Victorinox 40520 Fibrox 8-Inch Chef's Knife
by Victorinox
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Our Price: $23.00
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Category: Kitchen
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Product Summary
Manufacturer: VictorinoxBrand: Victorinox
Model: 40520
Product features:
- 8-inch multipurpose chef's knife designed for chopping, mincing, slicing, and dicing
- High-carbon stainless steel blade provides maximum sharpness and edge retention
- Blade is conical ground lengthwise and crosswise for minimal resistance while cutting; laser tested to ensure optimum cutting power
- Patented 2-inch Fibrox handle is textured, slip resistant, and ergonomically designed for balance and comfort
- Hand washing recommended; lifetime warranty; expertly made in Switzerland
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Victorinox 40520 Fibrox 8-Inch Chef's Knife
Customer Review: Fantastic Deal - Perfect for Some
Summary: 5 Stars
I own a variety of knives including Shun classics and Wusthof Classics, but this guy definitely has a place in my kitchen:
First the downside: the Forschner 8" Chef's knife cannot hold an edge like its more expensive counterparts. I don't know what the steel on the knife is, but it isn't a hardness that can take a 15degree edge, and really can't hold the 18-20degree edge that the wusthof carries. There is a difference between this $30 wonder and the $150+ competitors
THAT SAID, this is a beautiful knife, and I recommend it more highly than the other knives in my kitchen, here's why:
- It can still hold an ably sharp edge, better than any chef's knife you'll get <$100 (way better than Henckels and Wusthof low-end lines, stay away from Wusthof Gourmet). To give you a sense, the factory edge out of the box was plenty sufficient for me, and it held for FIVE MONTHS of regular use WITHOUT honing! It dulled little by little over that time of course, but it is still a great feat for a knife this soft. I generally sharpen it to 20degrees (40 included) and it takes it no problem.
- There is something to be said about having a knife that is sharp enough and hardy enough to be useful, but you don't mind beating up. If you have a good 3-stage electric sharpener, you can throw a <20degree edge on it, hone it quickly after every use (takes 10 seconds), and sharpen it every few months - it will stay fiercely sharp and you won't have to feel bad about eating away at it with constant sharpening. You can also do things with it that you would (or should) NEVER do with a knife that is either more delicate (take the hard japanese knives, prone to chipping if you expose to surfaces like glass and ceramic which you should never do) or more expensive. It's a bad idea, but I've tidied the odd chicken breast in a pyrex or sausage in a pan with this guy, and I can do it knowing that I can work out and kinks, nicks, or blunting I cause later and not feel too bad about it.
- It is well designed. They went for a light knife (since compressing a dense metal would have of course been a costly endeavor and not met the cost objective), and then matched that with a nice light handle that is extremely ergonomically designed. I choke down on the hilt and enjoy total control of this guy (unlike chicago cutlery, which you should almost never buy [although I have their bread knife hah). Some examples of nice touches: the back of the hilt is rounded so it doesn't hit your wrist; the hilt at the base of the blade (where the bolster would be on a forged knife) is grooved so you can fit your fingers right into it; the hilt extends down the base of the knife (where the bolster would be) so you can comfortably get your fingers out of the way, improves clearance without widening the belly of the knife.
- The knife flexes nicely. This is an added benefit to what I would *guess* but don't know is probably negative qualities of the steel, but regardless of the cause that makes this a chef's knife that is counterintuitively good at work a whole chicken with or carving around bone, especially coupled with its aforementioned cost-effectiveness that gives you more freedom with it.
To sum, this is a workhorse knife, if I owned a restaurant I would throw a bunch of these in the kitchen. It's not a great steel, and doesn't hold a great edge, but *relative to its cost* it is well-made, the factory edge is sharp, the steel is pretty good (not also it resists rust well, so the carbon content probably isn't high but if you don't plan on sharpening often (but sharpen it acute when you do) then you will probably find this increases its lifespan. Finally it is very ergonomically designed for a knife at *any* price.
Two final notes:
1) I have not performed any rigorous scientific analysis of the knife steel. My claims as to its hardness and what edge it will take are purely anecdotal, and I am not a professional sharpener. They may be using a harder steel or better annealing process than I give them credit for, in which case I deeply apologize to Victorinox, but frankly they've made a great knife at a great price anyway, so they have my full endorsement.
2) If you are looking to buy your first real set of knives, and are considering Shun, Miyabi, Henckels, Wusthof, etc. DO NOT BUY THEM YET. I repeat, WAIT. Buy this guy, learn how to sharpen it well, play with the edges you can put on it, and learn what you like and don't like about it. Then get a 10" Forschnor Victorinox and play with that. These are great knives that will serve you well in the kitchen at a low price, so use them to really get your taste in knives down, I promise they will already be an improvement on any off-brand or low-end knife you might use (low-end henckels or wusthof, oxo, chicago cutlery, etc. definitely included). Give these knives some time and enjoy them, play with how you can mess with them. Then when you're comfortable in your preferences, go buy another higher end knife. That will be a major step up, and will lead you to years of buying one or two knives at a time, depending on what you prefer for different tasks. Sets are rarely a truly good deal when it comes to use.
Hope this is helpful, and thank you to Victorinox for making a solid, workable knife at a low price. It's not a king of knives, but it's a good standard to set, the brand certainly now has my consideration.
Description of Victorinox 40520 Fibrox 8-Inch Chef's Knife
The R H Forschner by Victorinox Chef's Knife features an 8-inch blade that is 2-inches wide at the handle. High carbon, stainless steel blade is hand finished at Victorinox in Switzerland by skilled craftsmen. A special tempering process is used to produce an edge that can be resharpened over and over again, so the knife can keep its original sharpness throughout the entire life of the blade.Chef's Knives
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