Reach for this when the chef knife is too much. Cherry tomatoes that roll away from a big blade, silverskin on a pork fillet, a peach you want halved cleanly without the pit dragging the flesh apart - this is the knife for that middle tier of jobs. It sits between paring knife territory and full utility length, with enough belly to slice and enough control to trim.
The Right Size for the Job
Most kitchens have a chef knife and a parer and a gap in between where neither feels right. The utility knife fills that gap. It's nimble enough to work close to the board for deveining prawns or slicing a block of halloumi, but long enough to break down a mango or trim the fat cap off a lamb rack without fighting the curve of the blade. The thin profile keeps it from wedging in soft produce the way a thicker chef knife will.
Same Steel, Same Handle, Ready to Match
The blade is 3-layer 10Cr15CoMoV composite: a hard high-carbon core vacuum heat-treated to 60-62 HRC, flanked by two layers of softer stainless for corrosion resistance. It holds a fine edge without the brittleness you'd get from a single-steel hard blade. The octagonal Red Wood handle with genuine black buffalo horn collar is the same profile as every other knife in the Retro Series, so it pairs cleanly on the bench or in the block.
Specifications
-
Blade Steel: 3-Layer 10Cr15CoMoV Composite Steel
-
Hardness: 60-62 HRC (Vacuum Heat Treated)
-
Blade Profile: 5-inch utility knife
-
Handle: Red Wood & Black Buffalo Horn (Octagonal), full tang
-
Use: Trimming silverskin, halving cherry tomatoes, slicing soft cheese, and any mid-range task where the chef knife feels oversized.
-
Series: Retro Series (PM8S)
-
Model: PM8S-WY
Complete Your Set
Pair it with the Retro 8.5" Chef Knife (PM8S-CS) for the heavy daily prep, and the Retro 7" Santoku (PM8S-RS) for dedicated push-cut vegetable work. The three cover everything from proteins to fine slicing without overlap.
