Kanjo ZDP189 Petty 120mm

Kanjo Tsukahara is the son of Tsukahara-San, who makes the Kohetsu HAP40 and AS lines for us. Kanjo started working for his father about 5 years ago, after he graduated from school. He asked me a couple years ago, over some beers, about designing some knives for CKTG and these fine items are the result.

We asked him to make the blades out of ZDP-189, which is a Hitachi manufactured alloy. It is one of the newer super steels and it contains large quantities of carbon and chromium, the combination of which results in very high levels of hardness. ZDP-189 knife blades average around 64 HRC but Kanjo-san is able to take these blades to a remarkable 65 HRC. Of course with this level of hardness you can expect superb edge retention but at the cost of some difficulty in sharpening. The steel is stainless but will still require some care with cleaning and drying between uses. This is somewhat mitigated by the stainless cladding.

The Kanjo ZDP189 Petty 120mm is an elegant and beautifully constructed small petty that will work its magic on the cutting board as well as in hand. Whether it is chopping fine herbs, coring vegetables, or making light work of garnishes, this knife will please and reward its owner for many years to come. The beautifully constructed and sculpted micarta handle is made in the western style and attached to the full tang with five small stainless pins.

Maker: Kanjo Tsukahara

Location: Seki, Japan

Construction: San Mai, Laser Cut

Edge Steel: ZDP-189 Stainless Steel

HRC: 65

Cladding: Stainless Cladding

Handle: Yo (Western)

Scales: Black Micarta

Edge Length: 117 mm

Blade Height: 27 mm

Spine Thickness: 2.7 mm

Weight: 3.5 oz