Victorinox Fibrox Pro
Older ones say Forschner; the 10-inch is the restaurant standard
affiliate link · goes to an Amazon search for this product
- Steel
- Soft German-style, about 55 to 56 HRC, easy to sharpen
Why it ranks here. The knife the internet agrees on: the top answer in r/chefknives and r/BuyItForLife, and the most common knife in professional kitchens by one twenty-year veteran's count. A culinary school knife from 31 years ago is still one cook's daily driver, and owners with fancy Japanese knives still prefer it. Tough, practical and ugly, like a Glock.
The blade is thin enough to flex when crushing garlic, the handle is chunky, and the softer steel needs honing more often than a Japanese knife. Hone it weekly, stone it a few times a year, and it outlives the kitchen.
What owners like
- Decades of professional use
- Easy to sharpen
- Cheap enough to use hard
What owners complain about
- Thin blade flexes
- Ugly, chunky handle
- Needs frequent honing
“Worked in the hospitality industry for 20 years - the most common knife in any kitchen I ever worked in was the 10 inch version of this knife. An absolute workhorse, easy to sharpen, easy to keep sharp, tough, reliable, comfortable. Don't waste money on expensive Japanese or German knives, a Fibrox is everything you need in a knife.” — YouTube comment · @migtrewornan8085 · 2017-12-06
11 positive · 1 negative · 12 voices · ✓ all 12 linked to source
Read all 12 quotes (12 voices)
-
Brand: Victorinox Fibrox, 8-inch chef knife Purchased: 2012 (about 13-14 years ago) I cook at home a lot because I'm always budgeting for theme park trips, and meal prepping is the only thing that stops me from blowing money on takeout. This knife has lived through my whole adult life in Florida: a humid kitchen, a million tomatoes and onions, more pineapples than I expected to handle, and all the batch-cooked chicken. It has also survived multiple moves, roommates, and my early, clueless knife years. Why I think it fits here: the handle still gets a good grip even when my hands are wet, it has never loosened or felt wobbly, and the blade tolerates regular sharpening without getting weirdly thin or chippy. Maintenance: I hone it most weeks and sharpen it a few times a year. That's it. No special gadgets.
-
My Victorinox Fibrox. Came in my culinary school issued knife kit 31 years ago. used it professionally for 25 years and it's still my home daily driver.
-
Worked in the hospitality industry for 20 years - the most common knife in any kitchen I ever worked in was the 10 inch version of this knife. An absolute workhorse, easy to sharpen, easy to keep sharp, tough, reliable, comfortable. Don't waste money on expensive Japanese or German knives, a Fibrox is everything you need in a knife.
-
My main chef knife ,I do not worry about it or baby it ,it holds an edge and I keep it razor sharp fairly easily ,it is TOUGH ,practical reliable and ugly ,Like a Glock 19 ! I love it.
-
I've been a professional cook for 35 years and I have always had German or British steel but, I have been recently enticed by the Fibrox collection of kitchen knives. The Bearded Butchers swear by their filet and breaking knives so I got one. And after watching this video I am ordering one right now! Thanks!
-
America’s Test Kitchen did a review with this knife and it was as good as a 300 dollar knife. They even imaged the blade under an electron microscope. It’s a bad ass knife ..period
-
I have two 10" Fibrox knives and they perform very well. They also resharpen very quickly for me on a 1000 grit global stone, once stropped they are back to razor sharp after just a few minutes. Pro quality for any budding Chef !
-
Just received the Vic a few days ago. It is seriously sharp. Clearly, the Swiss put the money into the blade, rather than the handle. But, it is well balanced and firm to the grip. The blade slices paper like butter, and will actually push through paper without slicing.
-
Have the classic, its quite thin. So thin it flexes when crushing garlic.
-
I have several "chef knives" but the one I most often reach for is my Victorinox Classic (mine is old enough that it bears the Forschner name).
-
My victorinox 10" has lasted over 12 years and never let me down. As long as you hone and polish the edge regularly, it will keep an edge without a nick. I can use it for any knife application that doesn't require a aerated edge, it is my kitchen workhorse.
-
Prefer victorinox knifes. Have a lot of fancy Japanese one but still prefer my Fibrox. It hold the edge good enough and can take a beating. I do hand sharp all my knives on whetstone.