Victorinox Swiss Military 5.2063.20-X4 Fibrox Straight Chef’s Knife Black 8 in

Updated Review – 4 years later
Update: 4/12/20I originally gave this product 4 starts, but 4 years later I’m updating this to 5 stars. I have both the Wusthof classic and the Bob Kramer chef’s knives, but time and time again I reach for this Victorinox one instead. Why? It’s simple, lightweight, and easy to use. I can throw it in the dishwasher after cutting raw meat and not worry about the knife rusting or damaging the handle material. I’m a Microbiologist by profession and I actually bought another one of these so I can use one for raw meat if needed. The Wusthof is heavier and after using it for multiple meal preps my hand would get tired. I use these 2 Victorinox knives for 99% of my everyday cooking needs. If I could do it over again, I would only buy these and save the $$$.————For starters I’m not a professional chef, but I love quality products with a great value and that is why I wanted to review this product.I bought this last August after watching America’s Test Kitchen’s knife set video. I bought this as a replacement primary chef’s knife to replace a set of 4 stainless steel knives (Wolfgang Puck I believe and not the best knives around) that have gone dull. The knife is great and sharp right out of the box, but it does feel a bit light in comparison the the European full tang knives. It’s great and agile, but at the same time it lacks a bit of weight when cutting something big like a watermelon or a butternut squash. I actually loved this knife until I bought a butternut squash to cut. It did the job but wasn’t with ease. I did not end up removing my old dull set and just ended up buying a knife sharpener to see if that helps, because that European styled chef’s knife had a good weight and length (9″ instead of 8″) to cut thing like the butternut squash or watermelon. Another downside is that this knife feels thinner than my old set. I’m assuming it’s because this blade is made at a 15 degree angle and the old European chef’s knife was made at a 20 degree angle. The 15 degree angle offers a sharper knife but it also makes it more prone to dents. I already see little tears along the sharp end of the blade, but I’m sure that is fixable with a good knife sharpener. I wonder if the 10″ version of this knife would work better for watermelon and veggies with larger surface areas. Another thing is I was taught to fast tap chop your garlic and ginger to mince it by my Chinese mother. This knife just doesn’t have the weight for that in comparison to a full tang chef’s knife (I wonder if the Victorinox Santoku would be better for that purpose).I think this knife is of great value and quality and recommend it to anyone looking for a good chef’s knife. I actually would recommend the set of 4 knives from Victorinox Victorinox 4-Piece Knife Set with Fibrox Handles for anyone that has a child going away to college or starting a new home. It is a good starter collection that has the essentials (at least a 10 inch bread knife, an 8 inch chef’s knife, and a small pairing knife) to fulfills 99% of home cooking needs. I also read a good review on the 5″ mini chef knife from Victorinox. The reviewer purchased the 10″ version of this and the 7″ Victorinox Santoku along with the 5″ mini. That was a good review and I suggest others read that review as well to see if those 3 knives together would work better for your needs.I know a great chef who once told me that you don’t need the best knife for daily cooking but you have to hold the knife in your hand to judge if it’s comfortable and to know how to sharpen/maintain a knife.

Incredible value. A great choice.
When I finally bought a house at 29 – I was broke and could only afford 1 housewarming gift for myself. America’s Test Kitchen recommended this knife for home or professional kitchen use. What a great recommendation!Review: 3 years into this knife I’m in awe of the value. Its balance is perfect for me – balanced right at the front of the handle, overall very light weight and very maneuverable. The non slip grip is industrial looking and does a great job of keeping wet or oily hands from slipping off the handle. The spine of the knife is thin with about 1.5mm maximum width and a steel that will hold a good cutting edge ( 3 years of owning it and I’ve never had it professionally sharpened, I just hone the blade with a steel every week or 2 and it stays sharp enough to cut up onions with no tears or cut up piles of sweet potatoes. If you get careless and toss it in the dishwasher, it’ll tolerate several rides with no noticable effects. Don’t put knives in the dishwasher – it’ll cause all sorts of problems long term like ruining the temper (hardness) of the steel and break the handles.In conclusion – I’ve bought 2 of these knives, 1 for my kitchen and 1 as a gift. My best friend’s kitchen didn’t have a decent chefs knife – so I bought them 1 and I swear I heard “Hun pass me a knife – No, not that knife – give me the “Petey knife” – it’s so sharp!”It’s affordable, durable, well balanced and secure in hand. It’s only a bad choice if you need your knives to look pretty. Five stars.

