If you ask me, the two knives everyone should own are a chef’s knife and a petty knife. I’m a petty knife evangelist. This knife originated in late-19th-century Japan as an answer to Western-style utility knives. The name borrows from the French word petit, meaning small, though a petty knife is bigger than an average paring knife. Petty knives are my go-to for vegetable prep, like hulling strawberries, topping green beans, or peeling hard vegetables like turnips. But the fine blade can fill in as a boning knife for trimming meat, boning chickens, or filleting fish, too.
The best petty knives have a comfortable grip, a 6-ish-inch blade, and a miniature chef’s knife-style blade tall enough for your knuckles to clear the cutting board when you’re chopping herbs or mincing shallots. I took 10 of the top-rated petty knives into my home kitchen to see how each rated. Keep reading to see the results and find the best petty knife for your needs.
Our Favorite Petty Knife
My all-around favorite petty knife was the New West Knifeworks 6-Inch Petty. The rugged construction ensures its longevity, and it’s hard to overstate.
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Let me clear the air before going any further. I owned an earlier model of this knife and used it in a professional kitchen for a decade or more for everything from vegetable prep to breaking down multiple heads of cattle. I gave it to a family member who was going off to college, and quickly regretted that decision. So, I purchased this model, which I’ve used for almost two years.
This 11-inch knife has a thin 6-inch blade and a 1-inch-wide G10 handle with a curved grip between the first and second fingers. The handle is very comfortable when held overhand (for chopping or trimming vegetables and boning chickens) and underhand (for boning cuts of meat, like pork butts or lamb legs). When I tested its balance, the knife proved slightly handle-heavy, with the balance point about halfway between the first and second rivets, but it wasn’t enough to call it unbalanced by any means. The blade’s composition is a steel commonly used in heavy-duty folding knives. I found the smooth handle and easy transition from the blade to the handle easy to clean with some warm, soapy water, and experience has shown that it’s always best to dry the knife immediately after washing to avoid rust stains.
This petty isn’t a great model for emulating a chef’s knife, as I found chopping herbs and garlic difficult due to the blade height and the handle-to-cutting board clearance. After choking up on the blade, I was able to mince garlic, but I wouldn’t want to do so for extended periods due to hand fatigue. It excelled at other tests that were better-suited to the design, though. I cut sandwich-thin slices of roasted chicken breast and super-thin slices of hard and soft cheeses without any tearing, cracking, or pulling. Working within that framework showed where this knife really shines. While this is the most expensive knife of the bunch, testing it head-to-head against others, combined with extensive real-world use, revealed its durability, performance, and worth.
Overall Length: 11 inches| Blade Length: 6 inches| Handle Material: G10 fiberglass epoxy composite | Blade Material: CPM S35VN particle metallurgy steel
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While the New West petty scored a perfect 5/5, this petty knife from Misen was biting at its heels the entire time, earning 4.4/5 — the second-highest score among the test group. The biggest difference between the two is the steel in their blades. Misen recently shifted its design to use a lightweight, rustproof, high-carbon steel that balances those qualities with excellent edge retention, hence the 2.0 designation.
The Misen’s handle is made of polyoxymethylene or POM, a thermoplastic known for its durability and resistance to heat, chemicals, and water; it’s comfortable to hold overhand and underhand. Knuckle clearance between the handle and the cutting board allowed me to fine-chop rosemary, create an ultra-thin chiffonade of cilantro, and mince garlic cloves with ease. It also cut thin slices of hard and soft cheeses without tearing, crushing, or pulling, and sliced chicken breast thinly without tearing. At less than $100, this is an excellent value and a good choice for those who don’t need the ruggedness of the New West.
Overall Length:10 inches | Blade Length: 5.5 inches | Handle Material: Polyoxymethylene (POM) | Blade Material: AICHI ACUTO440 high-carbon steel
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The Mac utility knife is one I can see home cooks reaching for daily. It’s a versatile and relatively inexpensive petty with a comfortable, easy-to-grip, pakka wood handle. However, it doesn’t provide sufficient clearance to avoid bumping my knuckles when chopping with the knife. Mac uses a proprietary high-carbon steel alloy for this knife’s 6-inch blade, which I can see using for anything between peeling citrus to filleting small fish.
Chopping is not the best use for this knife. The thin, low handle offered limited clearance between my knuckles and the cutting board. I attained a medium-fine chop with rosemary and a “chunkanade” (versus a chiffonnade) of cilantro, but minced garlic fairly quickly after I adjusted my grip to hold the knife from the top. I wouldn’t want to hold the knife that way for more than a few minutes, as fatigue would quickly set in.
The Mac sliced thin pieces of mozzarella and Muenster with no cracking or tearing, but did take a little more downward pressure and slicing motion than the previous two models. I also cut deli-thin slices of chicken breast with no tearing. When used to its strengths, the Mac is a very versatile knife that I’d use anywhere you would use a paring knife, and I’d also reach for it when carving chicken or trimming meat.
