Hitohira FJ VG-10 Petty 150mm Ho Wood Handle (Wa)

We love all knives from the FJ line, a favorite since their arrival in 2020. After visiting the craftsmen responsible for this line in Feb ’23 I only got to appreciate them more.
This maker doesn’t compromise in the heat treatment and grinding in any way. They purposely give their knives an above average hardness even though it makes the grinding much more time consuming. The edge retention of the FJ knives is noticeably better in comparison because of this excellent heat treatment. Their VG-10 en SG2 is without a doubt the best we’ve come across from this region.

Of all the lines we carry the VG-10 is my absolute favorite. Both the western and the Japanese handled versions are in my opinion the pinnacle of functionality. The WA handles are lighter and feel more laser-like while the western handle offers a more sturdy feel. Both have superb cutting performance, finish and sharpen way better than other VG-10 knives.
This series will outperform many others even from other price categories and they are in my humble opinion all that a knife needs to be.

We carry the FJ VG-10 with Wa and Yo handle, the VG-1 with western and the SG2 series. The VG-1 is a step down in hardness and fit ’n finish but also in price compared to the VG-10 line. The hardest of them all and the only series with a San Mai construction is the SG2. This steel takes the most effort which results in the higher price but it will have the longest lasting edge life.

Petty knives (Utilty) have a similar profile as the Gyuto but smaller, commonly ranging from 12 to 15cm. A shape most often used next to any larger all-purpose blade (gyuto & santoku) although there are many households where this is the go-to knife. Very suitable for the smaller cutting tasks such as cleaning, portioning and peeling fruits and vegetables and cleaning smaller cuts of meat or fish. 

Pairing knives are more used for in-hand tasks such as peeling, trimming, scoring and cleaning and fruit or vegetable. 

This is a stainless steel knife. It becomes stainless due to a certain amount (10-13%) of chromium and/or nickel in the alloy, it forms a film layer which acts as a barrier between metal and oxygen. Stainless steel is easy, practical and functional but not completely maintenance free. With very bad maintenance it can rust or show pitting, after all it’s called stainless not stain-free steel. The corrosion resistance varies with each stainless steel. In my opinion the same rules apply here as with carbon steel (non-stainless).

Store your knife dry and clean, never let it air-dry after washing, no dishwasher and avoid extremely hard products like frozen foods or bones ect. But a big difference to carbon steel is that your margin of error is much bigger, the rust resistance is much greater and thus easier and more worry free to maintain.

Please note that there are many different stainless steels, just like carbon steels, each with its own properties and characteristics. Each should be judged individually.