What Is a Paring Knife Used For?

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Search interest in paring knives has spiked recently, and I’m not surprised. It’s the knife people use every day without thinking about it. A chef’s knife is too big for coring a strawberry or peeling an apple in your hand. That’s where a paring knife lives.

In my workshop, the small knife on the bench gets used more than any big tool, for trimming, scoring and fine work. In the kitchen, the paring knife plays the same role.

What a paring knife looks like

• Short blade: usually 3 to 4 inches. Wüsthof notes that paring blades typically range from about 2.75 to 4 inches in its paring knife guide.
• Pointed tip: for precise cuts and coring.
• Small handle: sized for control in your fingers.
• Thin blade: for clean, controlled cuts.

What a paring knife is used for

Wüsthof’s guide lists the classic paring knife jobs, and they match what most home cooks use one for:

Peeling fruit and vegetables. Apples, pears, potatoes, ginger, kiwi.

Coring. Tomatoes, apples, pears, peppers, strawberries.

Hulling strawberries. Cutting out the green top and white core.

Trimming. Fat and silver skin from small cuts of meat, the ends of green beans, the root ends of scallions.

Deveining shrimp. A shallow cut along the back to lift out the vein.

Removing seeds. From peppers, chiles and fruit.

Segmenting citrus. Cutting the peel away and freeing each segment between the membranes.

Scoring. Bread dough, pork skin, duck breast fat, the cross on a chestnut.

In-hand cuts. Halving a cherry tomato, slicing a radish, cutting a lime wedge, all held in your hand.

Small garnishes. Shaping fruit and vegetables into decorative cuts.

Checking doneness. Inserting the tip into a potato or a cake to see if it’s done.

What a paring knife isn’t for

• Chopping on a board. A small blade is slow and actually riskier, because you saw instead of slice. Use a chef’s knife.
• Big fruit and vegetables. Melons, squash and cabbage need a larger knife.
• Bones and frozen food. The thin blade bends or snaps.
• Prying. Lids, packaging and frozen items bend the tip.
• Bread. Use a bread knife.

Paring knife shapes

Spear point: the classic shape, with a straight edge and a point centered along the blade. The most versatile.

Sheep’s foot: a straight edge with a rounded spine that drops down to the tip. Good for straight cuts and julienne on a board, safer tip.

Bird’s beak (tourné): a short, curved blade that hooks inward, like a beak. Wüsthof recommends a curved blade for peeling. It’s great for peeling round fruit and making tourné cuts on vegetables.

Serrated paring knife: a paring knife with small teeth. Wüsthof suggests a serrated edge for citrus skins and grape tomatoes. Good for tomatoes and soft fruit, and stays sharp longer, but harder to sharpen.

For a first paring knife, a straight-edged spear point does almost everything.

How to hold a paring knife

On the board: use a pinch grip on the handle and blade, like a small chef’s knife.

In your hand (peeling): hold the fruit in your non-dominant hand. Hold the knife with your dominant hand, blade facing toward your thumb. Place your thumb on the fruit below the blade, and draw the blade toward your thumb in short, controlled strokes, rotating the fruit as you go. The knife moves slowly and only a short distance; your thumb stays below the path of the edge.

Coring: insert the tip at an angle around the core and rotate the fruit, not the knife.

General rule: keep your cuts short and slow, and always know where your fingers are relative to the edge. Wüsthof’s guide stresses a secure grip for maximum control.

Paring knife vs. utility knife vs. chef’s knife

Most home cooks need a chef’s knife and a paring knife. A utility knife sits between them and is usually redundant. My 3 knives you need guide explains why.

Two paring knives worth buying

Victorinox Swiss Classic 3.25-inch: best value

This is one of the most recommended paring knives in the world, and it costs about as much as a sandwich. It weighs about 0.6 oz per GP Knives’ listing, with an 8 cm (3.25-inch) spear-point blade and a small polymer handle.

Why it’s a great pick:

• Very light and nimble for in-hand work.
• Sharp out of the box.
• So inexpensive that many people buy two or three.
• Easy to sharpen.

What to watch: the handle is small for large hands, and the thin blade bends if you pry with it.