Overall Length: 10 inches | Blade Length: 6 inches | Handle Material: Pakka wood | Blade Material: Chromium, molybdenum, and vanadium high-carbon steel alloy
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The Wüsthof is an outlier among the petty knives I tested, as it is extra-German. Its straight, carving-knife design is reminiscent, if not identical, to the one favored by many of my German or Austrian chef-instructors at culinary school in the 1980s. But classics never go out of style.
The polyoxymethylene (POM) handle is comfortable and slightly curved, and it balances perfectly at the first rivet. Wüsthof uses a proprietary high-carbon stainless steel for its Classic series blades, which balances edge retention with easy sharpening. It was easy to hand-wash, and there were no ridges or nooks for bits of food to hide.
I had to give this knife special dispensation for the chopping tests, as there was no way to chop without bashing my knuckles against the cutting board, while the blade heel never made contact. Instead, I made tomato concasser: peeled, seeded, and finely diced tomatoes. It peeled the quick-blanched tomatoes with no issues, and filleted the pulp and seeds with no dragging or deep cuts. It diced the tomatoes with no partial or uneven cuts, giving it a high performance rating in this area.
In slicing tests, it produced the thinnest slice of Muenster of any knife I tested, but it did crush and tear the fresh mozzarella a bit. It did great in the protein department, producing thin, untorn slices of roasted chicken breast. Acknowledging that its talents lie beyond chopping is key to appreciating this knife’s versatility and performance. I’d use it for vegetable and fruit prep, meat trimming, boning chickens, filleting fish, or slicing finished meats.
Overall Length: 11 inches | Blade Length: 6.5 inches | Handle Material: Polyoxymethylene (POM) | Blade Material: X50CrMoV15 proprietary high-carbon stainless steel
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I wanted to write this knife off at first glance. It bears zero resemblance to the rest of the petty knives I tested and felt like a cheap pretender. I’m mature enough to recognize my incorrect assumptions, though. This little knife is scrappy and quickly showed its worth.
The handle is made of thermoplastic elastomer or TPE, a material that blends the flexibility of rubber with the strength of plastic, which has a gritty texture for slip resistance. It’s about 1 inch wide, allowing for a solid, comfortable grip. The Martensitic stainless steel blade balances hardness with edge retention, corrosion resistance, and easy sharpening.
This knife is one to reach for when you need to mince garlic or chop herbs, as it has sufficient handle clearance to avoid bashing your knuckles on the cutting board, and the oddly curved blade allows you to cut with a rocking motion. Because of that, I was able to quickly mince some garlic and achieve a medium chop on some rosemary leaves. It sliced cleanly through hard cheese and cut a nice, thin slice of chicken. The Victorinox isn’t, however, a knife for exact detail work. It’s a workhorse, not a show pony. Technically, it cut the cilantro chiffonade, but it was just within the acceptable thickness range. I also had to take a running start at the chicken, as my first slice tore, and there was some tearing at the edges of the mozzarella slice.
Oh, it’s dishwasher safe! That’s rare among knives. One cleaning issue to be aware of, speaking from practical experience with similar handles: The textured handle accumulates debris, especially as it ages. So, pay special attention to scrubbing the handle when cleaning the knife. Balancing its strengths and weaknesses, this knife comes out very much on the positive side and represents an excellent value for its price.
Overall Length: 11 inches | Blade Length: 5.9 inches| Handle Material: Thermoplastic elastomerTPE | Blade Material: Stainless steel
How I Tested Petty Knives
I collected 10 top-selling petty and utility knives, priced from $22 to $260. I held them, measured them, and assessed their usefulness for a variety of tasks. During this period, I recorded the length, handle dimensions, handle material, and blade length for each knife. I also noted any standout features of each knife, such as a textured grip or an unusual blade shape. After this initial impression period, I put them through the following tests:
- Mincing Garlic/Chopping Herbs: I minced four to five garlic cloves with each knife, noting how easy the task was and whether there were any issues or inconsistencies in the process. I then chopped rosemary and chiffonaded (a very fine, filament-like chop) cilantro to evaluate each knife’s chopping ability and to see whether the difference between cutting harder and softer herbs mattered. Two knives could not complete the herb task because their straight blade-to-handle designs prevented chopping. In those cases, I pivoted to making tomato concasser — peeled, seeded, and finely chopped tomatoes. During this test, I noted how easy or difficult each step was, from peeling to filleting out the pith and seeds to finely dicing. I noted any struggles with slicing or over-cutting by piercing the flesh, and looked for full cuts with no straggling partial cuts or missed pieces.
- Cheese Slicing: In this test, I wanted to see how each knife sliced, hopefully without crushing or dragging. I took a firm cheese (Muenster) and a soft cheese (fresh mozzarella) and let them temper on the counter for 45 minutes before slicing. I tempered the cheeses because they tend to be firmer when cold, and I didn’t want to skew the results by having the knives in the latter part of the tests, slicing warmer, softer cheese than those in the beginning. I cut slices of each cheese as thinly as possible, looking for cracking, tearing, or crushing, and for any knife that required more pressure or back-and-forth slicing than others.
