My 83yo father lives with me. He is forgetful and bent the tip of my Wüsthof paring knife. I have straightened it to the best of my ability. While it is only slightly bent now, I am thinking about keeping it for his use and getting my own, personal knife. To be honest, I like the Wüsthof, but I am wondering if there are better options. It’s a bit boring to replace like with like.
I know people recommend a cheap paring knife, but it is one of my most used knives. Unless keeping a paring knife in good condition is a fool’s mission, I would prefer to be using a knife that gives me pleasure. I have looked at the Tojiro DP 9cm paring knife, but I have no experience of the sheepsfoot shape. Not sure what people’s feelings are about it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated
LOCATION
What country are you in? UK
KNIFE TYPE
What type of knife are you interested in (e.g., chef’s knife, slicer, boning knife, utility knife, bread knife, paring knife, cleaver)? Paring knife
Are you right or left handed? Right
Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle? Western
What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)? 80mm/90mm
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no) Yes
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife? £130
KNIFE USE
Do you primarily intend to use this knife at home or a professional environment? Home
What are the main tasks you primarily intend to use the knife for (e.g., slicing vegetables, chopping vegetables, mincing vegetables, slicing meats, cutting down poultry, breaking poultry bones, filleting fish, trimming meats, etc.)? (Please identify as many tasks as you would like.) Chopping herbs, chopping garlic/ginger, some in-hand peeling, chopping/slicing/coring small fruit and vegetables
What knife, if any, are you replacing? Wüsthof 9cm paring knife
Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.) Hammer
What cutting motions do you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for types of cutting motions and identify the two or three most common cutting motions, in order of most used to least used.) Slice, draw, rock
What improvements do you want from your current knife? If you are not replacing a knife, please identify as many characteristics identified below in parentheses that you would like this knife to have.) Sharpness, nimbleness
Better aesthetics (e.g., a certain type of finish; layered/Damascus or other pattern of steel; different handle color/pattern/shape/wood; better scratch resistance; better stain resistance)? Nothing particular. I like simple design.
Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)? Maybe lighter, but nothing particular.
Ease of Use (e.g., ability to use the knife right out of the box; smoother rock chopping, push cutting, or slicing motion; less wedging; better food release; less reactivity with food; easier to sharpen)? Simple to sharpen
Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)? Reasonable edge retention
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.) Yes. End-grain beech.
Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.) Yes, but only started a few days ago.
If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.) Yes
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.) Yes. I already have a Shapton Pro 1K, Atoma 140 and a leather strop paddle
I know people recommend a cheap paring knife, but it is one of my most used knives. Unless keeping a paring knife in good condition is a fool’s mission, I would prefer to be using a knife that gives me pleasure. I have looked at the Tojiro DP 9cm paring knife, but I have no experience of the sheepsfoot shape. Not sure what people’s feelings are about it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated
LOCATION
What country are you in? UK
KNIFE TYPE
What type of knife are you interested in (e.g., chef’s knife, slicer, boning knife, utility knife, bread knife, paring knife, cleaver)? Paring knife
Are you right or left handed? Right
Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle? Western
What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)? 80mm/90mm
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no) Yes
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife? £130
KNIFE USE
Do you primarily intend to use this knife at home or a professional environment? Home
What are the main tasks you primarily intend to use the knife for (e.g., slicing vegetables, chopping vegetables, mincing vegetables, slicing meats, cutting down poultry, breaking poultry bones, filleting fish, trimming meats, etc.)? (Please identify as many tasks as you would like.) Chopping herbs, chopping garlic/ginger, some in-hand peeling, chopping/slicing/coring small fruit and vegetables
What knife, if any, are you replacing? Wüsthof 9cm paring knife
Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.) Hammer
What cutting motions do you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for types of cutting motions and identify the two or three most common cutting motions, in order of most used to least used.) Slice, draw, rock
What improvements do you want from your current knife? If you are not replacing a knife, please identify as many characteristics identified below in parentheses that you would like this knife to have.) Sharpness, nimbleness
Better aesthetics (e.g., a certain type of finish; layered/Damascus or other pattern of steel; different handle color/pattern/shape/wood; better scratch resistance; better stain resistance)? Nothing particular. I like simple design.
Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)? Maybe lighter, but nothing particular.
Ease of Use (e.g., ability to use the knife right out of the box; smoother rock chopping, push cutting, or slicing motion; less wedging; better food release; less reactivity with food; easier to sharpen)? Simple to sharpen
Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)? Reasonable edge retention
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.) Yes. End-grain beech.
Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.) Yes, but only started a few days ago.
If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.) Yes
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.) Yes. I already have a Shapton Pro 1K, Atoma 140 and a leather strop paddle
