Review on Victorinox Fibrox Pro 5-Inch Chef's Knife: Precision and Performance by Wendy Busse

OK - I love knives more than I should and while I prefer premium brands I have a few smaller Zyliss and Victorinox knives that I use for general kitchen work. I was looking for a small serrated knife for general kitchen tasks of slicing and slicing vegetables and the occasional meat. I had trouble figuring out WHICH of the knives described was smaller from photos, descriptions or titles, so I ordered all three: Victorinox Mini Chefs Knife SerratedVictorinox Fibrox Pro Black Chef's – Serrated 5" Mini Blade 1¼" wide at the handle , 5-inch, MultiVictorinox Fibrox Pro Black Chef's - 5-inch serrated mini-blade 1¼-inch wide at the handle, 5-inch MultiTurns out these are the exact same knives (Victorinox model 5.2033.12); I was hoping that the "mini" was actually smaller than the others, but it's the same knife. Perhaps it's just the fact that this style is too small for a chef's knife that one seller has dubbed it a MINI chef's knife; Victorinox didn't mark "mini" on the packaging and it was exactly the same as the other 2 styles I ordered. In terms of sizing, some sellers have listed the packaging size and NOT the actual size of the knife, so I thought I could give you some of the details *I* was looking for; Note that ALL THREE KNIVES DIFFERENTLY DESCRIBED are actually the same size and are the same knife: 10 inches overall (actually 9 7/8), tip to butt. 5" scalloped (along the edge). "A wide blade at the transition to the hilt. The hilt is 1-1/8" wide at its widest point and 0.75" thick (when resting on a table). The knife cuts very well, with a very effective serrated edge; cuts better than some of my favorite knives. For me, its downside is that its blade is too wide at the base for me to be able to make additional types of cuts (like slicing off the top a strawberry or removing the top of a tomato); It's great for slicing, but for other odd jobs I usually NEED to do when slicing it proves unwieldy. The blade where it meets the handle is too wide than that I could feel safe (and I have big hands); For many women whose hands are larger than normal I think this would be very unsafe and out of control. The grip is good but the blade is too broad Lacking e control I think due to the width of the blade. Although billed and marketed as a "chef's knife," I wouldn't want to use it for slicing meat or cooking chicken -- the control and confidence I need in a knife when slicing bone, and it "is." simply not". t there." ". "The grip is durable and resinous but has a texture on the surface that feels like it's not slippery when wet and feels secure in that regard. It's thick AND wide and has a comfortable shape making it easy to use for regular slice maneuvers. The way the blade fits into the handle looks like it might break after years of use, but that's just a guess and I'm a little biased on pricier models. I miss the feel, look and weight in my hand even with this small knife. It looks like a dishwasher safe knife, but I never put my knives in the dishwasher; although this one looks like it can handle it. The knife is very light. The rounded handle shape provides a relatively secure grip, but I didn't like the way the handle makes contact with the metal blade: the edge of the blade near the end of the handle is IS if your finger needs to slide past the contoured shape ( at the bottom when you cut), so these grips do not offer the same protection as other models that fully protect your grip. This end of the blade isn't fully sharpened since the edge "starts" here, but it's still thin enough to hurt you if your finger slips there; If it slid any further, your finger would be right in the cut zone, on the sharp, jagged edge. This is a stamped knife, not forged and does not have a full shank; I can feel the difference in my hand and it seems that the blade can flex a bit to the side when trying to cut into a harder object (e.g. a very raw potato). I may be just being cheeky because I LOVE good knives, but I felt like there were some better knives in the same price range despite being stamped and under $25. In general, the serrated edge is effective, but make sure you don't prefer a narrower blade so you can dice or snip the tips as well, and make sure the width of the blade doesn't pose a safety or handling issue for you or yours Hands. I also ordered a serrated knife (Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef's Knife, 5" Chef's Knife) which is identical in size and shape to them except it has a straight blade. Same size, same width etc. I ended up having kept the one opened - didn't want to return what I used - and I'll most likely use it if I'm ONLY cutting light veggies or fruit, I'll use my finer tools.