Please...Recommendation for a 5" utility/petty

[gillmanjr]

Hey guys. I have recently started replacing all of my old cheap Chinese made garbage Henckels knives (a set that I bought years ago for like $80) with some really nice stuff. My first buy was a hand made Aogami/Blue #2 Bunka made by Kohetsu as my go to for the kitchen. I use it 90% of the time and it is absolutely unbelievable! I also got a Victorinox Fibrox 8" Chef's for something a little larger, just a beater type knife. I now really need a utility for the other 10% of my cutting work. I currently have a 5" Kyocera ceramic utility but its very old now and really chipped up, its time to replace it. The size is perfect though...

Any recommendations for ~5" utility/petty knife. I'm looking in the $50-100 range though I might stretch that out to $125 for something really nice. I do NOT want another ceramic knife nor do I want a carbon blade for a utility, strictly stainless because my wife will be using this as much as me, if not more. I am also considering so called "prep" knives but I don't want something with too tall of a blade profile. I've looked at the following so far:

Wustof Classic 5" Utility and 4.5" Prep
Yaxell Mon 4.75" Utility
MAC Pro Paring/Utility 5"
Tojiro DP 5" Utility

Anything else that I am missing? Thanks in advance...

 

[huelsdonk]

Before I saw the knives that you’ve looked at, I was going to recommend the Tojiro. I just bought my mother in law 4 DPs to replace a bunch of terrible knives that she had. They’re fantastic for the money... really they’re just good knives, period. Plus the petty can be had for less than $60 bucks currently.

I have a Shibata AS 135mm petty that I would recommend unreservedly, but it’s like $150 and might not be available right now.

One other brand to take a look at is Takamura. I think I’ve recommended Takamura here before, but they’re fantastic performers for the price. They make 130mm and 150mm pettys in R2 that are around $120-$130. They’re full-on 1.5mm on spine lasers, and R2 is awesome steel. Still, that’s twice as much as the Tojiro, and it’s no slouch.

Hope that helps a little.

 

[gillmanjr]

Before I saw the knives that you’ve looked at, I was going to recommend the Tojiro. I just bought my mother in law 4 DPs to replace a bunch of terrible knives that she had. They’re fantastic for the money... really they’re just good knives, period. Plus the petty can be had for less than $60 bucks currently.

I have a Shibata AS 135mm petty that I would recommend unreservedly, but it’s like $150 and might not be available right now.

One other brand to take a look at is Takamura. I think I’ve recommended Takamura here before, but they’re fantastic performers for the price. They make 130mm and 150mm pettys in R2 that are around $120-$130. They’re full-on 1.5mm on spine lasers, and R2 is awesome steel. Still, that’s twice as much as the Tojiro, and it’s no slouch.

Hope that helps a little.

Thanks. It seems a lot of people on here recommend the Tojiro DP line. I like everything about them except for the handle, it seems smallish to me. Especially compared to the Yaxell Mon range which is similar in price but have amazing handles and subjectively better fit and finish. I actually purchased a 6.5" Yaxell Mon Santoku but ended up returning it because the knife was too short at the heel, I was hitting my knuckles on the board. I can't stand that.

Anyway thanks for turning me onto the Takamura R2 range. WOW those are thin blades! The 130mm petty is compelling and thats a good price for an R2/SG2 knife. I'm not crazy about the rosewood handles but I might be willing to live with it for that blade.

 

[huelsdonk]

Handles are definitely nicer on the Yaxell than the Tojiro. Honestly, I don't have any experience with Yaxell - might be a good option as well. The handle on the Tojiro is on the smaller side. I'm usually in a pinch grip anyway, so it didn't really bother me when I was checking it out - that's a subjective thing, though. The handles on the Takamura are serviceable and comfortable enough but anything particularly special - I suppose that's the trade-off for getting well heat treated R2 at a reasonable price...

