# Robin Dalman 8 cm peeling knife



## mark76 (Apr 6, 2017)

*Introduction*

As you may have read in some of my other posts, I have had a hard time in finding a proper peeling knife. A proper peeling knife to me is one that can be used fully in-hand and has no sharp protrusions with which you can hurt yourself.

My first attempt was a Shun Classic paring knife, but this had a pretty large protrusion on which you could easily cut yourself (and I did). I then found two knives that were a bit more rounded at the handle (a Kramer by Zwilling office knife and a Marko Tsourkan peeling knife), but these still had protrusions, although more gentle.

So I asked Robin Dalman to make a peeling knife for me. I had confidence in him, since he had earlier made a gyuto for me I was very happy with.

This is the knife he made:





*Profile and geometry*

The profile of the knife is quite simple: a nice and simple handle made from birchwood and a pretty straight blade without any protrusions. The blade is 8.2 cm long and 2.2 cm high.







Exactly what I wanted.

The geometry is quite special: it is the thinnest knife behind the edge I know: 0.4 mm at half a millimeter behind the edge. Its thinness close to the tip is even more impressive: 0.3 mm.

*Use*





The knife is very easy to use and requires hardly any force to cut. Sometimes this may be a disadvantage if you wish to peel a vegetable in a single skin (see below). It is often too easy to accidentally cut through the skin the wrong way, although this is a matter of technique, too. But for the rest I'm very happy with the cutting skills of this knife. It is simply easier to peel a vegetable with a knife that's so thin.





*Conclusion*

This is a great peeling knife with which you don't run the risk of cutting yourself on a protrusion. It is also very thin behind the edge and at the tip, which makes cutting almost effortless. The knife may not be the most beautiful one in my collection (although Robin did a great job on the birchwood handle), but I'm already sure I'll use this knife a lot.

*Factsheet*


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## Matus (Apr 6, 2017)

Thank you Mark for bringing this knife to our attention. 

I am very happy that Robin did such a knife. Most paring knives today are basically small petty knives and have a sharp heel. There are very few knives out there (in the 'better' quality class, so no 5$ stuff) and they are nearly completely absent in the product lines of western makers. What Robin did here was to go to bare bones simple utilitarian design - I hope he will make a regular line out of it.


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## mark76 (Apr 6, 2017)

You're completely right, Matus. It was a custom order, because Robin was afraid the knife wouldn't really sell. So come on, guys, it's a great and very practical knife. Order it!


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## Matus (Apr 6, 2017)

I would order one right away, but I am planning to make a peeler myself at some point


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## RDalman (Apr 7, 2017)

Awesome thanks 

" 0.4 mm at half a millimeter behind the edge. " is this supposed to be cm behind the edge possibly? 0,5 mm would be thick no?


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## RDalman (Apr 7, 2017)

Also you have some serious boards, you should write some about those too. I'm a bit jealous.


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## mark76 (Apr 7, 2017)

RDalman said:


> Awesome thanks
> 
> " 0.4 mm at half a millimeter behind the edge. " is this supposed to be cm behind the edge possibly? 0,5 mm would be thick no?



Yeah, it's 0.4 mm at half a mm between the edge. 0.5 mm is substantially more. Look at my other reviews.


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## RDalman (Apr 8, 2017)

Yea we probably don't measure in the same spot. I measure when I grind usually a little, where the edge will be later, will check on monday on some ready knives that 0,5 mm up behind the edge.


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## mark76 (Apr 8, 2017)

RDalman said:


> Yea we probably don't measure in the same spot. I measure when I grind usually a little, where the edge will be later, will check on monday on some ready knives that 0,5 mm up behind the edge.



0.4 :biggrin: Yout gyuoto's were 0.5 IIRC. Still very thin.


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## zetieum (Apr 8, 2017)

Very nice and informative a review, like all the reviews of @mark76 that I read. And very nice knife, like all the knives of @RDalman that I have came across.


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