many Japanese blacksmiths decide on for their knives, but we felt it was a bold choice that definitely paid off! The knife stands out from the crowd, but not in a flashy way.

👉 Suitable for first-time buyers of a Japanese kitchen knife. It can also serve as a wonderful gift!

BLADE SHAPE:
Petty knives are intended for all those smaller tasks where larger knives are deemed unwieldy. It can be used on and off the cutting board for peeling, mincing, paring and decorating food.

STEEL:
Hitachi’s Silver III steel, also named Ginsan steel or Ginsanko, which was hardened to around 63 HRC. Due to its high content of Chromium (Cr), Ginsan steel will resist corrosion very well. Despite it being a stainless steel, it feels and behaves very similarly to carbon steels, due to its extremely pure composition. This also means it will sharpen very well and easily.

LAMINATION:
The core layer consisting of the harder Ginsan steel was sandwiched between two layers of softer steel. This technique is called san-mai and is used to protect the hard (but delicate) core from outside factors and physical impacts, which could lead to breakage.

GEOMETRY:
It has a double bevel (symmetrical) blade.

BLADE FINISH:
The blade features a Nashiji finish, which translates to “the skin of an (Asian) pear”. It refers to the slightly matte surface of the upper part of the blade, which not only has aesthetic value but is also practical, since the uneven surface reduces the sticking of the food to the blade when slicing.

HANDLE:
This knife was fitted with a Western style (Yo) handle, made out of a combination of red and black pakka wood. The handle will fit well in your hands for both the hammer and pinch grip. 

BLACKSMITH:
Tsunehisa knives are a brand that combines a variety of high-quality knives from various knife centers of Japan such as Tosa, Seki, and Sakai. Their philosophy is that each region has its own steel and different manufacturing processes. For example, Tosa is best known for its Ginsanko and Aus-8 steels, Seki is famous for making excellent blades from the V-Gold group of steels, and Sakai for its single beveled Honyaki knives.