Recommend a good paring knife

[Fuuma]

I don't give a damn about dishwasher-safe knives (not that there is anything wrong with wanting them to be).

 

[indesertum]



Thread necromancy.

I see Sabatier knives were discussed here, I used to like them and my paring knife disappeared. I can't really navigate the complexity of Sabatier branding and licensing, which ones were the nice made in France ones? Thiers-Issard carbon? Is stainless steel still ok? If I like french shape but could be fine with trad German ones (Henckels and Wusthof pro/classic lines) should I concentrate on a new chef knife (I chipped/broke my old Henckel) by Sabatier (which ones) and just buy whatever for paring.

note: I like a good, utilitarian knife and don't care about the luxury knife market at all....

you just want a paring knife?

carbon steel is probably the nicest but they need to be maintained cuz they rust (which is easily removed, but you might get ugly spots). stainless steel is rust free and the traditional counter argument used to be that they're harder to sharpen and stay sharpened. a lot of good stainless steel nowadays that can stay really sharp and are easier to sharpen. the molybdenum alloys are nice and the standard is VG10

if you have money misono (ux10 series is standard and a lot of people here own them) and masamoto are still two of the best

if you dont care to spend that much tojiro dp and fujiwara are both quite good

(but if you're buying paring knives there's not really a huge price difference. i would just buy the paring here)

sabatier seems to be going after the cuisinart crowd. you can find better old ones on ebay, but they might take a lot of rehab

also styleforum was obsessed with nenox for awhile especially the bone white handle ones.


i'm biased tho. japanese knives for me are easier to wield and much more pleasant to use, just a little finnicky with the sharpening and technique. the traditional german brands tend to be heavier workhorses and overpriced or overdesigned and overpriced

 

[Fuuma]

I'm definitely not using Japanese knives (usually don't like the shape, weight etc., doesn't feel right for western food, didn't grow up with them and blades are a ***** to maintain) as beautiful and cool as they may be. Paring is somewhat irrelevant I guess so I just bought a Wüsthof classic chef and paring and will complement with another chef knife (old Sabatier Carbon) for when I want a nicer shape (German is fine but French is best). I'm also looking at this http://www.evercut.fr/fr/produits/origine/, used by a good friend who knows what he is doing, just need to go to Le Bon Marché and check if I like the shape, handle and weight.

 

[indesertum]



I'm definitely not using Japanese knives (usually don't like the shape, weight etc., doesn't feel right for western food, didn't grow up with them and blades are a ***** to maintain) as beautiful and cool as they may be. Paring is somewhat irrelevant I guess so I just bought a Wüsthof classic chef and paring and will complement with another chef knife (old Sabatier Carbon) for when I want a nicer shape (German is fine but French is best). I'm also looking at this http://www.evercut.fr/fr/produits/origine/, used by a good friend who knows what he is doing, just need to go to Le Bon Marché and check if I like the shape, handle and weight.

That's cool. make sure you keep them sharpened and not just straightened otherwise it's just money wasted. Western knives tend to lose their sharpness faster cuz of the more obtuse angle. I feel like I had to sharpen my wustofs once a week with just regular daily cooking otherwise the dullness got annoying

I like how you're going into stores and making sure you like how the knife handles. Feel like a lot of people just buy online just based on spec without knowing if they like it or not

 

[Fuuma]



That's cool. make sure you keep them sharpened and not just straightened otherwise it's just money wasted. Western knives tend to lose their sharpness faster cuz of the more obtuse angle. I feel like I had to sharpen my wustofs once a week with just regular daily cooking otherwise the dullness got annoying

I like how you're going into stores and making sure you like how the knife handles. Feel like a lot of people just buy online just based on spec without knowing if they like it or not

I usually keep my knives in ok condition, maybe not as much as some more dedicated people but I'll be all right. It should be obvious that anything discussed here is "good enough" and that the more important thing is how you like the weight/shape/handle. I also have a strong dislike for the James Bond lifestyle, only the best (like there is one) bullshit I sometimes see on SF (lots of fat kids with the best dunks on our basketball court), although I'll readily admit it is sometimes hard to disentangle that angle from a passion for well-made objects.

 

[otc]



Thread necromancy.

I see Sabatier knives were discussed here, I used to like them and my paring knife disappeared. I can't really navigate the complexity of Sabatier branding and licensing, which ones were the nice made in France ones? Thiers-Issard carbon? Is stainless steel still ok? If I like french shape but could be fine with trad German ones (Henckels and Wusthof pro/classic lines) should I concentrate on a new chef knife (I chipped/broke my old Henckel) by Sabatier (which ones) and just buy whatever for paring.

note: I like a good, utilitarian knife and don't care about the luxury knife market at all....

Not fancy or exotic, but I like my Wustof Ikon paring knife a lot.

Pretty sure it is the same steel blade as the Classic, but I thought that the handle design was an improvement and the smaller bolster makes it sharpen easier and feel a little more light and accurate. $10 more than the Classic and I think it is worth it.

And honestly, for paring knives, I don't think you need to worry as much about french vs german vs japanese vs western-shape japanese. Pick one you like the feel of, in a decent steel, and keep it sharp.

 

[t3hg0suazn]

(lots of fat kids with the best dunks on our basketball court)

I need to repeat this to myself before every purchase from now on.