VictorinoxFibrox Pro 7-Piece Cutlery Block Set

I bought these through the Amazon Ware House Deals and they looked new to me . The Block had two extra slots and I added a 7 inch Santoku, plus an 8 inch Butcher knife . This set has a 4-inch paring; 6-inch boning; 8-inch chefs'; 8-inch Serrated edge bread; 10-inch slicing rounded end ; 10-inch sharpening steel; kitchen shears; slant hardwood block . These are stamped blades and thinner than some . But due to the metal tempering methods they have a high Rockwell hardness rating and will cut as well as most forged blades while retaining sharpness . When the need to sharpen comes along if you haven't tried to cut nails, used one for a pry bar, or tried to cut a beef leg bone (they make cleavers for that), etc., generally a few strokes on the steel does the job . Word of advice don't use an electric sharpener on any knife unless it's cheap, poor steel, and one you want to throw away soon . There are carbide, and ceramic, hand held V notched sharpeners that are easy to use and don't ruin a blade or its' temper . Victorinox gives a guide for sharpening on a steel and it works pretty well . My wife and I both have been impressed and pleased with the long term use of Victorinox knives . We do hand wash them, but most knives should be washed that way . I base my review on use of these and the use of approx. 80 sheath type hunting knives I own and use on butching large game . Some are ground blades, high carbon forged steel, some stainless, some costing hundreds of dollars and all high Rockwell rated . Believe me I know good steel when I use it . These are excellent kitchen cutlery for a reasonable price . Is there better out there ? Perhaps but get ready to dig deep in your wallet or purse when you buy them and expect little difference for everyday general kitchen duty . ADDENDUM: Four years later wife and I still love these. Just read a test done with 8 top selling kitchen Chef knives . Although far cheaper, than any of the others in price, the Victorinox Chef knife out scored Wusthof and Cutco Chefs knives consistently in cutting . Only two VERY EXPENSIVE Japanese Knives beat it and the Victorinox Chef Knife was rated the best buy available . I have three expensive forged Chef knives and I agree with that test too. A thinner blade doesn't mean an inferior one. Tempering plus steel makes a blade and Victorinox has that right . Actually my favorite forged set is one made in France and has fairly thin blades . Just thought I'd share that.

