Bird's Beak Knife

Considered to be a type of utility knife that is used for many of the same tasks as the traditional paring knife. The bird's beak knife, which is also known as a "tournée" knife, has a shorter 2 to 3 inch blade than a paring knife and is designed to curve upward on both the cutting edge and the top edge. It is a knife that is commonly used to make a type of cut referred to as the tournée cut in vegetables such as carrots, potatoes or squash that is accomplished for purposes of food presentation. This cut is also known as a tourne or tourné cut.

Bird's beak knives may also be used to slice soft fruits such as nectarines, plums or peaches and for peeling skins or blemishes from a variety of fruits and vegetables. It is a knife that is also used for cutting decorative garnishes such as rosettes in radishes or fluted mushrooms.