This might sound absolutely crazy but I love knives. This has been a relatively new fascination over the last couple of years but I’m low key obsessed with those suckers. It started a few years ago when I stumbled across a super cheap tomato knife I found in a small housewares shop in Paris called Maison Cuilleret in the 11th. The olive wood handle was so small that it was easy to make precision slices. And the stainless blade was so sharp that cutting was effortless. I even gifted a bunch of these for friends and family. And since this purchase, I happily eat a lot of perfectly sliced cherry tomatoes because of this beauty and searing thick-skinned fruits and vegetables into thin, even slices is a breeze.
Then I spent a bit of time Out East and fell head over heels for a Laguiole specialty tomato knife that had an insanely smooth tortoise handle. And before you ask, this tomato knife was SO different from the one I mentioned above. Like night and day. This one was much bigger and with a bigger edge. The blade was unbelievably shiny too. Like a work of art. I quickly bought one for my Mom in the light finish, an another for my Dad in the darker tone. They are now obsessed too! We have become a tomato forward family.
Back in Paris on a random stop at the world famous boulangerie Poilâne where I was excited to score a signature loaf of their round sourdough and a bag of their addictively crispy Punitions Biscuits– artfully formed discs with wiggly edges of truly delicious butter cookies, I found a stunning Bread Pocket Knife, the looks of which I fell in love with. The smooth leather case had me at hello. And it sliced through their bread so well. It was a show piece for sure and I get excited every time I get to use it.
I bought a few reasonably priced Sur la table colored paring knives last year that are great for small jobs. I love the serrated edge and they are dishwasher safe. The interesting visual feature here is that the blades are the same exact color as the handles, something you rarely see. So yeah, they live amongst the others now. And yes, it’s getting a little crowded in there.
Currently I have my eye on a mini cleaver that is just so sharp that it’s downright dangerous! But it’s a mini, so it’s petite and perfect for cutting your steak, but not like a whole steak unless you find yourself with a lot of time on your hands or your friends affectionately refer to you as Dexter. It is sharper than anything I’ve ever cut with and I love the weathered handle and steel blade. Of all the knives I own, this tips the scales as it is even pricer than a few ounces of prized Wagyu. But being a knife gal, I think I have to buy it.
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