Paring KnivesWhich knife do you pick up first when you start cooking? Probably it’s the paring knife, because you start with the basic things like trimming the bad spot out of the potato. What’s the worst knife most people own? The same one. Paring knives are cheap and many people don’t think about upgrading.

A good paring knife makes the prep go so much easier and faster that buying a good paring knife should be basic. Look for a blade with a common sense shape — the spear point with a straight plain edge is already familiar to most hands and for everyday tasks does the best work. Straight edges peel accurately and the plain edge — without serrations — is easily controlled and leaves a smooth surface behind.

Large handles help. The fingers wrapped around the handle orient the blade to follow tricky curves — closing the grip moves the knife through the work. If the knife has enough handle to provide torque, your hand doesn’t get nearly so tired.

Most of the time the cutting edge of the knife faces your thumb — this is one instance when serrated edges and magically sharp ceramic blades aren’t the best choice. An old-fashioned taper ground bevel won’t be so likely to split your thumb open if you squeeze a little harder than usual.

Since many of us use paring knives wherever we need a short blade and lots of leverage, strength helps. Ceramic blades aren’t good for that, but stamped or forged blades can take the stress.

A Few of Our Favorites

One of the best for the budget conscious cook is the Victorinox 3″ Paring Knife by R.H. Forschner.

A good choice that’s heavier and almost bullet-proof (for those who use paring knives for nearly everything) is the Wusthof Classic 3.5 inch Paring Knife.

And for those who dream of good knives there’s our choice for “Best Paring Knife” — the Shun Classic 3 inch Knife. Expensive, but the best of both worlds — the sharpness of high end modern steel combined with the strength of traditional damascus layering. The handle hasn’t been ergonomically redesigned (it was already right).

See All of Our Paring Knife Reviews Below


Paring Knives

Kramer Paring Knife | Shun Pro Damascus Forged Steel Blade w/ Pakkawood Handle

If you’re the sort of chef who loves a beautiful knife but also wants a knife to use, you’ll find them...
JT Hats
1 min read

Shun Premier Paring Knife | Kitchen Cutlery Award Winner, Hand Forged 4 Inch

If you like hand-forged knives, the Shun Premier 4-Inch Paring Knife will catch your eye and work better than most custom...
JT Hats
1 min read

Miyabi Morimoto Henckels Vegetable Knife | Japanese Kudamono Full Tang 3-1/2 Inch 600-S

The Miyabi 600-S Vegetable Knife or Kudamono pares and preps vegetables and fruits. That sounds like a paring knife to me,...
JT Hats
57 sec read

Japanese Shotoh, Miyabi Paring Knife 600-S | Henckels Masaharu Morimoto Kitchen Cutlery 4-1/2 Inch

The Shotoh knife from the Miyabi Morimoto Edition of the 600-S series fits neatly between the paring knife and the utility...
JT Hats
58 sec read

Boker Arbolito Paring Knife, Bird’s Beak | Peeling 2 1/2 Inch Blade w/ Delrin Handle

Now and then it’s nice to just get a good deal, and the Boker Arbolito Peeling Knife qualifies. The construction is...
JT Hats
1 min read

Victorinox Paring Knife Set of 3 | Forschner Kitchen Cutlery w/ Bird’s Beak Decorative Blade 48042

For one of the best values in good kitchen cutlery, consider the three-piece Paring Knife Set from R.H. Forschner Victorinox of...
JT Hats
1 min read

Mundial Paring Knife Set of 3, SC0547-4 | Professional Kitchen Spear Point 4 Inch Blade

This set of three 4-inch Spear Point Paring Knives from Mundial could be one of the best deals you find this...
JT Hats
2 min read

Henckels Kudamono Paring Knife | Hollow Ground Granton Twin Signature 3 Inch

The Henckels Twin Signature 3-Inch Kudamono Hollow Edge Paring Knife adds the hollows of a santoku to a thin, sheepsfoot-style blade....
JT Hats
1 min read

