Victorinox Kitchen Knife Set

...use such good knives as Victorinox on her television series 'How to cook' and then sell completely different makes on her web site? Not only are the prices on her web site extortionate for knives at £110.00 for a set of three, Victorinox are readily available in the UK. Victorinox are the famous makers of the Swiss army knife and one of the best makes I know of.

Maybe I should explain that I used to be a cook for many years, until ...
...There seems to be a Victorinox knife for every single occasion that you can think of. From Peeling, Paring, and Pastry to Boning, Filleting and Carving. The list is just endless.

Two Christmas’s ago I was given a Victorinox small chefs set with Fibrox handles. As I have not been in the catering industry for a few years now, I had never used any professional tools with Fibrox handles before so I wanted to see exactly what it the material ... more

Why does Delia Smith use such good knives as Victorinox on her television series 'How to cook' and then sell completely different makes on her web site? Not only are the prices on her web site extortionate for knives at £110.00 for a set of three, Victorinox are readily available in the UK. Victorinox are the famous makers of the Swiss army knife and one of the best makes I know of.

Maybe I should explain that I used to be a cook for many years, until ill health forced me to give it up. I used to buy my knives singularly as the better quality knives used to be so expensive. All my old knives have rosewood handles and are still as new. There seems to be a Victorinox knife for every single occasion that you can think of. From Peeling, Paring, and Pastry to Boning, Filleting and Carving. The list is just endless.

Two Christmas’s ago I was given a Victorinox small chefs set with Fibrox handles. As I have not been in the catering industry for a few years now, I had never used any professional tools with Fibrox handles before so I wanted to see exactly what it the material comprised of and found Fibrox is actually an inorganic glassy material, which is spun at high temperatures. It is used in many industrial products ranging from kitchen knives to fire bricks depending on the manufacturing process used.

This little bit of history was taken from the Victorinox web site.

Karl Elsener, founder of Victorinox knives, began his career as an apprentice making knives and surgical instruments in Germany.
- In 1884 returned to his hometown of Ibach, Switzerland opened a workshop.
- In 1891 the famous Swiss Army Knife was created.

The knife set I received consists of
A Sharpening Steel, Carving Fork, Cooks Knife, Melon Baller, Pastry knife with serrated edge, Spatula, Shaping Knife, Potato Peeler, Lemon Zester, Kitchen and Paring Knife, Filleting Knife, Boning Knife and a Small Cooks Knife.

It took me a while to get used to the feel of them as I had only ever used Chefs knives with wooden handles. All the blades are made from high quality carbon stainless steel. All the knives have fully ground blades with a mirror polished finish. The set above cost around one hundred and sixty pounds, which is really good value for a set of professional knives. The quality of the handles is fantastic with no rough edges. Remember it is always better to buy one very good knife than many substandard ones. You really do get what you pay for.

I will now give you what I hope are helpful tips and advice on looking after your Knives.

Always cut on a chopping board made of wood, as anything else is sure to blunt your knives.
Wash your knives only ever by hand and dry immediately.
Rub oil on wooden handles every few weeks.
Acid foods such as lime can cause discoloration on the blade so must be washed.
Knives and Hands should always be cleaned before changing from one food to another. This prevents cross contamination and will therefore prevent illness.

I know you must be getting bored now but I really must mention safety, even the obvious observations.

Safety

Always wear closed toe shoes when handling knives
Never leave a knife pointing over the edge of a table
Always curl your fist slightly when cutting (we were always told to think of a claw)
Do not use a knife except for cutting (to all men out there knives are not screwdriver substitutes)
Never try to catch a falling knife
If you have to walk round with a knife always have the blade facing the floor
Always cut away from other people and of course yourself.
Always use the right blade for the task in hand.

I have been using my set for over two years now and am delighted with them. I have found them very sturdy in their construction and the handles are easy to grip. No chips or cracks have appeared through their daily use and they are very easy to sharpen with the sharpening steel that was supplied in the set. They are ideal for using in any kitchen whether it is a professional or home. I can honestly say they are one of the best sets of knives I have ever used. The only improvement I would suggest to the manufacturers would be to supply protective sleeves for the blades. I would say that I would have probably chosen an alternative to the melon baller and spatula as I use these the least. You can buy many different knives made by Victorinox separately so I am slowly adding to the set. I checked today and found if you check the sales you can still buy at the same price as two years ago.

Thank you all for reading. Fionaxx
 

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