A utility knife is a familiar concept in a Japanese kitchen, but, here in the states, there is no such thing. All we have is the chef’s knife, a paring knife, a boning knife and a bread knife.
So, here at Milk Street we decided to take a page from the Japanese knife repertoire and create a utility knife that is part paring knife, part small chef’s knife and part boning knife. We married elements from each for an all-purpose mid-sized prep tool. We call it the Milk Street Petty Knife.
The thin, 6-inch blade is tall enough for knuckle clearance on the cutting board, yet tapers to a fine, flexible tip for detail work. The blade features a subtle curved edge from the tip, for effortless rock chopping and mincing, then flattens out towards the heel for a natural slicing motion that’s easy on your wrist.
Like our nakiri, the blade features a distal taper: That means the blade’s spine is thicker at the handle for stability, then grows progressively thinner to the tip to minimize drag when cutting and to improve the knife’s flexibility. It’ll flex around curvy fruits and vegetables and when butchering meats, like breaking down a chicken to parts or taking meat off the bone for braises or stews.
The Milk Street ergonomic handle provides a “lock-in” feel—filling the palm for a secure grip. The top of the handle tapers towards the blade for a comfortable pinch grip and the blade features our grippy file pattern for your fingers.