Saw a stylist in Portland using a regular kitchen knife to cut hair

I was at a street fair in Portland last weekend and walked by a pop up booth. The stylist there was doing a quick trim on a client, but she was using a small kitchen paring knife, not shears. She said it gives a softer line for certain textures. I've been doing hair for eight years and never thought to try that. Has anyone here used a tool that's not made for hair and had it work out?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_avery1mo ago

Guess she's really cooking up a new style.

lewis.troy27d agoTop Commenter

So are we saying the whole market for specialty kitchen tools is basically a scam then? Because if a random chef's knife can do what a fancy offset spatula is supposed to do, what's the point of dropping cash on that single-purpose stuff? I get that sometimes you need a specific shape or length, but it feels like most of those "baker's kits" are just preying on people who don't know better. Why buy a set of ten overpriced gadgets when a butter knife and a pairing knife cover half the same jobs? Seems like a lot of people are waking up to that.

anna_ross191mo ago

Whoa that is WILD but honestly it makes sense. I've noticed this thing lately where the "right" tool for a job is just the one that works, even if it looks weird. My friend who paints uses a putty knife for texture, and I saw a baker using fabric scissors to cut dough. Sometimes the special made stuff is just marketing. If a kitchen knife gives a soft line, why not?