Clocking in at anywhere from 2.5 to 4 inches long, a paring knife can handle most—if not all—of your detail-oriented kitchen tasks. Use them to peel or slice small fruits and vegetables, hull strawberries, remove seeds and cores from tomatoes and cucumbers, loosen cakes from their pans, and even test the doneness of meat. With the right paring knife in your life, you’ll find new uses for it every time you step into the kitchen. Here are excellent models you’ll use again and again.

Paring knives come in quite a few shapes and styles, with the spear point being the most common and most versatile. Both sides of the blade curve toward one another to create a sharp point, which is ideal for most kitchen tasks.

The bird’s beak knife, sometimes called a tourné knife, has a blade that curves downward like—you guessed it—the beak of a bird. If you’re going for some fancy knifework (like carving a rose from a tomato, or a seven-sided barrel from a root veggie), the bird’s beak is your friend. It’s less common than its spear-point cousins, its curved blade makes it especially effective for use on round objects.

Sheepsfoot knives have a blunt tip and straight-edged blade for maximum cutting contact with food. Originally used by farmers and sailors, the blunt tip made it easier to avoid any accidental puncture wounds while out at work. Many pocket knives feature sheepsfoot blades, but you’ll find paring knives in this style, too.

Finally, petty knives, the Japanese cousin of the European paring knife, tend to be a bit longer than the average paring knife. “A petty knife is usually 4 to 6 inches,” says Wenzel. “The name comes from the French word petite,” referring to a smaller version of the Japanese chef's knife, the gyuto.

Stainless steel is an excellent choice for a paring knife, making for an incredibly sharp but also low maintenance blade. Carbon steel blades, which require a bit more upkeep to prevent rust, are often the choice of professional chefs, as they’re sharper than stainless when freshly sharpened, and stay sharper longer. Ceramic blades are made from zirconium oxide, also called zirconia, which is significantly stronger than stainless steel or carbon steel. That said, ceramic blades can be brittle, so avoid bending or twisting the blade to prevent it from breaking.

“Knives are a very personal thing,” says Wenzel, and one of the most crucial parts of choosing a good knife is making sure that using it is a comfortable experience. If possible, he suggests heading to a local cutlery shop: “Our body mechanics are all different—our hand size, how our fingers wrap around the handle, and how a knife feels in our hand.”

Because paring knives are used for in-hand cutting, a lightweight model makes all the difference. Balance is also key. In a chef’s knife, you typically want the blade and handle to be equally balanced, but in a paring knife, a heavier handle means better control.

We can’t think of a reason not to own this super sharp knife. It’s not especially pretty, but there’s a utilitarian beauty in its multipurpose straight edge that garnishes, dices, and minces with ease—and stays razor sharp for a surprisingly long time. Victorinox has been crafting knives in Switzerland since 1884, and this one has an ergonomically designed handle with great grip.

This is a solid paring knife on all accounts, and its small size and top-notch grip makes it ideal for detailed knife work. Saveur Selects’ handcrafted steel knife has a comfy arch-shaped handle that rests easily in the hand for the security you need for the most delicate kitchen tasks.

Ceramic knives tend to be affordable, lightweight, and spectacularly sharp. This 3-inch Kyocera paring knife is a great example. Made in Japan, it holds its ultra-sharp edge up to ten times longer than steel, and it’s nearly featherweight—perfect for clean, precise cuts. Bonus: It comes in fun colors, from cheerful blue to bubblegum pink.

A chef's knife is a great multi-tasker, but for delicate work like de-seeding peppers and coring tomatoes, a smaller, nimble paring knife is your best friend. Invest in both for a well-equipped kitchen.

That’s entirely up to you. “If the knife feels like an extension of your hand, it’s the right knife for you,” notes Wenzel. If you’ve got smaller hands, look for a knife on the smaller side, and vice versa if you have larger hands. Nothing beats testing out the grip in a good cutlery shop, though.

A good paring knife “should be able to last a lifetime, and even be passed down to the next generation,” says Wenzel. He recommends taking care of it by avoiding the dishwasher, as well as crude tasks like prying open cans or coconuts. (“A paring knife is not a screwdriver!”) Some cooks prefer to have a cheaper option for everyday use, and a more prestigious knife to break out on special occasions.