Victorinox 40520 Fibrox 8-Inch Chef's Knife
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Victorinox 40520 Fibrox 8-Inch Chef's Knife
Customer Review: Long time dark horse
Summary: 5 Stars
My first exposure to Forschner/Victorinox was in the restaurant business. I was using as serrated bread knife to cut limes and I couldn't believe how well it cut and how comfortable it felt in my hand. I'd always loved good cutlery but couldn't afford Henckels or Wusthoffs so I decided to check out the Forschners. I found them to be unbelievably affordable and that they were the preferred brand of butchers/meat cutters; they had a reputation as a "working mans' knife." This was enough for me. I started buying and soon had a full set including a meat cleaver and a Chinese cleaver (which I had to order). The chef knives DO NOT have the 'heel' at the base of the blade as the upper end brands do. The absence of this heel allows a rolling/rocking motion while cutting, which I prefer. Being popular among meat-cutters Forschner offers some uncommon shapes in blades such as the "lamb skinner," so variety is there if you want it. I have no qualms about leaving one of these knives over-night in dishwater; it has no effect on the Fibrox handles. The steel is very difficult to stain or discolor because of its high Chromium content; Chromium is what makes stainless steel stainless and has an inherently negative effect on edge-holding ability, which all knife makers using stainless steel have to deal with. Despite this these knives hold a decent edge; I have no complaints. I've had my set for nearly 20 years now with no glitches or regrets. If you're into function without fashion and price IS an object, You should have a look at these.Customer Review: Fine standard chef at very reasonable price
Summary: 4 Stars
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.Customer Review: Liked it so much, I bought the paring knife set
Summary: 5 Stars
A friend on a cooking forum recommended this knife to me. I could not be more glad she did! I highly recommend this knife...
The knife arrived razor sharp. In fact, it cut a very large sweet onion like it was gliding through butter. Tomato? No problem. It's been six months and so far I havent noticed much difference in the sharpness.
The blade is big, perfect arc for "rocking". It's lightweight, so my hands don't get so tired when doing a large chop job. I've been so used to the carbon steel knives that I was a little taken aback when I took it out of it's package and saw the mirror like finish. But I can't argue that it works amazingly well and the finish is still as shiny as the first day.
I wasn't sure if I should get the rosewood or the composite handle. I chose the composite. Another happy choice. I quite often chop large quantities of items and have to wash the knife in between. My hands do NOT slip on this handle when wet. I feel just as steady, wet or dry. That's an accomplishment in my book. If you value form over function, get a wood handle. If you really want it to work, get the composite!
The only drawback (and not one I feel merits the removal of a star) is the packaging. It's in one of those plastic packs that you really need the knife in the package to open. I ended up using my kitchen shears and it was still very difficult.
Customer Review: Everything they say
Summary: 5 Stars
Considering the rave reviews that Cook's Illustrated Magazine and many Amazon customers have given this knife and the deal I got (almost half the cost of when it was originally released a few years ago) this purchase seemed like a no brainer. I've owned a couple of different forged chef's knives and I'd yet to find one that felt truly balanced. Not long after receiving this knife, I was preparing a fairly complex skillet chicken dish that involved bone-in skin-on chicken breasts. Before searing them in a skillet, I had to cut the large breast pieces into thirds. I was using a forged and fairly hefty cleaver and I was slipping around on my wood cutting board trying to get through the bones. Frustrated and pressed for time, I put the cleaver aside and took out the Forschner knife. It felt much lighter in my hand and I have to admit, even after reading all the reviews, I was skeptical that this knife would succeed where a hefty cleaver was failing miserably. The Forschner cut through the bone like it was butter and I got all my chopping done in seconds. This chef's knife now has the spot in my knife block that the cleaver had. Since then, I've also used the knife for everything from chopping vegetables to mincing garlic. I've experienced unprecedented ease of use with this cutlery and got a fantastic deal on it too. This chef's knife is an excellent value and I can't recommend it enough!Customer Review: BEST, BEST, BEST, BEST, 5 Stars
Ok folks, so far I've spent several hundred dollars on knives. From the cheapest kind, free, to some of the high end $230 chefs and santoku knives. By far, this is the best knife I have ever used. I have owned damascus knives from Japan, to top name brands like Shun, Global, Kai, Porsche design 301, and Europe, Forschner, Wusthof, Henckels, to name a few. Call me a little obsessed about kitchen knives -- yes, I admit it.I've even put them to heavy abuse in a firehouse kitchen. With twelve people to cook for day in and day out, it's the perfect testing ground for kitchen knives. The result? The Victornox won hands down in sharpness, the Global and Shun could not hold an edge even for 3 days. Victornox stays sharp with little to no honing, for WEEKS! It also wins in balance and comfort. The handle is wide at the base and very comfortable to hold for extended period of time. This knife is also very well balanced, if I pinch the neck of the blade where the blade meets the handle, I can get perfect 60/40 to 50/50 balance. Although I like the Porsche Design 301's beefy handle, where I can set the knife on its spine and the handle will prop it up, it's not really worth paying the extra $70.
Durable blade, comfortable handle, light and perfectly balanced, what more can you ask for? I thought I've never say this, but I think I'm in LOVE with this CHEAP knife.