My Pro M 150 petty just arrived!!!!

[PieSusan]

http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/ProMSeries.html (http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/ProMSeries.html)

It is so lightweight and it looks very much like the knife in the picture. I love the fact that it came with directions how to care for the knife. Some, I already knew like to hand wash and not leave it in water and to dry it after use. However, I am not to use it to cut bone or frozen foods or hard foods like pumpkin or pineapple. These things are good to know. I think that I shall keep it in the box it came in and save the knife guard as well. It is seriously sharp.

I think that the next knife that I buy might be a Santuko. I know Pro M has one as well. I like the look of that knife, too. But first, I want to see how things go with these two.
Pro M Santoku

[chowhound]

Hey, cool!
And you were expecting the other one first, weren't you? You'll probably get that one any day now, too.

[joec]

The Pro M petty is my wife's favorite knife, she uses it for everything which drives me nuts too. ;)

[Calicolady]

Beautiful looking knife. Enough with the tea and pedialite. Get cooking and eating now, missy.

[PieSusan]

I want to bake more than anything and hope to do some over the weekend. I am really starting to feel better! Not 100% but better.

I now really can't wait for the other knife to show up at my door! Woo hoo!!!!

I was kidding Joe--I had told him my new mantra: "I will not cut myself, I will be careful, I respect the knife".

I think one needs to be mindful in the kitchen. However, when I bake, I really get into a zen mode. It can be that relaxing.

[chowhound]

That is nice looking. I never really paid attention to the petty before.
What is it designed for? Is it considered a general purpose knife?

[Calicolady]

Baking? You don't use that knife much in baking. We need to see some REAL food cooked.

[PieSusan]

I have to make another pot of beef barley vegetable soup. One uses that knife for cutting and slicing meat, bread and vegetables according to the directions it came with.

[joec]

A petty would be a utility type knife usually about 4" to 6" in length. They work good for things like poultry boning (not cutting the bone but the meat away from the bone), sandwich, slicing tomatoes or anything where a shorter thinner knife might come in handy for. I find them a bit long for paring myself but my wife uses it for that as well. I prefer a 3.5" paring knife when pealing fruits for example in my hands but on a board the petty works great for me.

[chowhound]

Hmmm, I don't know if I want a petty or not... I pretty much use my chefs knives for everything, even cutting the tops off and slitting jalapenos. They don't seem too big to me and I rarely grab my paring knife anymore, but when I do I use my thumb as the cutting board, so I know I don't want a Japanese knife for that (lol).

Susan, I'd love to know a month from now which of your new knives is your goto knife.

[joec]

Well that is me too Chow but I use a Chinese cleaver for most everything personally. I have several that I rotate around. I have a 4 gyuto/chef's knives I hardly use, a couple of santoku I never use or very rarely, a couple of nakiri which I do use from time to time for smaller items and 3 slicers that I use for meat like roasts etc. I also have a complete set of boning knives both western and Japanese styles that I use when breaking down rough cuts of beef, lamb, pork and venison for example.

[buzzard767]

I use Gyutos 90+% of the time. The Pettys are used for trimming meats and veggies by me although DW uses them for nearly everything. I have one 220x110mm vegetable cleaver that I use every once in awhile for a change of pace. It'll do just about anything the Gyutos can.

[JoeV]

I have to make another pot of beef barley vegetable soup. One uses that knife for cutting and slicing meat, bread and vegetables according to the directions it came with.
I made beef barley vegetable soup about a week or so ago, and it came out delicious. I found some nice beef shanks in a small grocery near home, and they had a nice marrow bone in them. Delicious!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v664/flyfishohio/Food/P1010544.jpg

[joec]

That really does look good Joe. Man I am getting hungry now. :thumb:

[PieSusan]

Whenever I see flanken or shank bones with meat attached, I buy them and stick them in the freezer during the winter. I make vegetable beef barley soup fairly regularly during the cold months. The bones don't stay in the freezer for long.

[PieSusan]

Now that I have held both knives--the petty is so light weight it seems almost like a toy--a very sharp, dangerous toy. lol I shall have fun playing with them both!

[joec]

If you ever make hard boiled eggs and cut them in half, the petty is the perfect weapon for that task.

[PieSusan]

To all those who offered their sage advice and helped me select my new knives:
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x87/Melodious7/ThankYouKiss.gif

[chowhound]

If you ever make hard boiled eggs and cut them in half, the petty is the perfect weapon for that task.

That would be reason enough for me to get a petty then. Hard cooked eggs stick like hell to my gyutos. Almost like a suction it seems, and then of course you need to carefully remove them.

[joec]

Yes petties have a thin, narrow blade though not flexable. It and a European type boning/fillet knife is also good for this though they are flexable in most cases.

