When we look at Mercer vs. Victorinox knives, we see that there are some design similarities and differences to consider. Although these differences might seem small between comparable knives, many of these characteristics impact performance and how they feel in hand.
Here’s a quick index to navigate through this comparison guide:
- About Mercer Culinary
- About Victorinox
- Mercer Knives
- Victorinox Knives
- What They Have in Common
- What are the Differences?
- Recommended Mercer and Victorinox Knives
- Final Thoughts
About Mercer Culinary
Mercer Culinary is a highly respected brand in the cutlery industry, and their knives get used by chefs in commercial kitchens worldwide. Their approach includes collaborating with master chefs and other leaders in the industry to better understand the challenges present, the needs of their customers, and how they can tweak their products.
Mercer Culinary is affiliated with the American Culinary Federation, the National Restaurant Association, the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers, and the Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education.
Mercer Culinary resides in Ronkonkoma, New York, and their product lines include cutlery, sharpening tools, plating, and a variety of other kitchen tools and storage solutions.
About Victorinox
Victorinox is a Swiss company founded in 1884 by Karl Elsener, who opened a cutlery shop and created the first Swiss Army Knife. As customers’ needs changed over time, Victorinox expanded to provide its customers with professional and household knives in addition to watches, fragrances, and other travel-related gear.
This company offers a wide array of versatile chef’s knives that are both unique and universally useful in the kitchen.
Victorinox offers its customers the option of knives that feature different sizes, handle types and materials, and shapes so you can find the perfect fit for your purposes.
Available Mercer Knives
Mercer knives come in a variety of collections, and their chefs’ knives feature in each one but showcase slightly different designs. The current line up of collections include:
- MX3
- ZÜM
- Renaissance
- Genesis
- Millennia
- Millennia White
- Millennia Colors
- Praxis
- Ultimate White
- Asian Collection
Besides a variety of blade shapes and sizes, you can expect these knives to feature unique handles that come in different materials such as wood, metal, and plastics.
The ergonomic handles also feature a shape that’s easy to grip even when the kitchen knife is wet or oily, and some of the blades feature dimples so they can more easily shed whatever you’re cutting and wherever you are cutting. They are comfortable with any type of cutting board.
Not all of the handles on Mercer knives feature rivets, which are traditional for many designs. Several of their collections are very affordable for home chefs, while others are a bit pricier and intended for professional use but can still prove useful at home.
Check our in-depth review on these Mercer knives:
- Mercer Culinary Millennia 14-inch Granton-edge Slicer Knife
- Mercer Culinary M23210 Millennia
- Mercer Culinary Genesis 10-piece Forged Knife Set
- Mercer Culinary Genesis 6-Piece Magnetic Board Knife Set
- Mercer Culinary Millennia 6-Inch Curved Boning Knife
- Mercer Nakiri Knife
- Mercer Cutlery Knife Pack Plus
Available Victorinox Knives
Victorinox knives also feature comparable ergonomic handle designs found on Mercer knives, and they also use rivets on a select number of models. Victorinox may use fewer rivets in their handle designs, but they have far more options when it comes to grippy molded TPE handles.
TPE handles are resistant to heat, don’t get slippery when wet or oily, and clean up quickly with almost no maintenance. You can also find Victorinox knives with walnut handles and other wood species, but these designs are not dishwasher safe like the TPE handles.
Victorinox knives have several different collections, including:
Like Mercer, Victorinox knives come with blades manufactured using both forged and stamped knives.
What These Knives Have in Common?
When you’re looking at the similarities between Mercer Vs. Victorinox knives you may be surprised to see so many standard features in their products.
Handle and Blade Types
Both Mercer and Victorinox do an excellent job of offering a wide assortment of forged and stamped knives and handle styles with each of their collections. If you want a traditional chef’s knife, it’s easy to get one from either company with a plastic, metal, or wooden handle, and you get your pick of blade lengths with many of these styles.
Also, keep in mind that both companies offer handles that have an excellent ergonomic shape and blades that give a satisfying weight to perfectly balance the knife without causing undue hand fatigue or wrist pain.
Depending on the handle material used, both Victorinox and Mercer blades have models that are dishwasher safe. Each knife model features a slightly different weight between brands, but their blade lengths mostly range from eight inches to twelve inches.
Use and Care Instructions
Victorinox and Mercer knives come with very similar care instructions and should get washed immediately after you finish using them with warm water and mild soap. Avoid soaking your knife in water or submerging it in any liquid for a prolonged time.
It’s also a good idea to avoid any cleaners that contain chlorine or bleach as these can discolor various components and cause pit stains on the blades. It’s also best to avoid soaking your knife in a stainless high carbon steel sink or with aluminum pans in water as this can cause galvanic damage, which is when electrons move from one metal to another.
Read more on cleaning and maintenance of knives here: How to clean knives?
A Variety of Styles Available
Both Mercer and Victorinox offer a wide variety of knife styles, and these get put into collections with knives that have similar looks. With both companies, you can purchase individual knives, and build a complete set from one collection, or mix and match to fit your specific needs.
Both companies allow you to choose from different collections that feature handle differences, blade shapes, and various lengths, so there’s no shortage of choices in any knife category.
Mercer Culinary Vs Victorinox: What are the Differences?
There are some critical differences between Mercer vs. Victorinox that may influence your buying decision. Here are the items we think matter most.
Collections and Origins
While Mercer has a more significant number of active collections of knives to choose from, and a wider variety of handle types and materials, their products are often made overseas in countries like Taiwan.
Victorinox products get produced in Switzerland, and that location seems to have a more favorable reputation with consumers; however, they offer less variety when it comes to collections, knife styles, handle types, and blade shapes.
Warranties
Victorinox has a limited warranty on their products that last two years, but Mercer doesn’t list a limit on their limited lifetime warranty for non-commercial use. Commercial customers have a limited lifetime warranty of 25 years through Mercer, although this limit doesn’t apply in all locations.
Recommended Mercer and Victorinox Knives
Having compared Mercer vs. Victorinox knives, let’s look at two highly recommended knives that are similar but showcase the small differences between these companies.
Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chefs Knife
The Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chefs knife features an eight-inch blade and TPE handle, so it’s dishwasher safe and ideal for all-around use. This knife originates in Switzerland and has a non-slip handle and excellent balance for its length.
Combined with these features are a durable extra-wide blade and a extremely sharp edge that requires infrequent sharpening.
Mercer Culinary Millennia 8-inch Chefs Knife
Unlike the Victorinox Fibrox, the Mercer Culinary Millennia 8-inch Chefs Knife handle is far from discreet with it’s black and yellow coloring. This knife also originates in Taiwan and is a budget-friendly option that’s ideal for both students and home chefs.
This workhorse style knife features a forged blade of average width made from high-quality stainless steel sourced from Germany. This knife is relatively hefty, which gives it a satisfying feel in hand and excellent balance.
Check out our review & buing guide on Mercer knives here: Mercer Knives Review
Final Thoughts: Mercer Culinary Vs Victorinox Knife
Mercer & Victorinox knives have many things in common, but the knife you ultimately prefer largely depends on your personal preferences and what you’ll be using the knife for in the kitchen.
Home chefs may choose a smaller chef’s knife that feels lighter in the hand while a professional might opt for a longer blade and a non-slip handle.
Regardless of your preferences, there’s no substitute for gripping the knives yourself and seeing which one feels most natural in your hand.
If longevity is your primary concern, you may want to look into Mercer knives with their extended warranty and high-quality stainless steel blades sourced from countries like Germany and Japan.
