This petty in VG-10 from Hitohira's is built for precision work: peeling, brunoise, fresh herbs, and small cuts of meat or fish. The profile tapers toward a fine tip suited to detail work on the board and in-hand alike. Moderate blade height keeps fingers clear without adding weight to the knife.
The blade features a sanmai construction, with a tsuchime (hammered) finish on the body and a polished zone near the edge. The hammer marks create small air pockets along the flat that reduce food adhesion. Kanji are engraved on the blade. The octagonal wa-handle pairs a dark, tight-grained wood with a vivid red wood collar, creating a strong visual contrast between the two materials.
VG-10 has been produced by Takefu Special Steel since the early 1960s, a steel designed from the start for knifemaking. Its 15% chromium content provides strong corrosion resistance in daily use, while cobalt additions (1.5%) allow it to reach 60,61 HRC. The trade-off is that high chromium content makes the steel less responsive on the whetstone than lower-alloy alternatives: sharpening takes more passes, and quality stones are recommended to bring the edge to a fine finish.
Care
Rinse and dry after each use. Never put in the dishwasher. Regular sharpening on water stones keeps the edge performing.
href="//staysharpmtl.com/cdn/shop/files/hitohira-imojiya-fw-vg10-tsuchime-damascus-petty-1_9630917f-261e-46e4-82e4-99746700032e.jpg?v=1778651219"
data-fancybox="gallerytemplate--20937717219502__main-product"
data-thumb="//staysharpmtl.com/cdn/shop/files/hitohira-imojiya-fw-vg10-tsuchime-damascus-petty-1_9630917f-261e-46e4-82e4-99746700032e.jpg?v=1778651219"
class=" no-js-hidden"
zoom-icon="false"
aria-label="hitohira t10 petty couteau japonais vg-10 — vue complète sur fond noir"
>
href="//staysharpmtl.com/cdn/shop/files/hitohira-imojiya-fw-vg10-tsuchime-damascus-petty-2_09f479ca-361d-4f52-8ae0-749de4eb1aa8.jpg?v=1778651219"
data-fancybox="gallerytemplate--20937717219502__main-product"
data-thumb="//staysharpmtl.com/cdn/shop/files/hitohira-imojiya-fw-vg10-tsuchime-damascus-petty-2_09f479ca-361d-4f52-8ae0-749de4eb1aa8.jpg?v=1778651219"
class=" no-js-hidden"
zoom-icon="false"
aria-label="hitohira t10 petty couteau japonais — profil lame et manche wa rouge et bois foncé"
>
href="//staysharpmtl.com/cdn/shop/files/hitohira-imojiya-fw-vg10-tsuchime-damascus-petty-3_b1d2347b-03b9-4dae-9082-bdc828a44e5e.jpg?v=1778651220"
data-fancybox="gallerytemplate--20937717219502__main-product"
data-thumb="//staysharpmtl.com/cdn/shop/files/hitohira-imojiya-fw-vg10-tsuchime-damascus-petty-3_b1d2347b-03b9-4dae-9082-bdc828a44e5e.jpg?v=1778651220"
class=" no-js-hidden"
zoom-icon="false"
aria-label="hitohira t10 petty couteau japonais — kanji gravés sur la lame, finition tsuchime visible"
>
href="//staysharpmtl.com/cdn/shop/files/hitohira-imojiya-fw-vg10-tsuchime-damascus-petty-4_d06719eb-12e7-4402-b825-0d7b58f1ea8d.jpg?v=1778651219"
data-fancybox="gallerytemplate--20937717219502__main-product"
data-thumb="//staysharpmtl.com/cdn/shop/files/hitohira-imojiya-fw-vg10-tsuchime-damascus-petty-4_d06719eb-12e7-4402-b825-0d7b58f1ea8d.jpg?v=1778651219"
class=" no-js-hidden"
zoom-icon="false"
aria-label="hitohira t10 petty couteau japonais — vue du dos de la lame, finition martelée et polie"
>
href="//staysharpmtl.com/cdn/shop/files/hitohira-imojiya-fw-vg10-tsuchime-damascus-petty-5_a0dafd98-67de-4559-934d-6f619ae5c8aa.jpg?v=1778651219"
data-fancybox="gallerytemplate--20937717219502__main-product"
data-thumb="//staysharpmtl.com/cdn/shop/files/hitohira-imojiya-fw-vg10-tsuchime-damascus-petty-5_a0dafd98-67de-4559-934d-6f619ae5c8aa.jpg?v=1778651219"
class=" no-js-hidden"
zoom-icon="false"
aria-label="hitohira t10 petty couteau japonais — détail finition tsuchime sur le flanc de lame"
>
href="//staysharpmtl.com/cdn/shop/files/hitohira-imojiya-fw-vg10-tsuchime-damascus-petty-6_d92a955e-8528-44b8-8ed8-e3adb9db2d9a.jpg?v=1778651219"
data-fancybox="gallerytemplate--20937717219502__main-product"
data-thumb="//staysharpmtl.com/cdn/shop/files/hitohira-imojiya-fw-vg10-tsuchime-damascus-petty-6_d92a955e-8528-44b8-8ed8-e3adb9db2d9a.jpg?v=1778651219"
class=" no-js-hidden"
zoom-icon="false"
aria-label="hitohira t10 petty couteau japonais — manche wa octogonal bois foncé et bague rouge"
>
href="//staysharpmtl.com/cdn/shop/files/hitohira-imojiya-fw-vg10-tsuchime-damascus-petty-7_e545caeb-380d-4c1e-8801-8bf492889de5.jpg?v=1778651219"
data-fancybox="gallerytemplate--20937717219502__main-product"
data-thumb="//staysharpmtl.com/cdn/shop/files/hitohira-imojiya-fw-vg10-tsuchime-damascus-petty-7_e545caeb-380d-4c1e-8801-8bf492889de5.jpg?v=1778651219"
class=" no-js-hidden"
zoom-icon="false"
aria-label="hitohira t10 petty couteau japonais — détail talon de lame et bague rouge, construction sanmai"
>
href="//staysharpmtl.com/cdn/shop/files/hitohira-imojiya-fw-vg10-tsuchime-damascus-petty-8_214ee29f-e278-4133-b05d-c0e12d0c8db0.jpg?v=1778651219"
data-fancybox="gallerytemplate--20937717219502__main-product"
data-thumb="//staysharpmtl.com/cdn/shop/files/hitohira-imojiya-fw-vg10-tsuchime-damascus-petty-8_214ee29f-e278-4133-b05d-c0e12d0c8db0.jpg?v=1778651219"
class=" no-js-hidden"
zoom-icon="false"
aria-label="hitohira t10 petty couteau japonais — vue de la pointe fine en contre-jour"
>