The Swiss Classic Santoku Knife is a Japanese style knife known for its versatility. Santoku translates to “three virtues” or “three uses” which refers to the three types of cuts this knife is made for: slicing, dicing, and mincing. It combines features of both a chef’s knife and a cleaver. The wide blade is perfect for scooping sliced or chopped ingredients off the cutting board and transferring them into a pot or bowl. The triad of abilities this knife possesses makes it a must-have for every home chef.

Featuring a flat cutting edge and a rounded tip called a sheep’s foot, the Swiss Classic Santoku’s unique shape makes it a stand-out from other kitchen knives. The flat edge doesn’t rock on the cutting surface, which distinguishes it from a chef’s knife, and provides a highly efficient motion for slicing, dicing, and mincing. The Granton blade, also referred to as a hollow or fluted edge, features hollowed-out grooves or dimples on both sides on the blade. Depending on what is being cut, these grooves will fill with juices or create pockets of air, which prevents food from sticking to the blade and creates less friction to allow for easier motion when chopping.

Even with the grooves, these are still straight-edge knives and can be honed with a sharpening steel, so they can remain razor sharp at all times. The tapered knife edge is ground in two directions to hold a sharp edge longer, and can easily be brought back to its original sharpness.

Optimally weighted with high-quality, lightweight European steel reduces hand and wrist fatigue, making it comfortable even after extended use in the home kitchen. We’ve selected the best attributes derived from our rich commercial heritage and modified them to suit the home chef. The Victorinox Swiss Army Swiss Classic collection offers a contemporary handle, inspired by our patented Fibrox Pro line. The contoured nylon handle is both lightweight and durable, making these knives seem less likes tools and more like an extension of your hand. The textured handle feels secure even when greasy or wet, allowing for precise and effortless cuts each and every time.

Whether a seasoned, or novice home chef, Victorinox Swiss Army offers not only the right tools and the know-how, but most importantly, the confidence to achieve one’s culinary aspirations. Expertly crafted in Switzerland since 1884, Victorinox offers a lifetime guarantee against defects in material and workmanship.

Please NOTE that this item ships with international item number 6.8523.17 on the blade and not 6.8523.17US1 but is the same 7″ Swiss Classic Santoku Knife.

Formerly Forschner
In 1937 Victorinox began selling cutlery in America through a Connecticut distributor called R.H. Forschner & Co. A well-known manufacturer of butcher scales, Forschner soon became the exclusive U.S. distributor for Victorinox knives, and was the name by which Victorinox knives were known.

In 2011 Victorinox began marketing all its product lines, including kitchen knives, under the common umbrella name by which the company is now popularly known – Victorinox Swiss Army. Today, Victorinox Swiss Army still sells a handful of accessories, including the High Heat Turner line, under the Forschner name.

Care and Use
Be good to your knives and they’ll be good to you. Following these simple guidelines will ensure that you get the longest life out of your knife!

Hand Washing
Victorinox Swiss Army recommends washing all knives by hand. For best results, hand wash your knives with a soapy cloth and dry immediately.

Dishwasher
While Fibrox Pro knives are dishwasher safe, we recommend hand washing as dishwashers are designed to spray water at a relatively high pressure, which can jostle the silverware and cause the knives to collide, dulling the edge.

Maintaining your Knife’s Edge
For optimum performance, knives should be honed after every couple of uses. Proper and frequent use of a honing steel will keep your knives sharper and performing at their best, but remember that a honing steel will not sharpen a dull knife. Honing steels are maintenance tools and are used to help keep an already sharp blade from degrading. During use, a knife edge becomes rolled or turned from direct contact with cutting boards, bones or other hard objects. In this case, honing is necessary to straighten the edge of the knife. After significant use, the steel particles become damaged and the edge cannot be brought back by honing, so sharpening is necessary. If your knives are dull, pitted, or you see visible nicks on the cutting edge, you’ll need to sharpen with a Swiss Sharp Handheld Sharpener (49002) or bring to a professional for re-sharpening.

History and Heritage
In 1884, Master Cutler Karl Elsener opened a cutlery shop in Ibach, Switzerland. There, he and the cutlers’ union he formed produced the finest steel cutlery, finished with the now-famous proprietary edge preferred globally by professional and home cooks. In 1891, Karl supplied the Swiss Army with its standard issue Soldier’s Knife and in 1897 with the Officer’s Knife. In 1921, after the death of his mother, Victoria, and with the advent of stainless steel, then known as “inoxydable” and used in the production of his cutlery, Karl changed the name of the company to Victorinox. It is from those humble beginnings that a worldwide icon was born.

Today, Victorinox is still owned and operated by the Elsener family, and both the company and family still resides in the small village of Ibach, Switzerland.