Summary: The Victorinox Swiss Classic 22-Piece Cutlery Block Set is an amazing buy for what you get and the quality of the knives.Executive summary:I started out looking to get a "good" and yet inexpensive knife set. Cooking had quickly become a favorite hobby of mine and well the old knives were just not cutting it (pun intended). I went to cooking stores to checkout various knives, and tested similar more economic lines like the Wusthof classic even up to their top of the line forged models, as well as Henkles. However I was unable to test Victorinox knives in person which did arise some doubt, but the next episode of Americas test Kitchen contained their knife test which quickly quelled any of my fears the Victorinox knives had been rated either the best or best value.Overall this knife set is great, all of the knives are extremely sharp out of the box. Initially after testing them compared to the sort of soft touch rubberized grip on some of the Wusthof knives, the Fibrox handles seemed poor, but after using them a bit you couldn't ask for a better grip. The grips are made in such a way that they will naturally slip into the proper position which is great, the Fibrox also provides excellent grip even with soapy or oily hands (yes I actually put some cooking oil on my hand to test the grip). The blades themselves have a decent mirror finish and vary in thickness based on knife, they aren't as thick as stamped knives, but are plenty sturdy and are by no means flimsy. There are a few redundant knives mainly the 6" chefs, 8" slicer, and 2 of the paring/utility knives, but still for the price I don't think anyone could ask for a better set.A note on care: you should try and always try to hand wash and dry your knives (even though they are dishwasher safe), and don't let them sit in water. Don't ever use a glass cutting board, and steel your knife before you use it (don't know how there are several good youtube videos on it). Folowing these simple tips will help you prolong your knifes sharpness and integrity.Detailed Review:The Set contains 22 pieces; 8" chef, 7" Santoku, 6" chef, 10.25" Slicer, 8" Slicer, bread knife, boning knife, set of 4 paring knives, Kitchen Shears, Steel, 8 Steak knives, Block. I will rate each individually (not as a set) below.*8" Chef: 5 out of 5, The chef's knife is always the most important knife in the kitchen and Victorinox does not disappoint offering an extremely sharp edge that cuts through everything I have thrown at it with ease. 8" is a great size, and the grip is perfect allowing for several different grips perfectly. I actually like the fact that it is stamped and therefore a bit thinner than a forged knife, because it allows you to make more delicate cuts in task like mincing an onion.*7" Santoku: 4 out of 5 The Santoku is similar to a chef's knife in the variety of task it can perform, and once again this knife did not disappoint in terms of cutting ability. However the identifying feature of the santoku is its grantons (little indents) that let food that would normally stick to the blade fall off when cutting. Being stamped and a thinner blade the grantons are not as deep as what you would find on a forged model, and as a result some of the more juicy foods (IE a juicy tomato) will often still stick. Other than that it's a great knife and works how its supposed to.6" chef: 5 out of 5 the 6" chefs as expected is just a smaller version of the 8" chefs and performs just as well. This is arguably a redundant knife in the set but for more delicate task, I do find myself reaching for it Instead of the 8"chefs. Do you really need it probably not, will you use it if you have it? Probably.10.25" Slicer: 5 out of 5 the 10.25" slicer is an amazing slicer, and was the top pick of Cooks Country / Americas Test Kitchen. It slices clean and evenly through even fatty meats (like a pork roast) thanks to its grantons. You can also get very thin cuts of meat, it's just simply great.8" Slicer: 4.5 out of 5 This is another arguably redundant piece in the set, it maintains the same great blade. However this is more suited to a "universal" slicer which is why I drop its rating a bit. On cooked meat the 10.25" slicer is going to perform better because its specialized and cooked meat is one of the primary uses of a slicer. While this knife still can and will cut through cooked meat its curved blade and pointed tip make it better suited for use with uncooked meat.Bread knife: 5 out of 5 this knife is utterly amazing, I have never had a bread knife cut so clean. I've used it on your normal loaf of hearty homemade multigrain bread, loaves of Italian, and even gluten free bread (which is notorious for crumbling). You can also easily use it to cube bread for making croutons etc. My only reservation with this knife is its length, when making diagonal cuts on Italian bread the blade can be just a bit short and can catch on the tip if you aren't watching closely, but still overall a great knife.Boning Knife: 5 out of 5 This is once again a top pick of Cooks Country / Americas Test Kitchen. The blade is great and the slight flex is perfect for getting up against bones.4 Paring Knives: 4 out of 5 The standard paring knife is one of most important knifes next to the chefs and bread knives. Once again this was a top pick of Cooks Country / Americas Test Kitchen. The standard spear point is great and is the one primarily use. The birds' beak (curved one) is also very useful especially with peeling and close cuts on smaller items. The other 2 serrated knives are more or less redundant with a steak knife and are not used often.Kitchen Shears: 4 out of 5 these shears function well providing much the functionality one would need flawlessly, cutting fresh herbs, trimming pie dough etc. Where they start to lack is cutting meat, these shears are not the greatest for cutting up a chicken. If you don't need this functionality they are great, if not I would recommend a pair of shun shears.Steel: 5 out of 5 a sharpening steel is a necessity for any cook it helps keep the blades sharp longer, it matches the rest of the set and gets the job done.Steak Knives: 5 out of 5 while being stamped these knives are still plenty rigid, yes they are not forged but they don't bend and cut quite well.Block: 4 out of 5 it's not the most attractive block, nor the best wood, and there are some small burrs in the slots, but overall it holds all the knives with room to spare and functions quite well considering the price.

I have had these knives for about a year now. They are incredible. The weight and balance is beyond anything one would expect from knives in this price range. Perhaps the best part about these knives is the comfort of the handle, which far exceeds any other knife I have used. The fibrox handles are a little strange at first (at least they were for me) because they are softer and grippier than most other knives. I have really come to enjoy the feel, though. It offers a great sense of security and allows for a precise grip. I tend to grip the knife with thumb and forefinger at the edge of the blade and handle with my other three fingers secure on the handle; this grip works well for my hands on the larger knives in this set where such a grip is appropriate.The blades are sharp and of very high quality. With daily use, sharpening is rarely needed. (maybe a few times in the last year? Not a memorable amount by any means) I think this set is great for anyone who wants great knives, not just those on a budget. I guarantee if you bring your Shun- or Henckles-weilding friends over, they will be blown away by the quality of these knives.I would also recommend the santoku, which offers much of the versatility of the chefs knife with a lighter weight, which makes it really nice for doing lots of mise en place for big dinners.