REASONS TO BUY
Fantastic value for money
Easy to hold
Lightweight
Factory sharp
REASONS TO AVOID
Looks aren't attractive
Low weight can feel cheap
Victorinox Swiss Classic 8-Inch Review
An extremely capable chef knife that performs nearly as well as much more expensive knives
Credit: Bradley Nichols
RELATED: Best Chef Knife of 2024
Our Verdict
The sturdy Victorinox Swiss Classic is made in Switzerland by the same company that produces the famous Swiss army knife. Their reputation for reliability and practicality is represented well here in this eight-inch chef's knife. Though it's not winning any awards for upscale aesthetics, this tried-and-true chef knife never let us down throughout our testing. Its nylon handle may not look like much, but it provided excellent grip and security no matter what we were chopping. Across all our months of intensive testing in the kitchen and measurements in the lab, the Victorinox proved to be one of our favorite knives of the bunch and comes at an extremely attractive price.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product Victorinox Swiss Classic 8-Inch | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Value for a Chef Knife | Best Chef Knife on a Tight Budget | |||
| Price | $61 List $52.72 at Amazon | $85 List $94.00 at Amazon | $30 List $29.99 at Amazon | $70 List | $34 List $33.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | A fantastic value for an all-around excellent blade, offering great performance at a low cost | Almost a great knife, but falls short | A great value for a solid knife that holds its own against stiff competition | German style knife hampered by poor manufacturing | Its looks don't translate into performance |
| Rating Categories | Victorinox Swiss Cl... | Misen 8" | Babish High-Carbon 8" | Henckels Classic 8-... | Paudin Universal Cl... |
| Cutting Performance (30%) | |||||
| Practicality (30%) | |||||
| Ergonomics (25%) | |||||
| Build Quality (15%) | |||||
| Specs | Victorinox Swiss Cl... | Misen 8" | Babish High-Carbon 8" | Henckels Classic 8-... | Paudin Universal Cl... |
| Reported Blade Bevel Angle | 16° | 15° | 15° | 15° | 15° |
| Measured Blade Bevel Angle | 20° | 14.25° | 12° | 15° | 15° |
| Reported Steel Hardness | 56 HRC | 58 HRC | 55 HRC | 56.5 HRC | 56 HRC |
| Measured Steel Hardness | 54 HRC | 53 HRC | 51 HRC | 52 HRC | 57 HRC |
| Measured Factory Sharpness | 213 BESS | 187 BESS | 185 BESS | 302 BESS | 205 BESS |
| Country of Origin | Switzerland | Japan | China | Spain | China |
| Construction Method | Stamped | Stamped | Stamped | Forged | Stamped |
| Model Tested | 6.8063.20G | 8" | 8" | 31161-201 | N1-Chef Knife |
| Metal Type | Not specified | AUS-10 | 1.4116 | Stainless steel (unspecified) | 50Cr15Mov |
| Measured Weight | 5.7 oz | 8.4 oz | 8.3 oz | 8.1 oz | 6.9 oz |
| Measured Blade Thickness at Spine | 2.20 mm | 2.00 mm | 2.00 mm | 1.87 mm | 1.90 mm |
| Full Bolster | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Handle Material | Nylon | Polymer | Polymer | Polymer | Pakkawood |
| Dishwasher Safe | Dishwasher safe, hand wash reccomended | Hand wash only | Hand wash only | Dishwasher safe at 55° C and lower, hand wash recommended | Hand wash only |
| Interesting Features | None | None | Babish face etched onto handle end | None | Faux Damascus pattern on blade |
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Victorinox Swiss Classic has an 8-inch stamped steel blade made in Switzerland. It comes with a nylon handle and is one of the lightest knives we tested, measuring just 5.7 ounces.
Performance Comparison
Though not the fanciest appearance for a chef knife, the performance of the Victorinox proved that this blade is still an exceptional choice for most kitchen tasks.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Cutting Performance
The Victorinox's blade proved to be sharp, flexible, and able to handle all the key tasks we put it through in our test kitchen.
It sailed through all our slicing, dicing, and mincing tests with ease. Though it lacks some of the precision we found in other knives — particularly some of the pricier blades in our lineup — the Victorinox never failed to adequately slice through the skin of a ripe tomato.
Steel Properties and Construction Methods
| Reported Steel Hardness | Measured Steel Hardness | Blade Construction | Metal Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victorinox Swiss Classic | 56 HRC | 54 HRC | Stamped | Not specified |
| Wusthof Classic | 58 HRC | 54 HRC | Forged | X50CrMoV15 |
| Misen | 58 HRC | 53 HRC | Stamped | AUS-10 |
| Babish High-Carbon | 55 HRC | 51 HRC | Stamped | 1.4116 German steel |
| Henckels Classic | 56.5 HRC | 52 HRC | Forged | Stainless steel (unspecified) |
The Victorinox doesn't feel like a particularly delicate instrument and wasn't quite capable of the same level of fine dicing detail that some of the other blades we tested accomplished.