 

[Ourorboros]

If you bought a Kohetsu, you went to Chef Knives to Go - they have a forum there.
That said, the Wusthof will have the worst edge retention. It will take a fine edge, but won't hold it as well. Probably durable as heck.
I bought a Mac for my mother and it has survived her usage. But it will not hold an edge as well as the Tojiro.
I use the Tojiro 6" petty. Tojiro has a better heat treat than Shun Classic, but to get their price, they sometimes have little fit issues like scales not perfectly aligned with the tang. I'm talking less than 1mm off. It can take a very fine edge - I take mine to a 12K waterstone.

I'm iffy on those new knife brands often out of China, so no experience with Yaxell. Personally I'd pass.
If you are an abuser of knives, or somebody in your house is, get the Mac or Wusthof. Otherwise I'd get the Tojiro.

 

[gillmanjr]

If you bought a Kohetsu, you went to Chef Knives to Go - they have a forum there.
That said, the Wusthof will have the worst edge retention. It will take a fine edge, but won't hold it as well. Probably durable as heck.
I bought a Mac for my mother and it has survived her usage. But it will not hold an edge as well as the Tojiro.
I use the Tojiro 6" petty. Tojiro has a better heat treat than Shun Classic, but to get their price, they sometimes have little fit issues like scales not perfectly aligned with the tang. I'm talking less than 1mm off. It can take a very fine edge - I take mine to a 12K waterstone.

I'm iffy on those new knife brands often out of China, so no experience with Yaxell. Personally I'd pass.
If you are an abuser of knives, or somebody in your house is, get the Mac or Wusthof. Otherwise I'd get the Tojiro.

Yaxell is not a Chinese brand, they are well known and highly well regarded Japanese maker that have been around for a long time. They have several knife ranges under the Yaxell name and also a few under the Enso name all made in the same factory in Seki City I believe. You might want to check them out because the Yaxell Mon range is definitely nicer overall than the DP range from Tojiro for roughly the same price. I loved the Mon Santoku that I bought, it was just too short at the heel for me.

And yes I bought the Kohetsu on CKTG along with their professional sharpening service. Great website. Actually Kohetsu makes a 130mm petty in the same line as my Bunka but again, I don't really want a carbon blade for a utility knife, I tend to leave them lying around more often.

 

[gillmanjr]

So now I've got two prep knives on the table that I really like. I think I might go with one of these, I just can't decide which one...

Miyabi Evolution 5.25" prep

Henckels Pro 5.5" prep

 

[Ourorboros]

I looked up what they have - what exactly makes you say Yaxells are better than Tojiro? Looks?
Better knives exist, the blade is far more important than how it looks.

 

[Ourorboros]

The two Zwilling knives have the same profile, the Miyabi has a different steel (word is AEB-L) and a harder heat treat.
Pick the one that fits you more, softer & durable or harder & holding an edge.

 

[gillmanjr]

I looked up what they have - what exactly makes you say Yaxells are better than Tojiro? Looks?
Better knives exist, the blade is far more important than how it looks.

Actually I think the handle is what puts the Yaxell Mon range over the top of the Tojiro DPs. The blades are virtually the same, both are three layer VG-10. Both also have Micarta handles, but the style and construction of the Yaxell's handles are indicative of much more expensive knives. They are also incredible comfortable handles, not to mention unique. Buy one and see for yourself - you'll be impressed with it.

 

[Ourorboros]

I use a pinch grip - handles don't mean a lot to me.
Layers are pretty meaningless with modern heat treatment really.
I'm good with wa handles, full tang is pretty meaningless too.

 

[marchone]

I have a Kramer Zwilling 5-inch paring knife that is surprisingly good in hand feel, weight and blade length. Steel is carbon 52100. Very easy to sharpen and holds an edge fairly well. I broke an 1/8" off the tip at some time and reground it it to its present shape.

Looking at different options, many Japanese petty knives are about 6-inches long. The French Butcher's Pattern on the bottom below is also carbon steel and is about 6 3/8" long. I'm having a similar one made by @Hengelo_77 in the same style as a paring knife he's already done for me in Niolox. It's just under 4", in the last pic below. My preference in blade configuration has the edge right up to the handle or ricasso with a sharpening coil. Japanese knives push the edge substantially away, like the Kramer design.