VictorinoxSwiss Army 5.2063.20-X4 Fibrox Straight Chef's Knife Black 8 in

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.

I LOVE this knife. I am 26 years old and have never owned a good knife before. I have made due with cheap serrated knifes and thought that was acceptable - I was wrong.When my girlfriend (now wife) and I started dating we found ourselves cooking a lot of meals and cutting a lot of vegetables. With the knifes we had this was an onerous task. Therefore, I set off in search of a good knife. I looked at a variety of knives below $150, most of which had incredible reviews. However, I could not escape the shear price difference between this knife and its competitors and the fact that nearly all the reviews extolled the quality of the knife.I ended up purchasing 2 of these knives, 1 for myself and 1 for my girlfriend (I no longer wanted to use her awful knives :)). When I received them I was astounded. They were incredible sharp out of the packaging. To test them I started cutting carrots, celery and tomatoes. The cutting was a breeze/fun. None of the fruit could put up a fight and I was able to take sliver think cuts of each. The knife is well balanced and relatively light. The handle is comfortable and, like the specs say, it doesn't get slippery when wet.I have owned these knives for 1.5 years and they have held up. Like any knife they did grow dull (to the point of needing sharpening) after about 4-5 months of moderate use. Since purchasing these, I have used several friends "higher end knives" and found I like this one better.If you are getting good knives for the first time this is undoubtedly the brand I would recommend. It's a cost effective solid product that will not let you down. Additionally, I suggest getting a quality sharpening set because there will come a time when the knife will need sharpening and it is nice to do it at home. Personally, I own the Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker Knife Sharpener 204MF. This sharpener is quick to use and quickly (less than 5 min) restores the edge to "brand new."

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.