10-Inch Chef's Knife

We use our favorite 8-inch chef’s knife, the Victorinox Swiss Army Fibrox Pro 8" Chef's Knife, in the test kitchen all day, every day—mincing, dicing, chopping, and slicing. We've found this size capable of handling a multitude of kitchen tasks while also being comfortable to work with.

However, there are a few cooks in our kitchen who prefer a longer blade, especially when breaking down large cuts of meat or big, tough vegetables such as butternut squash. Could we also recommend the Victorinox Swiss Army Fibrox Pro 10" Chef’s Knife? To find out, we used it to chop onions, slice tomatoes, mince parsley, peel and cube bulbous butternut squash, and break down a whole chicken.

The Pros and Cons of a 10-Inch Blade

Testers liked the overall design of the knife; its rubbery, textured handle was secure and easy to grip (the material is the same as in the 8-inch version), and the knife was razor-sharp right out of the box. Its large blade cut right through tough pieces of butternut squash and easily sliced through chicken bones and joints.

However, the longer blade felt unmanageable and unsafe to some testers. With so much blade to keep track of, testers had trouble using the the knife for tasks that required more dexterity, such as chopping an onion, and found that it took them longer to safely complete such tasks. A few also noted that the 10-inch knife felt too heavy. In the end, every tester who tried the knives preferred the 8-inch Victorinox over the 10-inch version.

Recommended with Reservations: Victorinox Swiss Army Fibrox Pro 10" Chef’s Knife

Ultimately, we still recommend the 8-inch version for all the kitchen tasks of the average home cook. If you’re looking for a longer blade with which to prep large, tough vegetables such as butternut squash or break down large cuts of meat, we recommend the Victorinox Swiss Army Fibrox Pro 10" Chef’s Knife. It features a sharp blade and a comfortable handle.