Customer Reviews

Victorinox 40520 Fibrox 8-Inch Chef's Knife

5 star:		(561)
4 star:		(84)
3 star:		(23)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

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.

I liked the knife at first but after only a few months of light use, about 1/4" of the tip seems to have broken off. This doesn't surprise me, as the blade is thin compared to the better knives.

Update on this review: I was beyond the Amazon 30-day return period, but Victorinox was more than happy to replace it, emphasizing that all their products have a lifetime guarantee.

This knife is such a value. I have always had a hard time accepting the high-prices on Wuesthoff or Henckel knives because I never felt the VALUE was worth it. Boy am I glad I held out for the Victorinox knife! This knife, also known as Forschner, is consistently sharp. Just a few swipes of the sharpening steel and its good as new again. I use this knife and a 6" every day. The handles are comfortable and do not get slippery when wet. They are practically the only knives I use. I wash and wipe dry after each use (NEVER put in the dishwasher). I think you'll be as pleased as I if you try this knife.

I to bought this knife because of the rating in Cook's Illustrated. I have Henckels and was interested in something to use in more utilitarian situations. I didn't want to baby it; I wanted to use it and then put it in the dishwasher and forget about it. After using this knife I realized that I made a mistake in ever buying the Henckels. They now seem heavy and clumsy in my hand. Every time I reach for a knife I grab this one. I only bought one knife because I wanted to see if it would hold an edge and to see how hard it would be to re-sharpen. Well after a year of constant use I still don't know how hard it will be to re-sharpen because I haven't had to do that yet. It was yesterday while slicing tomatoes that I realized just how fantastic this knife was. Here I had a knife that hadn't been sharpened in a year and I was slicing tomatoes like I was using a seriated utility knife! The only reason I don't have more than one is because my magnet is full of Henckels that I don't like to use. Anybody want to buy a set of totally babied Henckels? I need more knives I like to use.

This is the chef's knife I've been looking for. The blade is the right balance between stiff and flexible. The perfectly curved shape automatically starts that rocking motion that makes chopping a breeze. I've been skeptical about ever developing the ability to chop like the chefs on cooking shows. No longer. And to think -- it was my bad knives to blame all this time! I'm buying several of these to give as Christmas gifts this year.

I have always used Henckel and Wusthof knives. I bought this on the recommendation of America's Test Kitchen as a knife that is reasonably priced, yet comparable to the more expensive knives (I've always been happy with anything they recommend...from recipes to utensils). This knife feels good in your hand (although it doesn't have the "heft" of the more expensive knives) and keeps a great edge. I highly recommend it as an alternative to the more expensive knives. On the other hand, if you don't mind spending more, there is a noticeable difference in quality between this very good knife and a Henckel or Wusthof.

I selected this knife because it was recommended by Cooks Illustrated as a lighter weight french knife. The handle is easy to grip and the knife is very sharp -- a delight to use.

The knife length is determined by the size of the cutting board, and it is rare to see anything larger than 18 X 24 inch boards in a home kitchen, which is perfect for an 8 inch knife.

In commercial kitchens, we tend to use 24 X 36 inch laminated maple cutting boards 2 inches thick, and these work well with a 10 inch knife.

A professional entre-metier can chop about a ton of vegetables per hour with a 10 inch knife, but home cooks are more likely looking at a about a pound per minute, thus the 8 inch knife.

I have tried almost every knife ever invented for over 30 years now, and I have never found anything even close to Victorinox for balance, edge, and value, even in knives that cost 10 times as much, that are often good only for squashing tomatoes.

Plus, knives are always kept razor sharp (always buy a coarse/fine carborundum oil stone and sharpening steel), and attempting to wield a 10 inch or larger knife can be extremely dangerous for those that have not been professionally trained (they are also dangerous to those that have been professionally trained, and I have a few scars to prove that). Best Regards.

Have lots of knives and all were more expensive by far than this gem and yet this is the one I reach for more often than not. I was afraid it might feel flimsy but it doesn't. It holds it edge nicely. I'd be happy to own more than one.

I bought this knife based on a recommendation from Cook's Illustrated. It's sharp enough to cut just about anything, and light enough that it doesn't fatigue your hand or wrist. I clean mine in the dishwasher and haven't had any problems so far. I also own a paring knife from Victorinox, and I plan to buy the 6" chef's knife as well. I always recommend this knife to friends who think they can't afford good knives.