Ealy Parer

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wisew

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So I've done some searches on this, but didn't find much - what makes Ealy paring knives so awesome? From the little bit I've picked up, the steel may be part of it, and of course I've seen pictures, but functionality wise, what makes them so highly recommended?

Thanks!
 
Kind of looking for an answer to that myself. My Ealy parer gets used for plastic wrap and very limited peeling, but otherwise sits on the counter unused. It's too thick to do diverse tasks that my partner and I want from a parer or petty, and I haven't found any task it's really amazing at...but I'm apparently not much of a parer type...when peeling or cutting small things on a board I always prefer my 135mm funayuki. Perhaps coring strawberries?
 
I have one of the new ones and it's great.

I use it for trimming veal and tenderloins.

Taking skin off onions

Opening bags

Cutting plastic wrap

Chopping garlic very thinly

Scouring bread

Coring and seeding tomatoes

Etc very handy IMO
 
Agree with jgraeff, I use it for all small tasks in the kitchen, from opening astic packaging to peeling onions, coring different fruits and veggies, peeling potatoes etc.
 
I mean, those are just tasks you use paring knives for in general (although good to know the Ealy parer is still good for those things). But what separates it from other parers?

Is it the steel? The profile? The geometry? The edge retention? The cutting performance? The ease (?) of sharpening? The balance? The handle? The comfort? It just looks pretty?
 
I mean it's a parer... Hard to really have something knock your socks off but with that said

The handle is very comfortable and I have black Damascus and think it looks awesome plus the weight is nice.

It holds and edge pretty long unless having lots of board contact.
 
I do like the feel of it in my hand, it has excellent edge retention and the fit and finish is top notch.
 
quick question, have you sharpened it yet or lost some of that black carbon on the damascus?
 
I also enjoy using it. handle feels great, great looker. cannot really comment on edge retention, edge never met a cutting board. It indeed is a bit wedgie when cutting thru potatoes for example.

yeah, i have sharpened mine:
DSC03342_DxO.jpg

(i was a bit hesitant to hit the heel as i was worried to scratch the (thick part of) side). if it starts to bother me i will tape the side before sharpening it ;) )
 
I also enjoy using it. handle feels great, great looker. cannot really comment on edge retention, edge never met a cutting board. It indeed is a bit wedgie when cutting thru potatoes for example.

yeah, i have sharpened mine:
DSC03342_DxO.jpg

(i was a bit hesitant to hit the heel as i was worried to scratch the (thick part of) side). if it starts to bother me i will tape the side before sharpening it ;) )
I was just wondering my carbon/blackish hue is wearing off after sharpening
 
Riba, just sharpen it with your blade turned past perpendicular to the stone.
 
I also enjoy using it. handle feels great, great looker. cannot really comment on edge retention, edge never met a cutting board. It indeed is a bit wedgie when cutting thru potatoes for example.

Ahh I see - is it really thick? I feel like I'd want a pretty lasery paring knife (I really don't see how any added thickness or heft would help with the tasks I'd be using it for), so wedging doesn't sound promising. (I might occasionally use it for board work like a small petty.)
 
It has a medium to thick spine, but it has very nice distal taper to the tip as well. The tip is very thin and can be used for precision work.
 
Ahh I see - is it really thick? I feel like I'd want a pretty lasery paring knife (I really don't see how any added thickness or heft would help with the tasks I'd be using it for), so wedging doesn't sound promising. (I might occasionally use it for board work like a small petty.)
I cannot call it lasery...

Riba, just sharpen it with your blade turned past perpendicular to the stone.
hehehe, makes sense. thanks!
 
I like the way they feel in the hand, heavy for a paring knife. I thought they were a tad too thick behind the edge for a paring knife so I thinned it out and did a progression from 140 DMT / 400 / 1000 / 2000 / J-nat and it worked wonders. That was for the AEB-L. I have a carbon Damascus that I haven't started yet but intend to.
 
You might be able to get one made thin, but the default seems kinda chunky. Had I known that when I was liiking at my first real parer, I'd have looked for something thinner myself.
 
I have to say I'm disappointed with my Ealy parer. The diagonal 'bolster' while stylistically attractive interferes with cutting and peeling. It decreases the effective length of the blade substantially - especially in proportion to a small knife like a parer. The ridge on the 'bolster' often bruises what I'm cutting or peeling.

Also, the parer I received (bought at the group buy last Christmas) had an unsightly hole on one of the handle scales. So sadly it's relegated to be my kitchen knave doing the small odd job.
 
I'm in the process of thinning mine too. Especially areas around the "bolster" where it interferes during cutting and sharpening.

On the plus side, I really like the handle and edge retention is not so bad.
 
I thinned mine as well and found that it made a big difference. I enjoy it very much and use it for small in hand jobs in the kitchen, both food and not.
 
I'm in the process of thinning mine too. Especially areas around the "bolster" where it interferes during cutting and sharpening.

