You might be thinking about stocking stuffers and what cook can’t use a new utility knife? Even if you’re not cooking from fresh products, you still have to open boxes, pouches and nothing works better than a knife. Even that pizza you sent out for often needs a little cutting from a sharp knife to free it from the pie or, in polite company, cut it into fork-able sizes.
Three of my favorite kitchen paring knives
These knives are called utility or paring
knives, and they are always a welcome gift.
My wife has several and I recently had a
chance to work with a few. Let me tell
you what I found.
Zwilling J.A. Henckels Twin Master Parer
That's a mouthful. Don't be confused by Henckels high-end
semi-custom kitchen knives. This is a
little plastic handle kitchen worker.
The blade is 4 inches long and has a 4.25-inch plastic (polypropylene, I
suspect) handle. The blade is FRIODUR
steel. No, it is not the mystical steel
seen in Lord of the Rings. It is cryogenically
treated 440C steel, which maximizes the blade's properties. Now, 440C is the best of the 440 series and
is a very economical steel with good properties.
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| Master Parer |
The knife has a Wharncliffe blade anchored in a nice microtextured handle. The blue polymer handle is shaped to provide a slight guard that flows into a reverse "S" shape, helping to lock the knife in your hand. The blade's spine is slightly offset to the handle’s top or spine. This little step makes a nice marker to determine where the blade stops and starts.
After using the knife for a couple of weeks,
I found the blade is holding its edge and remained sharp. I like the way it feels in my hand. The steel blade is the most flexible of these
three, most likely due to its thinness.
Mine has the blade slightly bent from the handle. I'm not concerned about that, yet. All three of these knives are work tools; I
expect they take a beating during normal use.
After three months of use, I'll have to see what it looks like.
You can find Twin Master Parer for under $14
without trouble.
It's no secret that I have a genuine
affection for Spyderco. There, it’s out
in the open. They have made kitchen
knives on and off for years with different levels of success.
We have their Counter Puppy. It’s a 7-inch-long knife with a 3.5-inch
blade. The blade steel is 7CR17, a
Chinese stainless steel with good hardness, edge retention, and even better
corrosion resistance. The blade is a
flat grind drop point with Spyder’s trademark hole. Study the drop point blade and you will
notice the blade’s spine has a gentle curve that softens the working appearance
of the knife.
 |
| Counter Puppy |
The blade edge has a slight curve that allows for a longer, flowing cut. Since we’ve owned this knife the longest, I’ve sharpened it with my go-to sharpener, Spydie’s Sharpmaker.
What is most noticeable are the ‘feet.’ The almost purple polymer handle has four
feet arranged so you can put the knife down and the feet will hold it above the
counter. It’s a slick idea. I’ve seen it before on pocket knives, but
never in a kitchen knife.
The feet near the blade act as a terrific
guard to protect your fingers. The rear
feet get in your way. Look, I wear an
X-large glove, and the knife handle is too short. I've tried placing the rear feet between my
little and ring finger, but it just doesn't work for my hand. Spyderco could have achieved the unique look and
kept the blade edge off the counter surface by eliminating the rear feet.
You can find your Counter Puppy for around
$28 to $29.
The last up is the Dexter.
The manufacturer describes Dexter knives as
a basic paring knives. The blade is a thin,
flat grind slice of a 400 series high carbon steel. I suspect they mean 440C. The drop point-shaped blade is 3.25 inches
long with an almost 4-inch-long polymer handle.
The blade is relatively stiff.
 |
| Dexter |
The black handle (more polypropylene) has a finger indentation and a relatively deep and well-defined groove in the handle. Both of which increase your grip.
It is by far the most basic kitchen knife of
this group. This is not a slam against
the knife. Function and form are
related, and if form interferes with function, like the Counter Puppy's feet,
you begin to move away from the utility nature of a paring knife. A Dexter Basic Parer can be yours for $4.55.
Both the Spyderco Counter Puppy and Dexter
Basic Parer are made in China. The Twin
Master Parer is made in Spain. Nobody
makes affordable, economical kitchen knives in America, so get over it.
My favorite?
Based on price and performance, it’s the Dexter.
But the one I grab is the Twin Master Parer. It's newer, and sharper, and I like the feel
and look and I'm willing to pay more for it.
