Paring Knives

Which paring knife is the right one for the job?

When selecting the right paring knife for the job choosing the edge type that best suits your culinary needs will make accomplishing any task that much easier. A straight edge with a pointed tip is ideal for precise cuts and detailed work like hulling strawberries or shaping fruit to decorate a cake, while a serrated edge makes quick work of tasks like slicing through the rough skins of citrus fruits or the delicate flesh of grape tomatoes. And if you're looking to peel fruits, opt for the curved-blade peeling knife – also known as the Tournier knife or Bird’s Beak.

Are paring knives versatile?

Small but mighty, paring knives are incredibly versatile, making them a staple in your kitchen when it comes to coring tomatoes, peeling apples, or scoring a leg of lamb before roasting. Their shorter, 2-to-4-inch blades and compact handles allow you to achieve exceptional precision and control, making them ideal for detailed work such as trimming pastry or mincing small amounts of garlic. 

What are the different types of paring knives?

Everything you need to know about paring knives can be found in “What Paring Knife Should I Use?” For those short on time, allow us to offer a cheat sheet!  

Paring knives come in a handful of varieties for optimal cutting, peeling, and trimming. Slender, linear Straight Paring Knives are the paring knife in its most classic form, with a straight-edge blade that tapers to a point at the tip. Flat Cut Paring Knives have a thin blade with a completely flat edge, which provides more contact with the cutting board. Serrated Paring Knives have a narrow, serrated blade that slices cleanly through crusty rolls and ripe heirloom tomatoes without crushing or tearing. And Peeling Knives, also called Turning or Tourné Knives, have a short, curved, bird’s-beak-shaped blade that makes them perfect for peeling produce with as little food waste as possible. 

What is a Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coated knife blade?

Our Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating makes WÜSTHOF steel exceptionally strong and durable, producing a long-lasting blade that is heat resistant, scratchproof, and resilient to damage, even after frequent use in your kitchen. The DLC coating also gives each blade water-repellent properties (picture the water-beading effects you might see on the sleeve of your rain jacket during a drizzle). You can find this special DLC coating on each of the knives in our Performer series.