Paring Knife Features
Posted on February 1, 2010
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Function, quality and price are the three aspects that most consumers think about when purchasing kitchen knives. Because of it’s many varied uses, a quality paring knife is usually at the top of the list. When purchasing a paring knife, the main components that you should pay special attention is it’s blade and handle materials and construction.
BLADE CONSTRUCTION
Purchasing an inexpensive paring knife will save you money, but like anything of poor quality, it will have to be replaced more often. Less expensive kitchen knives are usually stamped from a single sheet of metal. The blades are thin, hard, and lighter than the handle causing them to be back-heavy. As a result more pressure is required when cutting, which leads to dulling the knife’s edge. On the other hand, the better quality paring knives have high-carbon stainless-steel blades that hold a sharp edge and effectively resist rusting. These are forged knife blades that begin as a single rough bar of red-hot metal. The bar is hammered into a shaped die to make the blade and the tang, which will form part of the knife’s handle. This one-piece construction makes an extremely strong knife with a heavy blade that can withstand strenuous cutting and slicing tasks and will hold it’s edge much longer.
Author’s note: (Investing in a knife sharpener is a good idea since knives become dull after a while.)
PARING KNIFE HANDLES
Paring knife’s handles are made of a variety of materials; natural and impregnated woods, plastics, synthetic-rubber compounds, or stainless steel, and vary in their degree of durability. A paring knife with a plastic handle probably won’t last very long, but if you simply need a cutting implement, it will do nicely. For longer wear and better performance go for a quality paring knife. The better knives have sturdier handles, perhaps of wood or metal, and sharp, durable blades. Natural rosewood remains the most popular for its beauty and resistance to splitting and cracking, but if you’re looking for the most durable and sanitary selection, opt for plastic, rubber, or stainless-steel.
Price is another consideration when buying a paring knife, and it almost always relates directly to quality. A paring knife may cost anywhere from 5 US dollars (USD) to over 60 USD. It all depends on the quality and the manufacturer.
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