F.Dick Parer

[Peter]

Today I just couldn't resist when I saw a shelf with Dick knives. I bought a 3.5" i.e. ~88mm parer (~27$), triangular with a curved edge and a curved back. The company claims to be the most popular brand for professional cooks in Germany.

Here's a short conclusion:

Excellent manufactured knife,the handle is seamless and very comfortable. The blade steel is softer than Japanese, but sharp enough and very easy to steel.

The knife is useful for smaller tasks like dicing garlic and I believe it's great for cleaning filets and such things. It's great if you want to use just one knife (typically housewives).

[Grouch]

Do you have a link or a picture?

[Richard]

[ QUOTE ]
It's great if you want to use just one knife (typically housewives).

[/ QUOTE ]
Housewives and consumers over here in North America seem to be falling over each other to buy santokus (usually Wusthoff or Henckels, sometimes Shun) after watching Rachael Ray's 30 minute meals on the Food Network. It's kinda infectious /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif.

[Peter]

Sorry, Grouch.

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/img/6887.jpg

Peter

[mikemac]

lets not blame RR for everything...UX 10 sales went into orbit late last year and it wasn't housewives who were fallling all over themselves to pay more than $160 for a 210mm....

[Fred]

It really was Rachel Ray. As soon as her show started the Santoku pattern, which had always been a slow seller in the Wusthof line, took off like a pack of greyhounds. I remember the factory was backordered for over 4 months. Within 4 or 5 more months, every manufacturer had a version of the granton santoku and they are still selling well. I don't know what caused the UX-10 to become popular but that's a different issued from the granton santoku.

[Peter]

Fred, do women and men buy the same knives at your store?

Peter

[Andy777]

That's sweet Peter. I've always been a fan of Dick knives. Is that a new handle design on the Premiere line?

[Fred]

[ QUOTE ]
Fred, do women and men buy the same knives at your store?

Peter

[/ QUOTE ]

Women tend to buy smaller and shorter knives than men do. They also tend to buy less expensive knives.

[Fred]

Yes the Premier line has a new and reconfigured handle for 2005.

[Peter]

Yes, Andy, the one I once owned had a handle like Solingen knives, but this is different. The expensive 1778 series handles are the same, similar to Nenox.

Peter

[Andy777]

I like the look of the new handle, rounded, smooth and very comfy. It looks kind of similar to the Wusthof Culinar and GP2.

[frosted]

Yes, it really was because of Rachel Ray.
I saw a man at Sur La Table (Kirkland, WA) about 3-4 months ago, he said, "If Rachel use it, I want it."

[RETREVR]

[ QUOTE ]
I like the look of the new handle, rounded, smooth and very comfy. It looks kind of similar to the Wusthof Culinar and GP2.

[/ QUOTE ]
Do you like those culinar knives? They are a little too modern looking fo me. There is a Tuesday Morning shop here that hs a bunch of them. I have been watching to see when they put a 50% sticker on them. I wouldn't mind having their salmon slicer just for kicks.

[Richard]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't know what caused the UX-10 to become popular

[/ QUOTE ]
I think your reviews likely helped the Misono UX10 to be popular among the online knife nuts, but I think it was Russ Parsons' LA Times article on Dec 8, 2004 that caused the mass mainstream flood of demand for the UX10s for the past few months (seemed like it sold out everywhere).

A copy of it is posted here at KF (http://www.knifeforums.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=531748) . The writer, Russ Parsons, is on KF occasionally by the moniker of "foodguy".

I've been very tempted to get a Misono UX10 myself since I've heard so many good things about it...except I already have quite a number of knives, and most of them are of the same performance level as the UX10 Sweden Stainless steel. If Misono ever releases a UX line but with powder steel I'd jump at it in a heartbeat.

[Fred]

So will I.

[Andy777]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you like those culinar knives?

[/ QUOTE ]

I like them ok, I have a santoku and a 10" chef. I like the chef a lot. I do like the shape of the handle, I don't notice the handle becoming slippery but then again I don't use it for longer than 10 minutes at a time. I ussually hate the metal handles but I like the look of the Culinar. A while ago the Sur La Table by me stopped carrying their Culinar and sold them all for ~75% off. I got there after everything was gone except for a couple steak knives /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif. Not too many people buy them because of the higher price so check back often at your store I'm sure they'll be on close out before too long.

[Fred]

Culinar had two problems in addition to the price that I think contributed to their failure in the marketplace. One is weight (too much of it) and the other is balance (very handle heavy.) The were alway nice looking but simply didn't perform as well as the other series.

[Andy777]

That must be why I like my 10", the extra blade legnth makes it perfectly balanced.