F. Dick 1905 3-inch Bird’s Beak Paring Knife

A bird’s beak knife has a short blade that curves inward like a beak, and this 1905 version is made for tourné cuts and for peeling round produce. The curve keeps the edge in contact with a potato, an apple or a stone fruit as the cook turns it in the hand.

The classic tourné, a seven-sided football-shaped vegetable, is cut with the thumb as a pivot and the blade drawing toward it. The inward curve makes that motion natural, and it also helps with peeling citrus segments and removing blemishes from fruit. The forged blade stays rigid under the thumb.

The short blade also suits trimming artichokes and fluting mushrooms, two classic garnish tasks.

For straight-edged peeling and trimming on the board, the 1905 3.5-inch paring knife is the counterpart. A Premier Plus bird’s beak peeler offers the same shape with a modern handle, and the table below compares the 1905 small knives.