Petty Knife - Yoi - Black Blade
A petty utility knife from the YOI series. Black silicon fluorine blade coating, molybdenum-vanadium steel, heat-resistant resin handle. Made in Japan by Tsubame-Sanjo craftsmen.
About the petty knife
The petty is the small utility knife of the Japanese kitchen - larger than a paring knife, smaller than a santoku. It handles the tasks that require more precision and control than a larger blade allows: trimming vegetables, peeling fruit, slicing small ingredients, preparing garnishes, and any fine detail work where a 155mm santoku would feel unwieldy. Most serious home cooks reach for a petty several times a day without thinking about it. It is the knife that fills the gap.
About the YOI series
YOI (宵) means evening - the early part of the night, the transition from light to dark. The blade carries the classical Japanese phrase 令月 (reigetsu, "auspicious month") above the series name, a reference to the 8th century Man'yoshu poetry anthology. Both the name and the all-black finish are deliberately evocative - this is a knife designed to be as considered in appearance as it is in use.
The matte black finish is a silicon fluorine coating applied to the blade surface. It serves a practical function - the coating reduces friction so food releases from the blade more cleanly, and it provides an additional layer of rust resistance on top of the underlying stainless steel. The sharpening of the edge is carried out individually by craftsmen at Fuji Cutlery's own factory in Tsubame-Sanjo - the same metalworking region that has produced Japan's finest blades for centuries.
The handle is heat-resistant resin - lightweight, hygienic, and easy to maintain. The rounded profile sits comfortably in the hand, and at 55g the knife is notably light, reducing fatigue during extended prep work.
Made by Fuji Cutlery, distributed in partnership with Wahei Freiz.
- Blade material: Molybdenum-vanadium steel, silicon fluorine coating
- Handle: Heat-resistant polypropylene and nylon resin
- Total length: 265mm
- Blade length: 135mm
- Blade width: 30mm
- Weight: 55g
- Double-edged blade
- Made in Japan
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Wahei Freiz was established in 1951 in Tsubame-Sanjo, Niigata Prefecture - one of Japan's foremost centres of metal craftsmanship and cookware production. The company produces a wide range of kitchen tools across categories, combining traditional metalworking skill with considered, practical design. The name brings together wahei (和平), meaning peace and harmony, and freiz - a coined word the company created from "fresh days" — reflecting the spirit of good, everyday cooking.
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Fuji Cutlery was established in 2000 in Tsubame-Sanjo, Niigata Prefecture - one of Japan's foremost metalworking regions and the historical centre of Japanese blade craft. Operating under the brands FUJICUT and Reigetsu, Fuji Cutlery produces professional-quality knives for both home and restaurant kitchens, developed with direct input from working cooks. The company name Fuji comes from the Mt. Fuji motif in the Fujitora logo. Each knife is crafted in Tsubame-Sanjo and sharpened individually at the company's own factory.