Besides its famous luxury watches, travel gear, and fragrance, Victorinox is one of the best knife makers in the industry. Since its foundation in 1884, Victorinox has gained recognition all over the world for producing Swiss Army knives.
The company makes Swiss Army knives from a unique blend of steel from Germany and France.
Victorinox has been the sole manufacturer of Swiss Army multipurpose knives since purchasing Wenger in 2005. Still, you may be wondering, why is a Victorinox knife so expensive?
Even though the Swiss Army knives are the company’s most well-known products, Victorinox also makes other knives that are great for butchers or cooking at home.
The Swiss Modern, the Fibrox, the Wooden Knives, and the Swiss Classic are some of the company’s long list of impressive knife collections. This collection has a range of styles, materials, functions, and prices.
Why Is a Victorinox Knife So Expensive?
So, what’s different about Victorinox knives? The company has the right mix of design and skill to make good-quality, useful knives that get the job done.
One thing that makes the Victorinox knife costly is the company’s good name. Here are four reasons, besides the designs, durability, and performance, why the Victorinox knife is so expensive.
Material of the Blades
Most knives have metallic blades. But not every metal can be used to make the best knife blades. When choosing a type of metal to make a knife, a few things are taken into account.
For example, the high amount of chromium in stainless steel makes the metal resistant to stains. Carbon steel, however, is dark or even black because it has a lot of carbon. Aside from the basics, the way these two materials work as knife blades is also different.
A carbon steel knife can be as sharp as a razor, and it does not require frequent sharpening. However, it changes color over time the more you use it.
You will need to oil these knives and take good care of them so that rust doesn’t form and damage the blade.
In contrast, stainless steel is a more rigid metal. In addition to not retaining their sharpness as much as carbon steel knives, stainless steel knives are also harder to sharpen.
Since the metal is harder, you’ll need to use various sharpening tools to get the perfect edge. However, stainless steel knives don’t rust easily and don’t need much care besides sharpening.
Victorinox uses a metal called martensitic steel. The company also uses a type of steel with about 0.5% carbon in it.
After the process is done, the metal is both hard and bendable. As such, because Victorinox only uses high-quality materials in its knives, they are expensive, but their quality, durability, and performance are guaranteed.
Related Read: Victorinox Knife Vs Mercer Culinary: Discover The Differences
The Knife Handle
Just as there are different kinds of metal, there are also other materials for handles. Victorinox uses four synthetic material types to make handles that are comfortable to hold with a long lifespan.
However, each material has its pros and cons, and some people prefer one type better than another.
For instance, you can put synthetic handles in the dishwasher, and they are easy to clean and keep sanitary with little work. The same does not apply to wooden handles, however, as they may break or splinter when exposed to hot water.
Still, some of the best knives come with ergonomic handles made of either plastic or wood. The look and feel of rosewood handles are the best. They offer a sturdy grip and are easy to clean.
Victorinox also makes some handles out of walnut and a “modified maple.” The “modified maple” is a type of wood that goes through heating to make it more durable. It still has the beautiful grain of maple wood, though.
When making knife handles, there is an emphasis on care and precision to ensure they are the best. Even though they’re more expensive than most knives, Victorinox guarantees you get your money’s worth.
The Blade Length
The blade length of a knife influences its usability, practicality, and price. If it’s too large, you’ll lack the flexibility you need to make precise cuts. Likewise, smaller blades produce rough cuts and lack the power to cut through tough vegetables or meats.
Victorinox knives have the perfect length for their intended use. The brand’s boning knives, for example, are six inches long.
This is a superb middle ground between a large butcher’s knife and a smaller paring knife. The boning knife is useful for filleting, making primal cuts, and removing bones from meat.
It also functions admirably as a skinning knife. On the other hand, Victorinox’s Chef’s Knife has an eight-inch blade length that increases its versatility and usability in the kitchen. Additionally, it is lightweight and simple to sharpen.
Designed by professionals, Victorinox ensures that its knives’ blade length perfectly fit their roles. The majority of knife manufacturing companies rarely measure the length of their blades precisely.
Victorinox, on the other hand, pays close attention to every minute detail, guaranteeing that the finished product is the kind of knife you require.
Versatility
For extra strength, Victorinox uses a stamped, heated stainless steel blade with high carbon content. The knives also have adjustable handles that make them easy to grip and keep the knife steady.
The curved six-inch blade is also semi-rigid and has a highly pointy drop tip. All of this adds up to a simple knife with a distinctive shape that makes it suitable for nearly any cutting task.
You can use the brand’s knives to cut, slice, chop, skin, or remove bones. As a result, the price of the knives is justified by their usefulness.
Final Thoughts
Even though they’re a bit pricey, Victorinox makes the best multi-purpose knives. The company has a long history of creating unique multipurpose tools, therefore they are knowledgeable in their field.
Additionally, every knife they produce has fantastic characteristics that make them helpful for uses apart from their primary function.
All Victorinox knives are from Ibach, Switzerland, the same town where the company’s founder began making knives.
Whether you want a Swiss Army knife or a great set of kitchen knives, all Victorinox products have the same level of Swiss craftsmanship, making them dependable and of high quality.
