Why are there so many different styles of knives available? Do we really need access to all of these great knives? Well I guess it isn’t exactly required to have so many knives on hand, but having the right tools can make the entire process much more fun, easier and faster! Recently we took a look at Sharpening Steels and Butchery, but today let’s take a look at the best knives to use for small intricate cuts!

Paring Knife

A Paring Knife can be used for peeling, removing seeds, de-veining shrimp, fluting mushrooms and trimming vegetables and fruits. Also used for small intricate garnishes and creative tasks. The professional chef will hold a paring knife in one hand and the item being cut in the other hand.

Curved Paring Knife (Peeling Knife)

The Curved Paring knife is used by the professional chef to Tourné (turn in English) vegetables, this knife is also great for removing seeds and performing other small intricate cutting jobs; the sharp point is also useful for removing the eyes of potatoes and other blemishes!  The professional chef will hold a paring knife in one hand and the item being cut in the other hand.  This knife is also known as a “bird’s beak”.

Utility Knife

This mid-sized knife is used for miscellaneous, light cutting tasks.  The blade is generally 5 – 7″ long, in between a paring knife and a chef’s knife.

Keep an eye out over the coming weeks as we discuss many different topics from large cuts to portioning!