The History of Paring Knives

Paring knives are used for delicate kitchen tasks today, and according to some sources, they may have originated from ancient flint tools and risen to culinary prominence in the Middle Ages. Other sources note that French bookbinders used a similarly named tool to thin the edges of leather book bindings and hypothesize that the paring knife may have descended from these tools. As knife-making techniques improved in the Renaissance period, knives of all types became stronger and more refined. When the Industrial Revolution made it possible to mass-produce knives, paring knives and other specialized cooking knives became more accessible to the average home cook. When stainless steel was introduced in the early 1900s, knife blades became more durable and easier to maintain, so it’s no surprise that multiple patents for paring knives were filed in the first few decades of the 20th century. Today, paring knives are considered a kitchen necessity and are available from a variety of brands.