Reviews for Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef's Knife, 8-Inch

People say Victorinox is really similar to Wusthof.

5.0

Updated Review - 4 years later

Update: 4/12/20 I 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. I... Read More

5.0

The Story of Victorinox

Victorinox was his name. A legendary soldier and swordsman known throughout the world. His skills would invite people from all ends of the Earth to test their might against his. Their steel never knew the taste of his flesh. His steps were so fast, his movements so agile that he was a blur before his opponents. Those that were not brought to fear at the sight of his blade dance were lulled into a trance. It was a thing of beauty, watching him. His battles were plays as he was both a warrior and an artist. Each slash like the stroke of a paint brush. But strong as he was, he was not invincible. Like many men, he fell prey to love, pledging his soul and life to his one true love, Fibrox, a princess from the neighboring enemy kingdom of Wusthof. They met in secret when they could, whispering sweet promises of love to one another before quickly retreating to their respective kingdoms. However, it was not meant to be, for fate is cruel. Love makes delicate sails. Fragile wings to carry a boat for two across the ocean of bliss. Time carries tempests, and even though our love may be strong, our bodies are not. And so one day the two kingdoms went to war. Victorinox was sent into battle. Regret stilled his hand and slowed his movements. Such internal conflict is what led to his demise, and he lay dead on the battlefield with thousands of others surrounding him. Even the mightiest and wisest mortals fall victims to death, and in its embrace we are all equals and free of our vision whi... Read More

5.0

Get this knife. Better yet, get two.

Last summer I took the America's Test Kitchen on-line cooking school. Even with the awesome Chef's Choice sharpener that Cook's Illustrated recommended, my nice Wusthof just never worked the way their demos did. So I asked about the knife they use in the test kitchen, and this is it. Then I asked the chef at the Cafe at work. She said it's not only their workhorse there, but she has several at home. Having extras means that guests or kids can help with prep, and that there's always a sharp, clean knife handy. I love this knife. The affordance (variety of hand positions that feel good) is wonderful. You just can't find an uncomfortable way to hold it, which really helps with the old knife skills. It's really sharp, and the thin blade makes it rock for many tasks, especially dicing and mincing things like onion and shallot. Turns out it's also exactly the knife for serving pie, for exactly the same reason. (Tip: Slice two pieces of pie before sliding the knife blade under to serve the first piece. That allows the crust to move a little, giving you a cleaner result.) The chef and sous chef at work said that you can even toss it in the dishwasher, which I usually do after it's been used on something like raw chicken. I just ordered my second one because the latest Cook's (September, 2013) found it's still the best chef's knife, and that Victorinox plans to withdraw this model from consumer channels and make it only available to professionals. (Dumb move, Victorinox.) Already I... Read More

5.0

Fantastic Deal - Perfect for Some

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 sharpe... Read More

5.0

This knife!!! It is so friggin great!

EDIT: I recently used a friend's Wusthof brand knife in a similar size to this one. It was pretty great! I see why it's so wonderful, but for the price difference I am more than happy with this one! It was heavier than the Wusthof one, which I suppose could be a pro or con, depending on how you see it. This knife!!! It is so friggin great! I literally use it for almost everything. Amazon says I purchased it in 2015 . It is still my absolute favorite Amazon purchase even after 5 years. I truly could live with just this knife and a paring knife/steak knife ( or in my case ikea dinner knives that are slightly serration.) This knife is so sharp and amazing. Like a luxury knife a chef would use but I can afford it. And I like to cook and bake so I'm picky and I use it a ton. I have a sharpener i use on it occasionally but it's so sharp naturally. The only thing I don't like about it is food sticks to it as you chop because it has smoothe sides. But you know what? WORTH IT!

5.0

Workhorse

I bought the red handled version of this knife 7 or 8 years ago based on the Cook's Illustrated review. It is still my go-to knife for nearly all kitchen work. I take pretty good care of my knives - no block but I keep it stored with a blade cover and wash it immediately after use, smooth and sharpen it pretty regularly. It's versatile enough to use for nearly everything - I don't peel or hull fruit with it, but that's about it. It isn't nearly as sexy as some more expensive knives, true. I took a knife skills class a while back, and the teacher kind of blinked and stared for a second before handing it back to me and moving on. Everyone else in the class had just purchased their lovely Wusthof's or what-have-you at the store where the class was held. At some point my husband let the handle hang out on an electric burner, so there is a small burnt out ridge. Hardly the fault of the knife, but a thing to keep in mind if your partner or roommate is known to be careless in the kitchen. Plastic is less durable. That said, there are no other marks on it, I've never had slippage or grip issues, and it fits very comfortably in my hand. The blade is stain and nick free. There are no issues with the join, as I had been worried about when I first purchased it - thought it may wobble or be difficult to clean - not so. I bought one for my brother a year or so after I fell in love with mine, his too is still going strong. Overall, an excellent value ($40 when I bought mine) and ideal if... Read More

