im looking for a plain carbon steel paring knife

rogerxd45

rogerxd45

Joined
Mar 12, 2009
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so im in need of a a new 3-4" paring knife and i would really like to get a non-stainless one to try as ive heard great things about how they perform
ive been using J.A. Henckels 4 star knives since before culinary school.....so about 13 years
ive been thinking of getting an entire new set but im am very used to my main "chefs knife" and im hesitant to change that one to a different style or steel but a paring knife isnt as big of a deal since it isnt used nearly as often and usually not for long periods.

i tend to like my knives on the small side so i would prefer to have a paring knife 3.5" or less but i might go as big as 4" if i really liked a knife.
i also am looking for it to have the standard western style blade. i dont want any claw type or a flat edge Wharncliffe type. I prefer it when the heel is lower than the handle, im not a big fan of paring knives that have the edge perfectly in line with the bolster/handle. but this is a preference, not a requirement
I dont want to go much higher than $100
 
A little more than $100, but the Bob Kramer 3 1/2 inch Carbon Steel Paring Knife by Zwilling JA Henckels looks like a good one.
52100 @ 61, African blackwood handle, full tang, brass bolster, triple rivet....
Very nice.
 
Opinel makes one. Very cheap and very basic. It might suit your needs perfectly.
 
jpm2 said:
A little more than $100, but the Bob Kramer 3 1/2 inch Carbon Steel Paring Knife by Zwilling JA Henckels looks like a good one.
52100 @ 61, African blackwood handle, full tang, brass bolster, triple rivet....
Very nice.
Click to expand...

i was thinking about that one but i just dont like the looks, if it had silver colored hardware i would get it for sure but i just hate brass/gold colored stuff.
i know function is more important than looks but i just cant seem to get over the brass and dont want to buy a knife that i dont like how it looks
 
Old Hickory or Opinel. Can't go wrong with either. The Old Hickory are more "heavy duty" if that applies to a paring knife :-)
Rich
 
Old Hickory's paring knife has a 1095 carbon steel blade. Under $10, I think.
Opinel number 6 through 8 with their "Carbone" blade might be worth a look. They are a folding knife though, but do have the ring lock. For slicing, it is very hard to beat a $8 to $12 Opinel.

In my 60 years on this rock, I've found that you do not have to spend a lot to get excellent quality. It seems that with some brands, you are paying more for the name than anything else. For instance, the Old Hickory (forgive the term) "kitchen knives" perform just as well, if not better than knives of a (please forgive the term) "snob appeal" costlier brand.
 
Joe Calton makes a great one and he is a sponsor custom knife maker on BF. I love mine.... The opinel one isn't bad for the money either.
Russ
 
Take a look at Old Hickory. Cheap and have an excellent reputation.
I have a Old Hickory Chef's knife that I use every day, wouldn't trade it for the world.
 
Green River patch knives make very good paring knives. A blade is cheap.
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And there are kits and (more expensively) beautiful pre-handled (?) knives out there.

It is nice having the blade edge lower than the handle.
 
rogerxd45 said:
i was thinking about that one but i just dont like the looks, if it had silver colored hardware i would get it for sure but i just hate brass/gold colored stuff.
i know function is more important than looks but i just cant seem to get over the brass and dont want to buy a knife that i dont like how it looks
Click to expand...

I too prefer the looks of silver/stainless over brass/gold color. Also maintenance wise, I've had more trouble with brass bolsters than nicklesilver or stainless.
 
I like to peruse the KnifeMaker's Market section of the Exchange under "Kitchen Knives" for kitchen cutlery. Beautiful Stuff.

Take a look there, or simply take Adam Reese up on his piece. 1095 is wonderful stuff.
 
thanks for all the responses, i really appreciate it. i hate to admit it but i am kind of snoby with my kitchen knives, i could have gotten knives that were just as good for less $ biut i love my J.A. Henckels knives
a couple months ago i bought some 1095 steel to try making a couple knives, i guess this is a good time to give that a go.

i just bought a mora knife in carbon steel, ive wanted to try one for a while and just never got around to it but it will probably end up in my backpack instead of the kitchen and i think ill buy an old hickory one as well. although i think ill have to whip up some micarta to make new scales for it since i dont like the how the handles of the old hickory look. Ill probably try sanding the wood first to see if i can get it in a more ergonomic shape and then a nice extra dark stain with a nice high gloss finish
 
rogerxd45 said:
thanks for all the responses, i really appreciate it. i hate to admit it but i am kind of snoby with my kitchen knives, i could have gotten knives that were just as good for less $ biut i love my J.A. Henckels knives
a couple months ago i bought some 1095 steel to try making a couple knives, i guess this is a good time to give that a go.

i just bought a mora knife in carbon steel, ive wanted to try one for a while and just never got around to it but it will probably end up in my backpack instead of the kitchen and i think ill buy an old hickory one as well. although i think ill have to whip up some micarta to make new scales for it since i dont like the how the handles of the old hickory look. Ill probably try sanding the wood first to see if i can get it in a more ergonomic shape and then a nice extra dark stain with a nice high gloss finish
Click to expand...

Good luck!

If you do end up purchasing one, I'd also take a look at one by Robert Herder if I were you. The F&F doesn't look great but apparently they cut ridiculously well because of their thin stock.
 
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