I Sliced 16 Tomatoes and Hulled More Than 50 Strawberries to Find the Best Paring Knives

When I was a young chef, I would go on stages as often as I could. These working trials act as a free education (and often come with a free meal). Sometimes a job offer would follow, and sometimes not. Eleven Madison Park, the French Laundry, El Cellar de Can Roca, Alinea—if it graced a top 100 list, I wanted to spend a night in the kitchen. I agonized for hours over what I would bring in my knife kit, knowing that I would be judged on my preparedness and general blade knowledge, based on the sharpness, brand, and model of the knives I packed. 

Ultimately, more often than not, the only tool I ever even pulled out of my kit was a paring knife. In the kitchens of these elite chefs, the only tasks I would be trusted to work on were delicate, tedious ones, like peeling mushrooms or trimming stinging nettles. It should go without saying that the paring knife was, and is, the MVP of my knife roll.

I’ve tried dozens of paring knives over the years—some cheap, some expensive. However, I hadn’t done a formal review to find out which were truly the sharpest and easiest to use. So, I put 16 paring knives to the test, slicing through paper, squishy tomatoes, and shallots.

The Tests

• Out-of-the-Box Sharpness Test: I assessed each knife’s sharpness using a professional edge tester. I tested each three times, averaging the rating.
• Paper Cutting Test: I used each knife to slice through a sheet of printer paper, to see if it cut smoothly. I did this at the beginning and end of testing.
• Tomato Test: To see how the knives could do with a basic, common ingredient that is squishy, I used each knife to thinly slice through one tomato.
• Strawberry Hulling Test: To see how the knives performed with trickier, in-air work, I hulled three strawberries with each model. 
• Citrus Supreming Test: Cutting citrus into supremes is notoriously challenging, requiring quite a sharp blade. I used each knife to slice an orange into supremes, cutting away peel and pith.
• Shallot Mincing Test: To test the knives with more precise work, I minced shallots. I evaluated how fine a mince I could achieve and if any chains or uncut slices of shallot escaped the knife.
• Usability Tests: Throughout testing, I evaluated how comfortable each knife was to hold and maneuver, if it was tricky to clean, and if there were any challenging aspects to the design.

What We Learned

Japanese Steel Was the Sharpest

Of all the knives I tested, Japanese blades had the best out-of-the-box sharpness. We’ve delved into the specifics of Japanese vs. Western knives in detail, which mostly comes down to hardness and carbon content. According to knife guru Craig Field, co-owner of Carbon Knife Co. in Denver, “Japanese knives that use purer steels with higher hardness can be sharpened at a bit lower angle and take on amazing sharp edges that stay sharp for much longer. Despite being harder, most Japanese steels are much more enjoyable to sharpen on whetstones and always bring rewarding results.”

But did these super-sharp high-carbon blades have a catch? Well, they can be much more delicate and require you to take cleaning and care seriously. You will also need to start learning some of the basics of sharpening on a whetstone to keep these knives in tip-top shape.

Straight Handles Were Much More Comfortable to Hold

Some knives, paring or otherwise, have curved “butts,” while others are straight and smooth. The butt can be a nice feature on a chef’s knife, as it can help keep your hand from moving or slipping. When it comes to paring knives, however, I found that some handles were so short that the butt landed squarely in the middle of my palm. The larger the hand, the worse and the more uncomfortable this was. Paring knives with straight, butt-free handles were comfortable to hold and use.

A Note About Sharpening and Price

Out-of-the-box sharpness is great, but once the knife starts to dull with use, what good is this if you lack the skill to make it sharp again?

Cheaper stainless steel knives like the Victorinox are softer than high-carbon knives, which means you’ll want to hone them with a honing rod every once in a while to keep the blade edge in line. They’re also more difficult to sharpen than carbon steel blades (as editorial director Daniel Gritzer explains here). Every time a lower carbon stainless steel blade is sharpened, a good amount of material gets taken off and, eventually, over-sharpening occurs. However, I’d still recommend the Victorinox, as it comes at such a great price that you can just replace it when it starts to get misshapen. 