- Chicken Breast Test: Since each of these knives was brand-new, they should be able to slice meat almost deli-slicer-thin. I cooked a sous vide chicken breast and chilled it to firm the meat before cutting the thinnest possible slices with each knife. I gauged the thickness of each slice and looked for any tearing, crumbling, crushing, or dragging.
- Cleaning: I cleaned each knife in between tests per the manufacturer’s instructions. A few knives were labeled dishwasher-safe, but handwashing was preferred. I looked for anything more complicated than simply washing with soapy water: Any joints, nooks, or textures that required special attention went into my notes.
After completing the tests, I scored each knife on a scale of 1-5 for each of the following areas: design, performance, and cleaning. After averaging these scores, I compared the final score to the retail price to weigh the overall price-to-value ratio.
Factors to Consider
Blade Material
The blade material accounts for the bulk of the cost of a petty knife. Each manufacturer I tested utilized a different blade composition, and each accomplishes a different goal. New West uses CPM S35VN particle metallurgy steel, which is rugged, durable, and holds an edge exceptionally well. However, it’s prone to staining if you don’t dry it immediately after washing. Misen’s AICHI ACUTO440 steel is common in Japanese knife design, and is lightweight and easy to sharpen, but has always struck me as somewhat fragile. Western-style petty knives typically feature a bit more chromium in their high-carbon alloys for better stainless qualities, while balancing weight and edge retention.
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Handle Material
The two most common handle materials are wood or polyoxymethylene (POM). Wood is typically comfortable and easy to hold, but requires maintenance to prevent drying, especially if the knife is washed frequently. (Think about the routine maintenance a wooden cutting board requires.) It’s also more prone to heat or chemical damage.
POM is a heat, chemical, and water-resistant plastic and can be a very comfortable handle material. POM handles are often smooth, which increases the risk of slipping, so I recommend looking for a petty knife with a slight curve to the handle for a more stable grip.
You’ll often find thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) used in value-oriented handles, and the rubberized material often features texturized surfaces for slip resistance. G10 is an aerospace-grade fiberglass-epoxy composite that, to me, feels very close to aluminum, although I confirmed it is not. It’s extremely hard, durable, and resistant to chemicals and heat.
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Handle Size
I’m what many consider a large human, and have corresponding hands. I found that a few of the petty knives had very thin handles (½ to ⅝ inch) that were difficult to wrap my hands around for a firm grip. These knives can still be quite useful for fine detail work — tasks that require you to hold the knife more like a pencil, such as fine filleting or boning.
Another key point on handle size depends on your intent. If you want to use your petty knife like a mini chef’s knife, ensure there’s clearance between the cutting board and your knuckles. Otherwise, chopping herbs or mincing garlic can be a frustrating (and somewhat painful) experience.
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Blade Size
A petty knife’s blade length is usually right around six inches. Blades manufactured outside of the U. S. are often 5.9 inches, or 15 centimeters, while those who use imperial measurements tend to stick to an even 6. The blade’s height is what matters more. If you intend to use the knife like a mini chef’s knife, a blade with a tall heel, that will facilitate rocking and chopping. If you use the knife in a more utilitarian way, for tasks like vegetable peeling, boning, and slicing meats, you’ll want a fine point with less of an incline to the heel.
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Other Petty Knives I Tested
Strong Contenders
Mercer Culinary Genesis 5-Inch Utility Knife ($22 at Amazon)
This straight-bladed knife was a contender for Best Value. Like the Wüsthof, it was incapable of chopping and required an alternative test. It’s not a bad knife and performed quite well in testing, but I think the Victorinox offers a little more bang for the buck, even though it’s a few dollars more.
Shun Classic 6-Inch Utility Knife ($135 at Williams Sonoma)
The Shun knife is visually appealing, but the ½-inch-diameter pakka wood handle was very difficult to grip comfortably, and the performance was middling. Everything I cut took a little extra effort, and the cuts were just short of clean.
Zwilling Pro 5.5-Inch Ultimate Prep Knife ($115 at Amazon)
The Zwilling knife and the Wüsthof tied in their scoring, and I had to make a judgment call for which received a “Best” superlative. It came down to a few tears when slicing cheese and meat. However, this knife performed exceptionally well in the chopping tests.
What Didn’t Make the List
When testing a larger population, some knives just won’t score as highly as others. The Cangshan Helena Series 5.5-inch Prep Knife ($30 at Amazon) was the lowest-scoring in the group, but still earned a 3.7/5. The handle was the deal breaker, with a ⅝-inch diameter that I found extremely difficult to grip.
Author’s Note: I also tested the Korin Togiharu Pro 5.9-inch Petty and rated it as my first pick for the Best Japanese Style Petty Knife, but unfortunately, it was out of stock at the time of publication.
Our Expertise
Food & Wine writer Greg Baker is a former chef and restaurant owner with multiple James Beard award nominations. Now a home cook, he still maintains an arsenal of quality cutlery and has very strong opinions on each piece. He tested 10 petty knives to write this piece.