Wüsthof Classic 3.5-inch: forged pick

If you want a paring knife that matches a forged German set, the Wüsthof Classic 3.5-inch is a classic choice. Wüsthof lists it at 58 HRC, with a full tang and riveted handle, and says to wash it by hand and towel-dry it right away, per Wüsthof’s product page.

Why it’s a good pick:

• Forged, solid and well balanced.
• Holds an edge well for a paring knife.
• Matches the Wüsthof Classic chef’s knife and other Classic pieces.

What to watch: it costs many times more than the Victorinox, and it’s heavier, which some people find less nimble for peeling.

Step by step: common paring knife jobs

Hulling a strawberry. Insert the tip at an angle next to the stem, about a quarter inch deep. Rotate the strawberry against the blade in a small circle and lift out the green top and white core in one cone.

Coring a tomato. Insert the tip at an angle around the stem scar and rotate the tomato to cut out a small cone.

Peeling an apple. Hold the apple in your non-dominant hand. With the blade facing your thumb, start at the stem end and draw the blade toward your thumb in short strokes, rotating the apple as you go. Keep the peel thin.

Deveining shrimp. Hold the shrimp on its side. Make a shallow cut along the back from head to tail, then lift out the dark vein with the tip.

Segmenting an orange. Cut off the top and bottom. Stand it up and cut away the peel and white pith in strips, following the curve. Then hold the orange over a bowl and cut along each side of every membrane to free the segments.

Trimming green beans. Line up a handful on the board and trim the ends with the tip. Faster than one at a time in your hand.

Scoring bread dough. Use the tip, held at a shallow angle, to make a quick, confident slash about a quarter inch deep.

Cutting a lime wedge. Halve the lime lengthwise on the board, then cut each half into wedges. On the board is safer than in your hand.

When to cut in your hand and when to use the board

A paring knife is made for in-hand work, but that doesn’t mean everything belongs in your hand.

In your hand: peeling round fruit, hulling, deveining, coring, small trims where you need to see and rotate the food.

On the board: anything that sits flat, anything you need to cut through completely, and anything you can’t control well with one hand. When in doubt, use the board.

How many paring knives do you need?

Many cooks own two or three, because they’re cheap, small and used constantly. A common setup:

• One straight-edge spear point for general work.
• One serrated paring knife for tomatoes and citrus.
• Optionally, a bird’s beak for peeling round fruit.

With inexpensive knives like the Victorinox, having a spare means one is always clean.

Paring knives for kids

A paring knife is not a good first knife for children. Its sharp point and small size encourage cutting in the hand, which is the hardest technique to do safely. Kids learning to cook do better with a purpose-built kids’ knife used on a board. My guide to kids’ knives covers safer options.

How to keep a paring knife sharp

Paring knives often get neglected because they’re small and cheap. A dull paring knife is dangerous, because it slips during in-hand cuts.

• Hone it on a ceramic rod with a few light strokes.
• Sharpen it on a stone or a sharpener when honing no longer helps. Small blades are quick to sharpen.
• Hand wash and dry right away.
• Store it protected, with a blade guard or on a strip. Small knives get lost and dull in drawers.

My sharpener guide has options.

What to look for when buying

Blade length: 3 to 4 inches. Try a 3.25 to 3.5-inch blade if you’re unsure.

Edge: straight for most jobs; serrated as a second knife for tomatoes and citrus.

Handle: small enough to control with your fingertips, big enough to hold securely. If you have large hands, try a slightly bigger handle.

Weight: lighter is usually better for in-hand work.

Steel: soft stainless is fine and easy to sharpen. A harder steel holds an edge longer, but paring knives are cheap to resharpen anyway.

Price: a good paring knife doesn’t need to be expensive. The difference between a $10 and a $95 paring knife is mostly finish, weight and matching a set.

Safety tips

• Keep it sharp. A dull blade slips.
• Cut toward your thumb only when peeling, with short, slow strokes and your thumb below the cut.
• Use the board for anything that doesn’t need to be in your hand.
• Don’t leave it in the sink. Small knives hide under water and suds.
• Never catch a falling knife.

My knife safety page has more.