Paring knife selection for work in the air?
I'm going to be buying a new paring knife soon. I use my current knife mostly for "air work" - things like coring strawberries, trimming fruits/vegetables, etc. I rarely (or never) use it for work on a cutting board.
I've been looking at different styles/brands of knives and saw in a (printed, not online) article a comment that Japanese-style paring knives were "not good for air work." There was no elaboration.
This caused me to pause and ultimately brought me here to ask, what criteria go into choosing a paring knife specifically for work in the air? Heavier/lighter? Larger/smaller handle? Handle shape? Blade shape?
(Ultimately I'd love to buy a range of knives and decide for myself, but that isn't practical financially. And I don't have any stores nearby that allow test-use of knives, so I have no way to "test drive.")
Best Answer
'Air work' is an interesting term that I am not used to hearing, and I do a lot of it. The trick here is where will you be holding the knife as you work. A long thin blade will mean you are holding the blade as you work, which is not a problem, per se.
Small bladed and hook beak knives are well suited for this, as you can comfortably hold the handle. I love hook beak knives for mushroom garnishing, coring, small veg peeling and trimming, etc...
Small straight paring knives are the standard choice for this, if you don't like the hooked blade.
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How do I choose a paring knife?
When choosing a paring knife, pick one with more weight in the handle than in the blade. This is because a paring knife requires control and precision. By having slightly more of the weight in the handle, you'll have an easier time gripping and maneuvering the blade.What are the different paring knives used for?
Paring KnivesPeeling and cutting small fruit and vegetables. Deseeding fruits. Deveining prawns. Cutting vegetables & herbs such as garlic.What is a 3.5 paring knife used for?
The Quick Answer. Use it for peeling and slicing small food items like fruits and vegetables. Hold the item in one hand and turn it as you cut towards you. A standard curved blade around 3.5 inches is your best kitchen friend after the chef's knife.Why is a paring knife important?
The main purposes of a paring knife are doing precise detail work and getting into small spaces where larger knives can't go. Aside from peeling, paring knives can be used to devein shrimp, deseed produce, slice cheese, and mince small ingredients.Chef Knife VS Paring Knife
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Answer 2
For paring knives , I go "cheap" since I tend to loose them often (in the garbage bin).
At my local store they have the Nogent brand, with regular wooden handle and regular blade. I also have some Victorinox ones with plastic handle, I don't like them as much, even if they hold their sharpness better.
I tried some knives with the bird beak blade and did not like it at all (maybe because I don't do precision knife work).
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