TOJIRO CLASSIC Paring Knife 90mm

Tojiro has been producing high-performance kitchen knives in Sanjo City for decades, and the CLASSIC series — formerly known as the DP line — remains one of the most recommended entry points into Japanese cutlery at CKTG. The knives are unchanged from the DP line that built the brand its reputation. Only the name is new. If you have been researching the Tojiro DP, this is the same knife. The paring knife is the smallest member of the CLASSIC family and one of its most consistently praised — a knife that handles the tasks no chef knife can, with the same VG-10 steel and san mai construction that defines the whole line.

The blade is built around a VG-10 stainless steel core clad in softer stainless steel, hardened to HRC 59. At 90mm the blade length hits the most useful range for in-hand paring work — long enough to manage most peeling and detail tasks efficiently, short enough to stay precise and controlled through the motion. The 23.5mm blade height keeps the profile narrow and nimble, and the 2mm spine tapers to a fine, clean edge that excels at shallots, citrus, strawberries, and any task where the tip does most of the work. At 2.0 oz the knife barely registers in hand, which is the right feel for a paring knife. The black Micarta handle is fitted to a full stainless tang with a clean, professional finish. Note that the blade geometry is on the thicker side relative to laser-ground options — it is a confident, solid parer rather than an ultra-thin slicer, and it performs best on soft to medium produce rather than dense root vegetables.

What Customers Are Saying: With 29 reviews the response is as consistent as any knife in the CLASSIC line — sharp out of the box, stays sharp, and repeatedly described as the finest paring knife the buyer has owned at any price. Multiple reviewers describe giving away their old knives after adding this one to the kitchen. A professional cook describes reaching for it with confidence every shift after purchasing two more Tojiro knives on the strength of this one. Reviewers who came from German paring knives describe the difference as immediate and significant. One candid note worth passing along: a single reviewer found the blade geometry slightly wedge-shaped and switched to the MAC paring knife for harder root vegetables — useful information for cooks whose daily paring work leans heavily toward dense produce. For everything else, the consensus is nearly unanimous.

Care Instructions: VG-10 stainless steel is low maintenance but rewards consistent habits. Hand wash and dry promptly after use — avoid the dishwasher, which shortens edge life and can affect the handle over time. Sharpen on quality water stones when needed and maintain with a ceramic honing rod between sessions. Avoid hard bones and frozen foods.

• Brand: TOJIRO
• Series: CLASSIC (formerly DP)
• Location: Sanjo City, Japan
• Construction: San Mai
• Edge Steel: VG-10 Stainless Steel
• HRC: 59
• Edge Grind: Even, Double Bevel
• Handle: Western (Yo)
• Scales: Black Micarta
• Blade Length: 90mm
• Total Length: 202mm
• Spine Thickness at Heel: 2mm
• Blade Height: 23.5mm
• Weight: 2.0 oz (60g)