Still, it performed above average when pitted against some stiff (and expensive) competition.
The Victorinox didn't let us down when it came to making all the usual slices and dices we needed to get dinner on the table.
Credit: Bradley Nichols
Practicality
We found the Victorinox's thick, textured nylon handle to have above average grip in most situations situations. When making awkward cuts through large, chunky melons and gourds, the beefy handle of the Swiss Classic offered plenty of stability and security in our hands.
Even breaking down a slimy raw chicken was doable with this thick knife. The large bolster-like front end provided a diversity of different grip options that allowed our testing team to push, turn, and maneuver the blade into all the joints to separate a carcass into its component cuts.
With wet hands, the texture of the Victorinox handle helped to keep it more secure in our grip. Though it's not quite as good as some others in our lineup, this knife proved to have above-average performance throughout the full range of practicality cuts, grips, tests, and trials we put it through.
The textured nylon handle of the Victorinox helps to maintain grip even with greasy hands from breaking down an entire chicken carcass.
Credit: Bradley Nichols
Ergonomics
The handle of the Victorinox is one of the most unique in our lineup. Not only is it made of nylon (most others are made of various unspecified polymers or the wood-resin compound called Pakkawood), but it looks a lot different than most other knives as well. Its appearance is distinctly utilitarian. Although some testers found the looks unappealing, all of them found it to be very comfortable to hold.
The subjectivity of appearances aside, our entire testing team agreed that the Victorinox handle was shaped well and felt comfortable in hand. It doesn't appear particularly balanced, but it feels that way in use, adding to our overall positive impressions of this knife during testing.
The Victorinox is a very light knife, which we weighed at just 5.7 ounces — one of the lightest in our lineup. This means that it lacks some heft and solidity that many expect out of a high-quality chef knife.
Physical Characteristics
| Measured Weight | Measured Spine Thickness | Bolster | Handle Material | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victorinox Swiss Classic | 5.7 oz | 2.20 mm | ✖ | Nylon |
| Wusthof Classic | 9.1 oz | 2.60 mm | Polymer | |
| Misen | 8.4 oz | 2.00 mm | ✖ | Polymer |
| Babish High-Carbon | 8.3 oz | 2.00 mm | ✖ | Polymer |
| Henckels Classic | 8.1 oz | 1.87 mm | Polymer |
The front end of the handle is thickened into a bolster without being as overstated as many other full bolsters. Our testing team appreciated the diversity of holding methods this allowed them to take during different tasks.
The Victorinox is an exceptionally lightweight knife, largely due to its nylon handle.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Build Quality
The light weight of the Victorinox Swiss Classic makes it feel cheap. That's not to say it isn't a fully capable kitchen implement, but no one will mistake this for a very high-quality knife. Its overall appearance is quite industrial and utilitarian. Some may appreciate this different aesthetic, but for those who love to display their knives, the Victorinox will certainly stand out from most other models.
From the box, the Victorinox performed admirably in our paper slicing test. Though it wasn't as silky smooth, gliding through the paper as some others in our lineup, it did a more than adequate job of cutting without catching any burrs.
Our only real complaint about the build quality of the Victorinox is with the molded nylon handle. The unit we tested had minor seams running down the center of the handle. It wasn't enough to irritate our hands during light use and sanded off with regular sandpaper quite easily. Still, this lack of attention to detail isn't something we're excited to see in this otherwise solidly constructed chef's knife.
Though the Victorinox may be lacking a few of the finest finishing touches of pricier knives, it still has good bones and a solid build, making it a capable blade.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Should You Buy the Victorinox Swiss Classic 8-Inch?
The Victorinox is the ultimate no-frills functional blade. If you want to get the absolute best bang for your buck with no fancy extras, the Victorinox is for you.
If you're after a new knife that excels at all the basics, is easy to use, and won't break the bank, the utilitarian Victorinox IS that knife.
Credit: Bradley Nichols
What Other Chef Knives Should You Consider?
When it comes to top-tier performance and affordable price, there's no other chef's knife we've tested that comes close to the value of the Victorinox Swiss Classic. If you can't abide by the utilitarian aesthetic of this knife, the more attractive Zwilling Professional S is a similarly highly rated knife that our testing team loved — though it costs significantly more. The Babish High-Carbon is another knife that offers solid performance for its price. It has a more sleek appearance than the Victorinox but it also did not perform nearly as well in our ergonomics and build quality assessments.
—
Bradley Nichols
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