Misono UX10 Utility/Paring ("Petty") Knife, 4.75-inch (120mm) - #731

This makes a perfect addition to a chef's knife or santoku. I find this Japanese style of utility knife much more useful than the standard German utility and paring knife design, as this one has a deeper blade which is shaped more like a small chef's knife, and so you can in fact use it just like a small chef's knife. I use mine all the time at home now for dicing onions, and I can now even do a fine dice of a single garlic clove (I don't like using a garlic press) just like I can an onion -- the Misono utility knife is so thin and sharp and precise, that dicing a garlic clove feels almost as easy as chopping an entire onion!

It's also great for dicing ginger and any other small-ish item, and I use it for cleaning up chicken and beef pieces too, where a light touch removes unwanted bits like you're going through butter. An excellent knife! Misono UX10 knives feature incredible workmanship and materials. The steel is very hard, making the razor-sharp polished edge very long lasting, and the handle is extremely comfortable and classic in design, so there is never a problem with comfort or balance. The nickel-silver bolster takes on a beautiful golden patina over time.

Please note that Misono knives have a very polished edge. It's very sharp out of the box, but not in the way that many people are used to with European and many other Japanese knives: they have very little "bite" as the edge is polished and so not at all "toothy". So if you take the knife out of the box and try to cut a tomato or bell pepper it might glide over the surface and appear to not cut well... this is why "tomato knives" have serrated edges (the ultimate "toothy" edge!). So while they ARE sharp, you need to adjust your cutting style (think slicing more than chopping) and expectations, and of course you can easily adjust the edge as part of a full re-sharpening (do NOT use a gadget!) or as part of your daily routine... I use a Misono UX10 150mm petty knife at home pretty much daily and I love it, but I have indeed over time removed the polish from the edge for the most part so it's a bit more useful as an all-purpose knife and doesn't have the same tendency to slide over veggie skins.

These knives are tough, beautiful, lightweight, and extremely well made. They make every cooking job an absolute pleasure. Same superb quality and metal as the rest of the UX10 knife, but in the classic thin and low profile paring or small utility knife design. If you already have a great chef's knife or santoku and are now looking for your second knife, this is a great place to start. In beautiful silver and blue box. Don't forget to pick up a ceramic honing rod; even the best knives need regular touch-up maintenance to keep the edge in tip-top shape! 

NOTE: For right hand use only.