Everyone Is Flocking to This Parisian General Store to Buy a 'Tomato Knife' — I Bought One and It's My Favorite Thing in My Utensil Drawer

Surprisingly chic, but also endlessly practical, there's a reason why the internet is obsessed with the idea of the tomato knife

the exterior of landline store in paris
Landline, a general store concept in Paris, has landed some viral fame for its specialty kitchenware.
(Image credit: Pierre Prospero)

When it comes to kitchen knives, I generally take a sort of one-size-fits all approach. Okay, I've always had a standard 'chef's' knife, and a bread knife, but beyond that, I'm cooking a Hello Fresh recipe card, not auditioning for The Bear.

However, I have been convinced to add another one to my inventory — I mean, it is tomato girl summer, after all. A Parisian concept store called Landline keeps having viral moments with its 'tomato knife', with users on TikTok posting videos of themselves visiting the shop to pick up this specialist kitchen equipment. Livingetc's interiors editor Emma Breislin has even been, and in her own words, "cleared out the store of tomato knives to buy as gifts for people."

Like many people in the comments, I hadn't heard of a specific knife for cutting tomatoes before — and it does sound a little niche, but stick with me. You know when you're cutting a tomato and the knife doesn't quite embed into the skin the first time around, and ends up squashing it and pushing out the seeds and juice? Well, this knife won't do that. As Parisian flatware brand Sabre describes it, tomato knives "ensure clean, even slices while preserving the tomato juice, ideal for achieving perfect presentation every time."

As someone who likes to serve friends fancy-looking charcuterie boards, I was sold, and swiftly invested in a tomato knife, though not, unfortunately, the one from Landline (though maybe next time I'm in the area). Mine was the Fiskars Norr Tomato Knife, bought from Farrer and Tanner, and I've got to say it, it was well worth the £33 investment. It's great for cutting skinned vegetables, but also works just as well for most things in your kitchen, just a little better, in my opinion, as a basic home cook, than an ordinary cutting knife.

knives on a cutting board at Landline Paris

The utensils at Landline Paris have a charming, rustic quality to them.

(Image credit: Pierre Prospero)

The Tomato Knife is not the only thing Landline in Paris is known for, but after it first went viral a few years back, they sold out of stock for a while. It's a small, independent general store that stocks all kinds of sundries, all well-made and specifically plastic-free. It's the sort of store where you can go to buy kitchenware that feels like it's been in your family for generations — metal madeleine trays, linen tea towels, and wonky olive wood cutting boards.

While I couldn't justify the trip to pick up my tomato knife, it's firmly on my list to visit the next time I'm in the city.

shelves in the landline paris general store shop with colorful kitchen items on

The shelves of Landline are stocked with all kinds of homewares, especially for the kitchen, but with no plastic in sight.

(Image credit: Pierre Prospero)

What I did discover on my own search for a tomato knife is that not all of them are created equal. Some are simply serrated in that special, tomato knife, way, such as the Fiskars one I purchased, while others have a finer, curved, and serrated blade, and some even have a forked tip for picking up slices of tomato after they've been cut.

Which is best? Well, I picked mine based on good looks, to be honest, but I did dive into the reviews, and the comments, to find out which people rated best. In terms of volume and gushing-ness of reviews alone, I think the winner might be this Victorinox Tomato Knife Set from Amazon, if you can get past the plastic handle (though there is a wooden one on the Victorinox site itself).

Hugh is Livingetc.com’s editor. With 8 years in the interiors industry under his belt, he has the nose for what people want to know about re-decorating their homes. He prides himself as an expert trend forecaster, visiting design fairs, showrooms and keeping an eye out for emerging designers to hone his eye. He joined Livingetc back in 2022 as a content editor, as a long-time reader of the print magazine, before becoming its online editor. Hugh has previously spent time as an editor for a kitchen and bathroom magazine, and has written for “hands-on” home brands such as Homebuilding & Renovating and Grand Designs magazine, so his knowledge of what it takes to create a home goes beyond the surface, too. Though not a trained interior designer, Hugh has cut his design teeth by managing several major interior design projects to date, each for private clients. He's also a keen DIYer — he's done everything from laying his own patio and building an integrated cooker hood from scratch, to undertaking plenty of creative IKEA hacks to help achieve the luxurious look he loves in design, when his budget doesn't always stretch that far.