Shosui Takeda is a third-generation blacksmith from Niimi, Okayama. His pursuit to improve with each knife he makes is evident in every blade. He and his two workers have been making the same style of kitchen knives for decades. Takeda san has worked to perfect one of the most challenging steels for a blacksmith to forge. Hitachi Blue Super steel boasts one of the best edge retentions of any steel, it is also very difficult to work with. Takeda is regarded as one of the few knife-makers to master this material, and yet he continues to improve.

A petty (utility) knife probably gets used most often after your all-purpose knives. It can be used to cut small fruits, vegetables, and even some smaller cuts of meats (and many many more things, like cutting through plastic wrapping from a grocery trip!) If you have one, for a quick meal for two, you may just get it done without a chef's knife.