Winco K-40P Paring Knife With Polypropylene Handle 3"

Used daily and has held up well.

Keeps your hands safe

The other Winco knives list Stal, NSF, Winco and X50CrMoV15 on the blade and on the package. This knife has Winco, stainless and the item number. There was no package, just a cardboard sleeve that falls off while in shipment. There were some small bags that had fallen off. There was no usefol information on the bag.

It took me about an hour to remove the ding from the cutting edge and sharpen it. I ordered five of these and two of the covers fell off. The other one was dinged to a lesser degree.

With all that said, it is a great value at just over a dollar (taxes and shipping is extra of course). I will be using it on soft fruits and vegetables and nothing like beef bones or something like that. I have not owned it long enough to know whether or not it will hold an edge, but time will tell.

All of these knives need sharpened, but they have a nice grind. The ones I received were not hollow ground in any way. The edge is flat-ground.

The handle is polypropylene, it is not Bakelite. Bakelite would not make a good handle. My grandmother had an old radio with tubes in it. The case was made from Bakelite. Bakelite is a hard brittle plastic.

My knife will never impact a cutting board or a bone, so the ease of sharpening and its edge retention shouldn't be much of a factor. Stainless steel is always nice and I always hand wash sharp objects for safety sake. Dishwasher and the chemicals used within are somewhat damaging to a blade, especially the edge.

For me, these knives are great value for what and how I use them.

Over the past three weeks, I've been testing this knife on carrots, kohlrabi, rutabaga, and every other dirt-covered vegetable I had on hand in need of cleaning. Out of box, it was too dull to use, but once sharpened, it performed surprisingly well. The narrow blade is very maneuverable and it glides through the tough rutabaga skin.

The blade has a hollow-ground form, similar a V shape. This makes the knife cut through food easier - as if it was sharper. I've never seen this feature in a knife at this price range. Most $1 paring knives are stamped from flat steel and have two profiles ground (a high and a low) which is not as effective.

If you're looking for a low cost knife that you won't feel bad about throwing in the dishwasher, this is a great choice,
If you're looking for more features, I would also recommend considering the Winco acero paring knife (https://www.tigerchef.com/winco-kfp-35-3-1-2-one-piece.html), which for a few dollars more is a big upgrade.

half tang construction, no bolster, with molded polypropylene handle
Material: stainless steel
Weight: 35g
Overall Length: 7 1/8"
Handle length: 3 3/4"
Blade length: 2 7/8"
Blade width (top-to-edge, at handle): 9/16"

Functionality: 3/5
+ very narrow blade, this makes it easier to maneuver.
+ blade feels rigid and doesn't flex.
- half tang construction is not as durable. I don't recommend this knife for heavy duty tasks like squash or prying open shellfish.
- blade thickness is a little high.
- handle isn't quite as comfortable to use as a classic one. This is especially noticeable if you are using a forward grip for coring strawberries.

Fit and Finish: 3/5
+ not dents or significant deformities in the handle or blade.
+ no polishing needed,.
+ hollow-ground blade form, similar a V shape. This effectively makes the knife feel sharper. Most knives in this price range are stamped from flat steel and have two edge profiles ground.
- TODO edge bevel profile is too steep at about 20 degrees. Reprofiling the knife to 15 degrees on each side will significantly improve its performance.
- edge is dull out of box, should be sharpened before use.
- small plastic burrs on the handle. Easily to fix, I shaved them off with a sharp blade.
- some dings on the blade edge. I recommend properly sharpening this knife before use.

Value: 5/5
+ very low cost.
+ better quality than other paring knives in the $1 range. Other low cost paring knives I've seen tend to have flexible blades which feel wobbly.