A good petty knife fills the space between a paring knife and a chef knife, and at 150mm, this Ariake handles everything from hulling strawberries to trimming silver skin from a tenderloin. It is the knife that tends to stay out on the counter all day, picking up the small jobs a larger blade makes awkward.
The core is AUS10, a high-carbon stainless steel from Aichi Steel with added vanadium and molybdenum for a fine grain and good edge stability. It is forged in a san mai, or three-layer, construction, with stainless cladding surrounding the harder core, and hardened to about 61 HRC so the edge stays crisp through a full prep session.
An octagonal walnut handle without a ferrule keeps the knife light and nimble in the hand, which matters on a blade this size. The Ariake line is made in Saga Prefecture, on the southern island of Kyushu, and takes its name from the Ariake Sea that borders it.
Care Instructions: AUS10 is a stainless steel, so it shrugs off the spotting and patina that carbon blades develop, but it still deserves a quick hand wash and a towel dry right after use. Keep it out of the dishwasher, which is hard on both the edge and the walnut handle. Cut on wood or rubber boards, skip frozen foods and twisting cuts, and touch up the edge on a fine water stone when it starts to slip on tomato skins.Brand: Ariake
Location: Saga Prefecture, Japan
Construction: San Mai (3 Layer)
Edge Steel: AUS10 Stainless Steel
Cladding: Stainless Steel
HRC: 61
Handle: Octagonal Walnut
Weight: 2.4 oz (68 g)
Blade Length: 155 mm
Total Length: 279 mm
Spine Thickness at Base: 1.5 mm
Blade Height: 29 mm
The core is AUS10, a high-carbon stainless steel from Aichi Steel with added vanadium and molybdenum for a fine grain and good edge stability. It is forged in a san mai, or three-layer, construction, with stainless cladding surrounding the harder core, and hardened to about 61 HRC so the edge stays crisp through a full prep session.
An octagonal walnut handle without a ferrule keeps the knife light and nimble in the hand, which matters on a blade this size. The Ariake line is made in Saga Prefecture, on the southern island of Kyushu, and takes its name from the Ariake Sea that borders it.
Care Instructions: AUS10 is a stainless steel, so it shrugs off the spotting and patina that carbon blades develop, but it still deserves a quick hand wash and a towel dry right after use. Keep it out of the dishwasher, which is hard on both the edge and the walnut handle. Cut on wood or rubber boards, skip frozen foods and twisting cuts, and touch up the edge on a fine water stone when it starts to slip on tomato skins.