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Paring Knife

All of the paring knives I tested had a blade length between 3.25 and four inches, with total lengths spanning 7.75 and 8.5 inches. That’s not a huge range no matter which way you, ahem, slice it. Blades on the shorter end tend to be a touch easier for in-air work (like holding a strawberry while you hull it), but I didn’t feel that this difference was so great that I could pinpoint it as a definitive purchasing factor. However, if you choose a knife that extends beyond these bounds you run the risk of veering into petty knife territory.

When it comes to material, ask yourself how interested you are in learning how to sharpen at home. Western-style knives hold their edge longer but are more difficult to sharpen, whereas Japanese knives are easier to sharpen but will need maintenance more often. Those who will only use their paring knife occasionally might prefer Western-style knives for this reason.

Our Favorite Paring Knives

The Best Paring Knife

Tojiro DP 3.5-Inch Paring Knife

$60 at Amazon $65 at Cutleryandmore.com View on Chefknivestogo.com

What we liked: This knife was in the top four for out-of-the-box sharpness, and impressively lost less than any other knife we tested. While some paring knives curve up toward the tip, the edge of this knife is mostly straight, which can help when you’re trying to make straight cuts and mincing. I particularly enjoyed using it during the shallot test.

What we didn’t like: It’s on the pricier side and the blade’s edge could be prone to chipping if used improperly.

Key Specs

• Blade material: Cobalt alloy steel core, 13 chrome stainless steel coating
• Handle material: Black laminated reinforced wood
• Blade length: 3.5 inches
• Blade edge: Straight
• Weight: 2 ounces
• Care instructions: Wash by hand, dry immediately
  

Another Great Paring Knife

Shun Classic 3.5-Inch Paring Knife

$125 $84 at Amazon $100 at Williams Sonoma $100 at Sur La Table

What we liked: This is a top-quality knife that many professional chefs use (yes, I peek at my fellow cooks’ knife rolls). The blade is made from folded Damascus steel and it’s evenly sharp from bolster to tip, so you won’t have trouble cutting through thick orange peels or delicate strawberries. One of the best things about choosing a Shun knife is the brand’s sharpening service. It will sharpen double-bevel or single-bevel knives, repair chips, and remove light rust—all for free, for life.

What we didn't like: This knife is a splurge. Some users complain about the sharpness of the edge at the butt of the handle, though it didn’t bother me.

Key Specs

• Blade material: Stainless Damascus folded steel
• Handle material: Pakka wood handle
• Blade length: 3.5 inches
• Blade edge: Slightly curved along the blade
• Weight: 2.2 ounces
• Care instructions: Wash by hand, dry immediately

The Best Pro-Level Paring Knife

Miyabi Paring Knife

$215 $190 at Amazon $317 $190 at Macy's

What we liked: If you’re willing to shell out to stock your knife kit with professional-quality blades, a Miyabi paring knife could be worth the expense. This is a serious knife for serious cooks—those who can discern minute differences in sharpness through feeling alone. The knife handled extremely well during our testing and cut through fruits and vegetables like butter. We were able to get slices of juicy tomato so thin that we could see through them, and the tip of the blade hulled a strawberrylike it was cutting through a cloud. It’s undoubtedly gorgeous, too. As Serious Eats commerce editor Grace Kelly put it, “I've had the Miyabi for about two years now. Over this time, it's stayed super keen. (I have had to sharpen it, but hey, two years is a long time!). It's my go-to when mincing shallots or coring a pint of strawberries.” 

What we didn't like: Beginner cooks and occasional users likely won’t see the return for the price and will probably struggle to maintain the edge without chips. Birchwood is soft and prone to staining, so you’ll have to take extra care to prevent this. 

Key Specs

• Blade material: G2 micro-carbide powder steel
• Handle material: Birchwood handle
• Blade length: 3.5 inches
• Blade edge: Straight 50% of the length, then curved
• Weight: 2.2 ounces
• Care instructions: Wash by hand, dry immediately
  

The Best Budget Paring Knife

Victorinox 3.25-Inch Paring Knife

$15 at Amazon View on Webstaurant Store

What we liked: This knife is the definition of cheap and cheerful. Is it the sharpest knife? Not even close, but it will still cut through almost anything you’d want to use it for. The stainless steel blade is durable and won’t chip or break, and it’s been a Serious Eats favorite for many years.

