Paring knives get held tightly and used constantly, so handle comfort is not a luxury on this pattern. The SofGrip over-mould is thicker and softer than a hard polypropylene handle, and it spreads pressure across the fingers rather than concentrating it on the first joint.
Black is the code that sits outside the food-separation scheme. Where green, red, yellow and blue are assigned to specific raw ingredients, black is kept for general and front-of-house use, so a black-handled knife will not be mistaken for a dedicated raw-protein tool.
Dexter-Russell has made cutlery in Southbridge, Massachusetts since 1818 and is the oldest cutlery manufacturer in the United States. SofGrip is its soft-handle line — a rubberised over-mould on a polypropylene core, sealed to the tang and rated for commercial dishwashers.