On the plus side, I really like the handle and edge retention is not so bad.


Yes, the knife can be thinned and the 'bolster' ground down but I really think the Ealy parer is a case where style has got the better of function. And if I ground down the 'bolster' then it's not the knife that I was attracted to in the first place.

With the knive I received, even the attraction of the style was much diminished by the hole on the handle scale.
 
Say what you is will, but just some food for thought, and to let you know what Del is all about, talent-wise: He is the only guy I know who made knives that Dave Martell deemed "too thin at the edge". He can do thin with the best of them.
 
Say what you is will, but just some food for thought, and to let you know what Del is all about, talent-wise: He is the only guy I know who made knives that Dave Martell deemed "too thin at the edge". He can do thin with the best of them.

That may be so but the ones I got (bought 3, two given away as Christmas presents) from the group order were chunky. The ridge on the 'bolster' interfered with cutting and peeling, and on one of them there was an ugly hole on the handle scale. Very disappointed to say the least.
 
for the basic model they were in the US$100-120 range shipped, IIRC.
 
I don't understand what a thinned paring knife will do to help in cutting ability. For in hand or small tasks as a parer would be used wedging is not an issue. A petty I understand.

Mine was In the group buy as well and I peel mangoes and potatoes all the time without issue. Also shrimp, core tomatoes etc. It slices garlic like a dream. And I can take sinew out of veal easily.

I'm slightly confused I can't think of how the bolster would interfere as it merely comes over the heel of the knife.
 
I don't understand what a thinned paring knife will do to help in cutting ability. For in hand or small tasks as a parer would be used wedging is not an issue. A petty I understand.

Mine was In the group buy as well and I peel mangoes and potatoes all the time without issue. Also shrimp, core tomatoes etc. It slices garlic like a dream. And I can take sinew out of veal easily.

I'm slightly confused I can't think of how the bolster would interfere as it merely comes over the heel of the knife.

I disagree. I'm a professional chef and I have many uses for a thin bladed paring knife. I absolutely love the look and feel of Del's paring knife but I too had issues with it cutting the way I wanted it too until I thinned it. It still needs more thinning but the bolster doesn't make this task easy. When I first received it I had issues cutting through strawberries. Did it cut through them -- yes -- but it wanted to hesitate as if wedging. As stated, I think the knife is beautiful but I believe it sacrifices function over form until I was able to take away some of the metal. Like food itself my opinion of the knife is totally subjective.
 
I disagree. I'm a professional chef and I have many uses for a thin bladed paring knife. I absolutely love the look and feel of Del's paring knife but I too had issues with it cutting the way I wanted it too until I thinned it. It still needs more thinning but the bolster doesn't make this task easy. When I first received it I had issues cutting through strawberries. Did it cut through them -- yes -- but it wanted to hesitate as if wedging. As stated, I think the knife is beautiful but I believe it sacrifices function over form until I was able to take away some of the metal. Like food itself my opinion of the knife is totally subjective.

Agreed. As a home cook, I was having MINOR wedging on hulling strawberries, halving berries, etc. Obviously not wedging like with a larger knive, but performance felt slightly off. Thinning this parer more than accomplished what I wanted. The knife is great, fit and finish nice. Feels great in hand. Gets very sharp and stays that way. Big fan of the knife. I just found it performed for ME better after thinning a little.
 
I disagree. I'm a professional chef and I have many uses for a thin bladed paring knife. I absolutely love the look and feel of Del's paring knife but I too had issues with it cutting the way I wanted it too until I thinned it. It still needs more thinning but the bolster doesn't make this task easy. When I first received it I had issues cutting through strawberries. Did it cut through them -- yes -- but it wanted to hesitate as if wedging. As stated, I think the knife is beautiful but I believe it sacrifices function over form until I was able to take away some of the metal. Like food itself my opinion of the knife is totally subjective.

Your must be thick or something. I'm a pro chef as well and don't have the issues you describe. Odd that there so inconsistent
 
I have been hesitant to comment on this thread, although I have been reading it from the beginning.
Part of my reason for this is that I was happy to get the feedback, but I don't want to promote heavily outside my own subforum.

My reasons for making the paring knives as they are is as follows.
#1 It is the same stock as I make my other knives out of, so it is available, also in cutting the larger knives, I sometimes have room for one of these out of what is left. I make good use out of my resources.
#2 demand, although I have seen a few paring knives from other makers, none seem to make them in the quantity that I do.
#3 in reguards to the "bolster" it is part of the style of the knives that I make. After reviewing some of the comments I see that there is a place for an alternative model. I have made this change once before, with the newer model more popular than the original.

I now have some .072" stock in the shop, about 1.8mm that I will be making a prototype out of that will address these issues. The profile will be the same, but the stock will be thinner and the grind will be slighty different.
I am posting this to let you guys know that I do care about your opinions of my work and that I do listen and appreciate your feedback.
Thanks,
Del
 
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