What we didn't like: Cheaper stainless steel blades like this will take more work to get sharp again. That doesn’t mean it can’t be done, but you will have to take more metal off. The bottom line: This pick is designed to be replaced, not repaired. I myself have picked up at least six of these over the years and I keep one in various parts of my kitchen for easy use. Can it score duck skin? Never, but it will cut open a package of chicken or cut slices of apple.

Key Specs

• Blade material: Stainless steel
• Handle material:  Polypropylene plastic 
• Blade length: 3.25 inches
• Blade edge: Very slight curve that advances at the tip
• Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Care instructions: Technically dishwasher-safe, but we don't recommend it

The Competition

Paring Knives Still Worth Considering

• Mercer Culinary Genesis 3.5-Inch Paring Knife: The sharpness was initially neck-and-neck with pricier Japanese knives, though it took a steep dive. Ultimately, I didn’t crown it a winner because the curved butt is a bit uncomfortable to hold, but it’s a great pick if this doesn’t bother you.
• Zyliss Paring Knife with Sheath Cover: Fairly sharp for the price and lightweight, this knife is a good alternative if you’re looking for a budget pick.
• Misen Paring Knife: Sturdy and affordable, this knife offers a lot for its humble price. We like the chef’s knife from this brand and have no doubt the paring knife is of the same quality construction. It was narrowly beaten out by the winners in terms of sharpness, but not by much.
• Mac Chef Knife Series Paring Knife: This knife had great initial sharpness but lost more than our winners after cutting just a few things.
• Material The Almost 4” Knife: It had middle-of-the-road sharpness from the get-go, but I didn’t struggle to use it during any tests.

Knives We Don’t Recommend

• Our Place Precise Paring Knife: This knife had one of the poorest ratings for sharpness out of the box, worse than knives that cost less than half as much.
• Global 3.5-Inch Paring Knife: The sharpness of this knife fell off a cliff after our rounds of testing, losing more points than any other knife we tried. 
• Farberware Edgekeeper 3.5-Inch Paring Knife: The self-sharpening blade guard is a bit gimmicky and the out-of-the-box sharpness was abysmally low.
• Made In Paring Knife: I could feel the initial sharpness waning after just a few cuts, and it didn’t start off all that sharp to begin with.
• WÜSTHOF Classic 3.5" Paring Knife, Black: This knife is way too expensive for the mediocre sharpness it comes with straight from the factory.
• WÜSTHOF Classic IKON 3.5" Paring Knife: It was decently sharp, but the ones I tested at the same price point performed much, much better.
• Mac Professional Paring Knife: This knife was on the pricier end for the results it produced, though the handle was very comfortable to hold.

FAQs

How much should you pay for a good paring knife?

The answer to this question is extremely subjective and depends on your kitchen habits and skills. You can spend less than $20 for a basic paring knife that can do simple tasks like lopping off bits from a block of cheese or cutting florets off a crown of broccoli. The next step up from that should land you in the range of $50 to $100, which will get you a solid knife that can handle intricate tasks.

What’s the best way to sharpen a paring knife? 

Very occasional sharpening can be done on a grindstone or an electric sharpener, though we tend not to recommend these for higher-quality knives as they remove a lot of metal each time. Japanese knives (and to be honest, most knives) should be sharpened on a whetstone, which is a process we break down here. In between rounds of sharpening, honing is a great way to return the feeling of sharpness to the blade.

What’s the best way to store a paring knife?

The best way to store any knife is in a blade guard or knife cover. Storing your knife this way protects the edge and prevents chips. We also like magnetic knife racks for storing paring knives.

Why We’re the Experts

• Taylor Murray has been working in food and food media for over 10 years, including in award-winning restaurants like Eleven Madison Park. She has written extensively for Serious Eats (including reviews of carbon steel pans and carving boards).
• Taylor tested 16 paring knives, using each to slice and mince things like strawberries, tomatoes, and oranges. She also tested each knife’s sharpness on a specialized tool. During testing, she evaluated the knives' performance, usability, and design.
• Taylor spoke to Craig Field, co-owner of Carbon Knife Co. in Denver for nuanced information about knife material and design. She also consulted with our editors, who have used some of these knives for years.