[Derek]

http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/ProMSeries.html (http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/ProMSeries.html)

It is so lightweight and it looks very much like the knife in the picture. I love the fact that it came with directions how to care for the knife. Some, I already knew like to hand wash and not leave it in water and to dry it after use. However, I am not to use it to cut bone or frozen foods or hard foods like pumpkin or pineapple. These things are good to know. I think that I shall keep it in the box it came in and save the knife guard as well. It is seriously sharp.

I think that the next knife that I buy might be a Santuko. I know Pro M has one as well. I like the look of that knife, too. But first, I want to see how things go with these two.
Pro M SantokuWhat no photo's PS?

[PieSusan]

I have a digital camera. I need to learn how to post pictures online. I haven't installed the software yet. I will get around to it. I promise. However, the links show the knives off well.

[buzzard767]

However, the links show the knives off well.

That doesn't count. We need to see your knives. :smile:

[PieSusan]

I have a photography bug pal, Debbie and I will have her give me another camera lesson and get the pictures up, I promise. I honestly have the new knives open next to the puter--I am gawking at them and pinching myself at how awesome they are!

[PieSusan]

Or, don't you want to wait until there is blood dripping? You know what the knives look like, you just don't know what I look like after I have cut myself. lolololol

[buzzard767]

Or, don't you want to wait until there is blood dripping? You know what the knives look like, you just don't know what I look like after I have cut myself. lolololol

Be warned that you cannot get away with inattention. Your old knives would bounce off your fingers but your new knives are deigned to "cut" and they do their job well. Start slowly, pay attention to the knife, practice, and put in your application for your own show on the Food Network. :clap:

[PieSusan]

No, I am camera shy, Buzz.

Edited to add: "Ya got to have a gimic..."

[buzzard767]

Let me add a bit to my last post. To understand what you have purchased you must change habits. Use a pinch grip as this will give you much better control than merely gripping the handle. Make your grip as light as possible. There is no reason to push down on the blade. It is sharp, so let it do, and you appreciate, its work.

Just wait until it gets really sharp.

[PieSusan]

Buzz, believe me, I see how razor sharp they are already. I respect the knives and to be honest fear them a bit. I have seen the knife videos. I promise to be careful. I was teasing about the blood photos. I only cut myself badly once and it was with a Chinese Cleaver.

[buzzard767]

Buzz, believe me, I see how razor sharp they are already. I respect the knives and to be honest fear them a bit. I have seen the knife videos. I promise to be careful. I was teasing about the blood photos. I only cut myself badly once and it was with a Chinese Cleaver.

My warning is to be heeded. These knives are far more sharp than anything you have ever had in your kitchen. Given a little work, you mentioned Dave Martell, they will be even more sharp. Take your time and learn how they cut. Learn how they are so different. Learn to love them. You will, but pay attention during the process.

[PieSusan]

I am really excited about it! As I live alone it is harder for me to sometimes want to cook for me, I hoped these knives would be inspiration. I love baking more than cooking but I love to make soups--lots of chopping. I am pretty good at chopping, not a speed demon but I know how it is done. I just checked the Tojiro against my Wustof, it is slightly bigger and a tad heavier. The shape is very close. You did a fantastic job advising me. I could not be happier.

I think when one lives alone, one tends to get a tad lazy when it comes to cooking and one eats fast and easy stuff as opposed to what one might make for others. It is a bad habit that I hope to break. That is in part, why I wanted these knives. I wanted the process to be fun and special for me and to be able to treat myself as I treat others. Caregivers tend to put themselves last and suffer for it.

[S.Shepherd]

I understand about eating alone.....sometimes it just makes you not want to eat:sad:
Alot involved with cooking is sharing, atleast thats how I feel. BTW, I share my deer with friends and donate it to the needy-my wife doesn't like it:shock:
I'm glad you found some new enthusiasm to cook with your new knives. Get cookin, hell, share with your neighbors if you make too much.

Oh, about your knives being sharp.....
I have almost no doubt they came sharper from the dealer than 95% of any other factory knife, but they can actually be made alot sharper with little effort, just be carefull. I managed to slice off half of my fingernail about 4 months ago, nail bed and all:yuk:

[PieSusan]

It is funny--I have always shared my cooking with my friends but they especially long for my baked goods. I replaced my stand alone freezer so that I could have some homemade prepared meals for the days that I feel lazy.

Even my neighbors and friends in S. Fla can't wait for me to come back so I can start baking for them.

[PieSusan]

It made easy work out of cutting over 4 pounds of apples into thin slices for a pie. ;-)

[buzzard767]

Well, 6 months since your previous post. Has the knife been sitting alone in the drawer? Glad to hear it's doing its job.

[PieSusan]

In a word, yes. I have been waiting because they are so sharp. I was afraid that I would get cut because I have been so stressed out. I see that I really do have to use it differently than other knives. I am afraid to use it on the antique wooden block and cutting board of my mom's--it is that sharp--it could do some real damage. However, it sliced through the apples quite easily and I was able to make very thin slices. It just also cut through the plastic cutting board that I have--which is pretty thick by the way.
I shall be doing more baking and cooking this winter.