Nakiyo Teak Damascus Paring Knife
Nakiyo Teak Damascus Paring Knife
The paring knife is a short knife intended for fruits and small vegetables. As the smallest knife commonly encountered in the kitchen, this knife is perfect for intricate tasks like paring and is generally considered to be a core component of the chef’s arsenal.
Function
As its name suggests, the paring knife is best suited for paring fruits and produce due to its short, agile blade. The knife’s narrow point also makes it useful for tasks such as deveining shrimp, coring fruits, and precisely removing spots. Tojiro’s Japanese paring knife is set apart from Western counterparts by the straight, angled blade, which also allows the knife to be used on a cutting board while maintaining clearance between the handle and cutting surface.
Form
Damascus steel was first developed in India over 2,000 years ago and quickly established a reputation not only for its beauty, but also as one of the greatest metallurgical innovations in history. Swords forged in Persia and sold in the Syrian city of Damascus inspired legends of their ability to slice through a gun barrel or part a hair falling across the blade. Although the ancient technique was lost to history around 1900, modern metallurgists have succeeded in reproducing the effect with state-of-the-art alloys to bring performance to the next level.
Nakiyo Damascus blades are forged from 63-layer (all larger knives) or 37-layer (paring, peeling, and petty knives) Damascus steel, which is made by repeatedly folding and forge welding two stainless steels with different carbon contents. The resulting material bears the elegant, wavelike pattern produced by its many fine layers—a testament to its strength, flexibility, and durability. This Damascus envelops a core of harder VG-10 cobalt alloy steel, a high-carbon stainless steel developed in Japan. Hardened to a Rockwell hardness of 62, it accommodates a long-lasting, razor-sharp edge.
The lightweight handle is crafted from strong and durable teak (Tectona grandis) wood, which provides a secure grip without upsetting the knife’s balance. The wood, among the most water-resistant species in the world, is secured and accented by a ferrule (collar) of black water buffalo horn. Its octagonal profile guarantees a firm hold and is suitable for both right- and left-handed users.
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We purchased the first knife a number of years ago on our trip to Seattle
We went back to sand shop and purchased a second knife
It is a great collection and we use them daily for many purposes in cooking
They will last a long time
A pleasure to use
Specifications
Length: 90 mm (3.5") blade, 200 mm (7.9") overall
Weight: 45 g (1.6 oz)
Blade: 37-layer Damascus with VG10 cobalt alloy core
Edge: Double bevel
Handle Material: Solid teak wood with buffalo horn ferrule
Handle Shape: Octagonal