Fox Run 58544 Wire Pastry Blender 5" Steel and Wood

Exactly what I was looking for, works so much better that newer ones I’ve tried. They just don’t make things as they used to, tried and true👍Grip and easy to mix pastry!

A good, sturdy pastry blender with a thumb piece. I expect this pastry blender to last a really long time because it is just like the one I had for almost 20 years that recently broke. It is made of wood and metal just like the picture depicts. It is sturdy enough to use when making a good pie crust and you can push the last of the stuff through the 'wires' of the blender without breaking or ending them. It cleans up easily and keeps its finish. It looks like a simple, basic kitchen tool, but it works better than any other kind I tried while looking for this exact one.I couldn't believe how hard it was to find a pastry blender with the thumb piece. It's that little metal piece that sticks out from the side of the pastry blender. It really helps to balance the blender when I use it. In addition, the blender doesn't slip in my hand as much as it does with the kind that doesn't have the thumb piece.

Old school? Yeah, but it works great and easy to clean.

The curved shape and many fine wires do a superior job of blending soft butter with flour/sugar. Other blenders seem to have much thicker and fewer blades and they are not shaped to work properly against the side of a bowl. However, they do work better with hard butter as they are sturdier. This one came with a handle that was off center and came unscrewed on the first use! I drilled a hole through the center and put in a long bolt as a replacement for the screws. I then wrapped the handle to make it bigger and more comfortable. It now works really well.

If you wield a pastry blender like a potato masher, this is not the blender for you. You have to choose the tool that will compliment your technique.You need to use a scooping, mixing motion to cut cold butter. I place my hand at the rear of the handle & tilt the mixing bowl so I'm using the rear wire radius on the side of the bowl just above the angle where the bottom of the bowl meets the side wall.Using a circular, lifting, mixing motion, almost like whisking, cuts cold butter quickly without stressing the wires out of shape. Think of using this blender as you would a sharp boning knife to slice, rather than a meat cleaver to chop.The advantage for me is the shorter radius of the blender fits easier in the smaller bowls I tend to use. The wire cutters are smooth and are easily cleaned with fingers, where the bladed cutters tend to have sharp burrs that could slice your fingers open & necessitate using a spoon or butter knife to clean the blades.True, I could easily take an ignition file to debur the cutters, but why should I? Another case of the bean counters trying to save 2 pennies per 1000 units to increase their bottom line & scrimping on fit and finish.Lastly, being frugal, this was heavily discounted at $7.00!! What's not to like?There is one downside to this blender...the wooden handle that so many praise. It is too small of calibre, and the varnished finish is too slick. I wish the handle was more substantial, with an oil finish, rectangular cross-sectioned with rounded corners and finger grooved with a stippled finish. Of course, this would increase the price substantially. Or perhaps fit an Oxo-like easy grip handle! Perhaps a future DIY project for me, if I can find the time.Again, this blender is not for everyone or every situation. I've never tried cutting frozen butter, mashing green fruits, nuts, & other firmer/tougher products. I mainly use this blender for making biscuits & pie crust for my wife and myself. For my situation, this light duty blender works just fine.

I couldn't find the cheapie with the plastic handle that broke off so I had to use a fork . . . not fun. So I ordered the better one this time and am happy cutter again . . . need more because I don't have much storage space and keep forgetting where I tucked them away.

I have needed a pastry cutter for some time now. Finally broke down and bought one. I like the wooden handle and it has a place to use your thumb for extra pressure.

Used it first night I had it and love it! Great price, great product!