Shibata Koutetsu knives are the creation of Takayuki Shibata, one of Japan’s most skilled sharpeners and blacksmiths. His workshop is based in Takefu Knife Village, a renowned knife-making region in Echizen, Fukui Prefecture, where Japanese blade smiths have been forging knives for over 700 years.
The name “Koutetsu” (甲鉄) is inspired by Japan’s first ironclad warship, the Kōtetsu, which was introduced during the late Edo period (19th century). Just like the warship, Shibata’s knives are designed to be strong, precise, and revolutionary in performance. Shibata-san initially gained recognition for his sharpening skills, refining blades for some of Japan’s top blacksmiths before launching his own brand.
The Petty knife is light and thin with a bit of flex to it and is used for peeling, chopping and trimming. Not used in a hammer grip way meaning you don’t chop up and down like a chefs knife due to not having enough clearance for the knuckles. Mostly used for cutting away from the chopping board but is essential for any knife roll and home kitchen. The general size of a petty ranges from 95mm to 150mm but can go up to 180mm but this is considered to be in a slicing categories
Developed by Takefu Special Steel, Super Gold 2 (SG2) is a premium powdered tool steel alloy specifically engineered for crafting high-quality blades. Renowned for its exceptional performance and durability, SG2 has earned its reputation as one of the most sought-after high-end powder steels in the blade-making community. With the ability to be heat-treated to an impressive hardness of up to 64 HRC (Rockwell hardness scale), SG2 blades exhibit outstanding edge retention and wear resistance. Interestingly, there is a steel known as R2, produced by Kobelco Steel, which is widely believed to be identical to SG2 in composition and properties.
Due to their indistinguishable characteristics, these steels are often referred to interchangeably as SG2/R2, acknowledging their shared origin and performance attributes. Blades made from SG2 (or R2) steel have gained considerable popularity among both professional chefs and knife enthusiasts for their exceptional cutting performance and long-lasting edge sharpness.
Weight: 51g
Handle Material: Wa (Japanese) handle, octagon walnut with black pakka wood collar
Handle Length: 115mm (4.53")
Blade Length: 81mm (3.19")
Blade Depth: 26mm
Thickness at spine: 1.8mm
Thickness at tip: 0.1mm
Cutting Edge: Double 50/50
Blade Material: SG2/R2 High speed powder stainless steel with stainless steel cladding
Hardness (Rockwell scale): 62 - 63