Henckels Serrated Paring Knife, Full Tang 3 Inch | Twin Pro S Forged HC Stainless Steel Blade

The Henckels Twin Pro S 3-Inch Paring Knife with serrated cutting edge should be teamed up with a good plain-edged paring...
JT Hats
1 min read

Wusthof Ikon Paring Knife, Blackwood Grenadill Handle | Full Tang Kitchen Cutlery 3 1/2 Inch

The Wusthof Ikon Blackwood Paring Knife shows definite improvements compared to Wusthof’s older styles, but one thing that hasn’t changed is...
JT Hats
1 min read

Shun Paring Knife, Full Tang VG-10 | Damascus Stainless Steel 4 Inch

This four-inch Shun Paring Knife is the all-steel version of one of the best paring knives available today. While the D-shaped...
Ken
1 min read

Shun Kitchen Presentation Paring Knife | Fruit Carving Birds Beak 2 1/2 Inch

The Birds Beak Paring Knife from Shun handles difficult tasks many chefs don’t find essential. If your cooking includes sculpted fruits...
JT Hats
57 sec read

Henckels Gourmet 3 Piece Starter Kit | Paring, Utility & Chef’s Knife Set

The Henckels Gourmet 3-Piece Starter Set of three high carbon stainless steel knives pares back the complications of J.A. Henckels manufacturing...
JT Hats
1 min read

Wusthof Classic 2 Piece Asian Knife Set | Paring & Santoku w/ Granton Blade

This Asian santoku and paring knife set comes from the Wusthof Classic series of hand-forged cutlery. The Classic Santoku combines traditional...
JT Hats
54 sec read

Henckels S Peeling Bird’s Beak Knife | Full Tang High Carbon Stainless Steel Cutlery

This bird’s beak paring knife from J.A. Henckels features the same rugged slab handle build and full tang high carbon stainless...
JT Hats
59 sec read

Wusthof Classic Chef’s Paring Knife | Stainless Steel Full Tang Blade

Paring knives are often the worst knives in a kitchen. We use them for such ordinary tasks that it’s easy to...
JT Hats
1 min read

Kyocera Ceramic Paring Knife | 3.5 inch Revolution Series Parer

Despite my predisposition to frown on ceramic knives due to their brittleness and the need to be sent back to the...
Ken
58 sec read

Ontario Knife Company Old Hickory Paring Knife | 1095 Carbon Steel

Looking at this knife I thought, hmm, that’s familiar–and of course it would be, because it’s an old design, the “nothing...
Ken
57 sec read

Global Paring Knife | 4-Inch Santoku Blade

I’ve always liked Global knives. The futuristic look has always appealed to me and they always feel comfortable and well balanced....
Ken
1 min read

MAC Superior Paring Knife #SP-50 | 4 Inch Petty or Santoku Style

We’ve reviewed some pretty impressive paring knives recently. Check out the Shun Paring knife for a gorgeous, if somewhat expensive, top-of-the-line...
Ken
44 sec read

Best Paring Knife Review | Shun Classic 3 Inch

If you’re going to spend decent money on a knife, make sure it’s one that you’ll use frequently, feels comfortable in...
Ken
1 min read

R H. Forschner by Victorinox 3 Inch Paring Knife | Best Budget Paring Knife | Black Fibrox Handle

Forschner makes the best value knives you can find. And this paring knife is no exception. For five bucks, you get...
Ken
35 sec read

Anolon Advanced Paring Knife | Cutlery Review | 3-Inch

The Anolon Advanced Collection 3 1/2-Inch Parer Knife is perfect for many kitchen jobs such as cutting and peeling fruits and...
Ken
36 sec read

Wusthof Gourmet 3-Piece Paring Knife Set | Wusthof Gourmet

This is part of Wusthof’s “Gourmet” series. Intended as an entry-level set, this set would be a good start to any...
Ken
31 sec read