5.0

So In Love With This Knife

I read TONS of reviews before finally buying this knife. I wanted to get a high quality knife, but was wary to try this one because of the inexpensive price. It was only $35...how could it be as great as some reviewers claimed it was? I decided to buy the Wusthof 8" Cook's knife as well so that I could compare them and return the one that didn't do it for me. The Wusthof is a great knife, no doubt about it. It's a sexy knife, and even though it was $130, I really wanted to like it better than the Victorinox because it looks so sophisticated. I felt like I was ready to audition for Chopped just from holding it. BUT, after using the knives side by side for an entire chopping, slicing, and dicing session (~2 hours), I felt that the Victorinox was a better fit for me. It's not weighted like the Wusthof, but I think that's what I like most about it. I like how easy it is to cut with. The Wusthof was a little heavy for me. Also, the food didn't stick to it like it did with the Wusthof. I'm not a chef or a professional cook. I'm just a vegan who spends her weekends cutting up veggies, so the Victorinox is perfect for me and my needs. I highly recommend it for someone who cooks a lot at home and is looking for a quality knife, but doesn't want to pay $100+ for it. Instead, spend the extra cash on a quality cutting board so your new knife stays nice and sharp for a long time.

5.0

Be very careful with this one!

I know it goes without saying to be careful with knives, LOL, but, in this case, it bears repeating. I'm cautious around knives and so I tend to be very careful with them anyway. But, I'm also used to much heavier chef's knives and this one, while very sharp, is extremely lightweight. So, in the short amount of time I've had it, I've managed to give myself one painful cut and barely avoided several others. I think it's the combo of lightness and sharpness for which I have to learn to adjust. Perhaps I'm pressing too hard, but the knife is literally "bouncing" on me and then lands on my hand/fingers/nails. Ouch! I'm still giving this one 5 stars because it is so sharp, and that's why I bought it based on a Cook's Illustrated review like so many others, and my heavy, very expensive Wusthof knives are not nearly so sharp - although I've never managed to cut myself with them, either. Bottom line, I recommend it because I haven't found anything, at any price point, this sharp. But, if you're used to heavy knives then watch out, this one is different and dangerous until you get used to it. ETA: It is now 4 years after I purchased this in 2012 and I came back to buy another. Shocked that this has more than doubled in price from the $21.29 I paid. Mine long ago lost it's sharpness, but I can't justify the price of a new one. Maybe I'll try a different sharpener.

4.0

Great knife, but the price keeps going up

I tried this knife out because it was the top pick from an America's Test Kitchen review. The first thing to remember is that it is a cheap knife, however I believe that it is just about the best in the price range. DESIGN - I believe it is factory sharpened to a 15 degree angle. This is a personal preference thing, but I like it since it just about matches the 14 degrees on Wusthof which makes my sharpening more consistent. - The blade is sharp and rigid. My only complaint is that the tip of the knife isn't factory sharpened. I tried to open a plastic wrapped chicken breast and it just kind of dented the plastic... - The handle is what sets this apart from its competitors. It is textured for grip but still easy to clean. There is enough clearance below for you hand to not hit the cutting board and although it doesn't ave a bolster, the handle is designed to keep your hand away from the blade. PRICE So here's the deal with the price, it fluctuates a lot. For years this thing retailed for $18-30 but has recently gone more in the area of $30-40. The thing is this is such a good knife that even although the price has almost doubled, it is still a good buy. However, I would see if you can grab it cheaper, because as you approach $40 the field of competitors really opens up. For about $43 you can get a 5" Wusthof Classic Santoku, and although that isn't really a comparable knife my point is that with the price jump the mental calculation isn't as clear.

4.0

Fine standard chef at very reasonable price

The Forschner 40520 was rated as "best overall" in Cooks magazine in Fall 2004. Pretty good report card from "the" chefs magazine. It took top honors over several high end ($80 -$100+) Wusthofs and Henckel models. While they didn't claim that the Forschner was better at any one specific task or that the craftsmanship can stand up to the others (its blade is cut from a blank ribbon of steel, instead of a hand-forged one piece) they did say that its lighter weight was preferred by some of their testers and that it handled the basics just as well as more expensive models. I just took delivery of mine last week and I am putting it to the test. I can say that it arrives razor sharp...nice... and that it's fairly well balanced. The handle is made of a grippy composite that allows you to securely hold firm if wet or in akward positions. The handle is a little longer than others I've owned, maybe too long for small hands, but it is contoured so you can move up towards the blade for better control. The blade does have a nice rocked contour, which makes chopping & dicing easier. I've grown to prefer ligher weight blades and you don't sacrifice much when it's this sharp. Overall I would say that for the price, this is a great chef knife..time will tell if any problems develop. Definitely doesn't have the same craftsmenship or allure of one of the high end Germans, but if your looking for a highly functional, lightweight, standard chef, it's hard to go wrong here.