ENGLISH FOLLOWINGExcellent couteau! Probablement que certains couteau japonais reste aiguisé un peu plus longtemps, mais avec une pierre et un strop il devient suffisamment coupant pour couper du papier et même se raser (non suggéré ;). Étant donné que j’utilise le couteau seulement en usage domestique, il reste tout de même aiguiser très longtemps. J’ai le couteau depuis près de 2 ans. Je l’utilise sur une planche à couper fait d’érable qui est réputé gardé la couteau plus aiguisé que les planches de plastique ou de bamboo Canadian Maple Cutting Board (12x16x3/4) L12160.La prise en main est assez solide et même les mains mouillés, la poignée ne glisse pas.Le principal défaut est que selon la technique de coupe, la nourriture reste parfois collée au couteau.J’ai acheté le même couteau pour mon frère et pour un cadeau de mariage d’un ami. Tous bien satisfait. Le couteau est recommandé par America’s Test Kitchen.J’utilise cette pierre pour l’aiguiser KING KW65 1000/6000 Grit Combination Whetstone with Plastic Base, je n’ai seulement utilisé le côté 6000 jusqu’à présent. Je ne l’ai jamais laissé détérioré énormément et j’affûte régulièrement sur un fusil à couteau en inox. J’utilise aussi un Strop Straight Razor Strop Leather Sharpening Strap 20″ Barber Strop lorsque j’aiguise le couteau avec ce produit à polir Woodstock D2902 Extra Fine Buffing Compound, 1-Pound (Green).ENGLISH:This is a pretty good knife. May not remain as sharp as long as a very expensive Japanese knife, but stays sharp very long in an household. I have it for about 2 years and sharpen it twice on the stone even if could have been used for longer. I use it on a maple wood cutting board which is deemed as the best to keep the knives sharp like this one Canadian Maple Cutting Board (12x16x3/4) L12160.I have bought 3 of this knife. One for me, one for my brother and one as a wedding gift. All seems quite satisfied.The main default of the knife would be that the food has a slight tendency to stick to it while cutting depending on the technique used.The knife is recommended as one of the best option for the price by America’s Test Kitchen.The handle of the knife is quite good, doesn’t slip even with wet hands.I use this stone to sharpen it KING KW65 1000/6000 Grit Combination Whetstone with Plastic Base, I only used the 6,000 grit side with this knife as I never let it go too dull. I also use a stainless steel rod quite frequently.When I want it razor sharp, it put on this stropStraight Razor Strop Leather Sharpening Strap 20″ Barber Strop and I use this buffing compound Woodstock D2902 Extra Fine Buffing Compound, 1-Pound (Green).

Be careful with this little tool. It is incredibly sharp and very very well weighted.

Let’s be honest, it’s not the prettiest knife on the block (pun so intended), but it’s not meant to be; everything about the knife screams “workhorse knife for professional kitchens” and if it’s good enough for the pros then it’s good enough for me.The handle is tapered in at the end which moves your fingers into a natural pinch grip, and it’s made of a textured plastic material so that if your hands are wet the knife won’t slip around. Victorinox also chose to stamp the blade and use a soft steel (55HRC). The downsides are the knife doesn’t feel as hefty (not always a bad thing) and that it doesn’t keep an edge as long (i.e sharpen/hone more often) but the upside is it’s less brittle. If you dropped this knife on it’s tip, the tip would just bend and you could bend it back, while with a harder steel the tip wouldjust break off.The knife arrived razor sharp, cuts through everything like butter and it makes me enjoy cooking that much more. Eventually though, the knife will dull ,and that doesn’t mean it’s time to get another one! it’s time to sharpen it. I suggest learning how to sharpen with a whetstone (buy the shapton 1k if you do) but if you don’t have the time or care, get a nice manual pull through sharpener. Electric sharpeners will also work but it’s like $200 for the one’s that don’t strip away tons of metal. If you get a honing rod (no diamond/grooved. only smooth steel or ceramic) and use it at least once a week you shouldn’t have to sharpen the knife more than twice a year!The only issue I have with this knife is when you’re finely chopping, things will stick to the blade.Overall, fantastic value for what you get. If you’re not fussy about looks or a knife nerd (like me), this could be all the knife you need in your lifetime.If you want this knife but prettier, you can find the Victorinox Modern Swiss Knife online which has a sleeker handle (and a gorgeous walnut handle version).