Bird beak paring knife

How useful are these little knives? do they deserve a slot in the block?

 

Well, if you like trimming veg in your hand, then it is for you.
If you rather do it on the board, then not.
Mind you i always trim stuff on the board then peel them with my other hand or a "speed peeler".
I don't take any chances with a razor sharp knife.
Tojiro DP line has got birds beak knife, if you really can't get it out of your head. Decent knife and yet won't break the bank.

 

There's not much you can do with a bird beak you can't do with a regular paring knife. It's perhaps better for tourne vegetables (haven't done them much in 20 years) but even my chef used a regular parer when I was a kid. Unless you do a lot of cool vegetable and fruit garnishes , they won't get much use.

 

They're also hard to sharpen without something like a Sharpmaker. Great for utility blades, but not so much for a parer, in my opinion.
Save yourself the money and buy a Sab Nogent parer, if you want a little razor blade of a kitchen knife. Pensacola Tiger gifted me one a few years back, and it changed the way I look at non-board-use knives. The rest, as they say, is history...as they say.

 

I find myself opening packages with it more than anything else.

 

I use mine for tourne veg and other garnishes... I get the cheapest one I can from a box store and rarely ever sharpen it. Its easier to just buy a new one once they get dull.

 

From the manufacturer/distributor perspective they're great knives. Turns a 7 piece set into an 8 piece set for about 2 bucks.

 

I use one for trimming fruit after I slice it...and for opening boxes. I like having it around, not sure if I'd buy one again though.

Be well,
Mikey

 

I have a Victorinox one ( $8) that I use for opening boxes during deliveries , if I do something old school requiring tournees that where they shine , other than that I use for peeling things in my hand which is rare

 

Thanks all. Since I had to look up "tourne" and my existing cheap paring knives open packages well, I think I'll pass on a bird beak. Much appreciated.

 

Oooh Mike, you don't know what you are missing!

 

I'd still take a peek at a Sab Nogent, if I were you.

 

Lefty
I have been keeping my eye open for a small sab. kind of wanted a carbon one though, so will wait till the opportunity presents itself.

 

The Best Things (thebestthings.com) has carbon Sab nogents. I got a parer there a while back because so many people love them. Doesn't work for me at all, so it got handed down to the spousal unit. He likes it quite a bit--although he's learning about carbon knives and rust.

I've been tempted by a bird beak parer many times, but just can't justify one.

 

Handle too big for yor feet?

 

You know you're jealous! If for no other reason than it's warm enough at my house to go barefoot. Actually, it's an excellent size for toe work. Not too large a diameter, and the defined edges on the handles help with the grip.

As far and using it in the hand, it's a little long for my taste, and the handle wasn't very comfortable. I'd need to round the edges on the handle and soften the spine to use it comfortably. I've got a couple stumpy little parers that I like better, so it goes in hubby's hand-me-down drawer.

 

Isn't it about time for another toe work demo?

 

I'll admit I still tourne roots from time to time.

Maybe a bigger admission though, is that as much as I love great knives, I just haven't treated little parers in the same category. To me paring knives are like disposable razors. A local shop sells L'Econome parers of all sorts (different handles, birds beak etc.) for about $7 bucks a piece if you buy three or more.

 

:like PLUS ONE, Neal

 

I couldn't find a paring knife short enough to make me happy until I got a custom. I LOVE that knife--it'll fly through strawberries.