Ask RH Forschner

What is a stamped knife?
What does a forged knife mean?
Where are Victorinox knives made?
Who is RH Forschner?
Where can I buy RH Forschner by Victorinox knives?
What is the warranty on Victorinox knives?
What knives do I need to own?
What are the different edges and what do they do?
How do I keep my knives sharp?  How do I sharpen then?
How should I store my knives?
Can my knives go in the dishwasher?
What is NSF?
What is the steel makeup? What is No-Stain Steel and is it rustproof?

What is a stamped knife?

A Stampled Knife is cut into a shape from a cold rolled piece of steel and then ground, tempered, and sharpened. It requires many less steps than forging and results in a lighter, narrower blade.  Stamped knives are easier to produce and therefore less expensive. They perform very well and can approach the quality of a forged blade (but not the weight or feel). A stamped knife can usually be identified by the absence of a bolster.

Victorinox manufactures a complete range of stamped blades with our unique Fibrox handle and are considered the greatest “value” knife range in the industry.  This range is marketed to the professional trade under the RH Forschner Brand.

What does a forged knife mean?

Forging is the process of working metal thru transformation. Since the beginning of time, quality knives have been manufactured by forging.  Forging results in a blade that is stronger than any other method. This is because during the forging process the metal grain pattern is realigned and is transformed to a stronger material.  Forging of kitchen knives is by the hot-drop forging method. It involves a multi-step process whereby a billet of steel is heated to a high temperature (2000c) and placed under a multi ton forging hammer.  This metal is them hammered by the forge (transformed) into the shape of the die. The hot metal is placed on the bottom part of the die and the top part of the die drops, under great force, and forges the knife (where the name comes from). The force of the impact causes the metal to flow into the shape of the die. This is only the first step and requires further processing, tempering, grinding, heat treating, polishing, and some 40 additional steps.                                                                                              

Forged blades are typically thicker and heavier than stamped blades. Most forged blades are considered superior to stamped blades and are the choice for top quality kitchen cutlery.
All Victorinox forged cutlery are hot-drop forged, the time tested quality method of manufacturing.

Where are Victorinox knives made?

Victorinox is the largest knife manufacturer in Europe and is located in Ibach, Switzerland.  All Victorinox stamped Blades are manufactured in Switzerland.  The exclusive forged range offers a unique partnership, whereby the knife is forged in Solingen, Germany (the heartland of hot drop forged cutlery) and is finished in Switzerland, including all quality control, polishing, and the famous Victorinox factory edge. This delivers the utmost quality product possible.

Who is RH Forschner?

RH Forschner is a division of Victorinox/Swiss Army Brands.  It is distributed to the to commercial, food service and retail trade classes.  It is considered the choice of professionals worldwide and offers over 300 styles of blades, considered tools in their industry. It is marketed under RH Forschner by Victorinox, the preference of professionals since 1855.

Where can I buy RH Forschner by Victorinox knives?

Victorinox products are sold exclusively through a network of quality dealers (retailer partners) nationwide. This includes fine cutlery, gourmet, and quality on line partners. The entire forged range is featured at Bloomingdales nationwide.

Please call our consumer service dept. at 800 442-2706 to find a partner near you - a representative will be pleased to help you.

What is the warranty on Victorinox knives?

All Victorinox cutlery carries a lifetime warranty against manufacturers defects. Please visit our web site at www.swissarmy.com to learn the details of this policy.

What knives do I need to own?

Knife choice or selection is determined by many factors: size, function, style and preference. The most important factor is function. Different knives have different functions or uses. It is important to use the proper knife for specific tasks, proper knife selection and the use of a proper sized, sharp knife make for Safe cutting. General functions and the knife to own are as follows:

Chef: The most important tool and is essential to every cook. Used in a rocking method to mince, dice, chop vegetables, herbs, and is the chefs best friend.
Slice:  Defined slicing of meats, poultry, seafood, and the like.
Boning: To remove meat and trim meat and fish from the bone.
Bread: A special knife, designed with a special edge, to cut bread and any pastry or item with a crust and a soft interior. This will become your favorite knife.
Fillet: To fillet, generally fish and meat.
Cleaver: To cut and chop bones. Not really a knife but an important addition to your collection
                                                                                                                                    

Remember, choose a size in each of these functions that works for you. Many size options are available to allow every individual to have the perfect tool for every job.  An alternative is to purchase one of our complete block sets, which carry the suggested opening assortment for the home chef. Additional items can always be added as you find the need.

What are the different edges and what do they do?

The vast majority of Victorinox knives come with a straight or fine edge. This means it has a perfect taper along the blade and no serrations. It will cut perfectly and without tearing or shredding.

Fine edge: As above the perfectly straight edge on waves or serrations are used for most cutting tools.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Serrate: Edge with obvious teeth along the edge.
Scallope: A blade with waves along the edge. Used specifically to cut breads with a hard crust or a soft interior, and tough skinned fruits and vegetables.                                              Granton: (often called a “kullenschiff”) has hollowed out grooves or dimples on the sides of the blade. These grooves fill with the fat and juices of the product being cut, which allows for thin, even cuts without tearing and for ease of cutting (most known for it use on santoku knives).  Remember, these are still straight edge knives, and can be honed with sharpening steel.

How do I keep my knives sharp?  How do I sharpen them?

All quality knives require proper maintenance to keep them in perfect cutting shape. This means frequent use of a sharpening steel (see www.swissarmy) to see method and technique. This usage will keep a sharp knife sharp. All straight edge knives need steeling to keep their edge (Picture of sharpening steel to be placed on web).

Please note that electric knife sharpeners can be harmful. They have to be used carefully as they remove too much metal, can harm the temper of the blade, and most important can change the factory applied edge angle. When sharpening steel no longer does the job bring your knives to a qualified knife sharpener (check the yellow pages) who will place a new edge on your knife. This, along with use of the sharpening steel, will give you many years of sharp, safe blades.

How should I store my knives?

Safety is the biggest concern of storage, both to the user and to protect the knife edge itself. Choices include a knife magnet, knife block, drawer insets, and also individual knife protectors. Please visit our web site to see these and other options. Care should always be used in handling and washing all cutlery.

Can my knives go in the dishwasher?

Quality knives should not go in the dishwasher. The heat and the agitation are not good for the edge. Additionally the harsh detergents can be harmful and cause pitting and spotting on the blades. The handles will also discolor and develop a white film with constant use of the dishwasher.

It is recommended to simply wash in soapy water, rinse and hand dry. They should never be left in the sink dirty or in water overnight. Most knives require very little maintenance and it is worth the effort to protect your investment.

What is NSF?

It stands for the National Sanitary Foundation and is a seal of quality assurance. It is used primarily in the commercial environment and is on all stamped blades made by Victorinox. All fibrox handles of Victorinox are NSF approved. It is not used on the forged consumer range of cutlery.

What is the steel makeup? What is No-Stain Steel and is it rustproof?

Quality cutlery utilizes what is called no-stain steel to manufacture its products. It is known for its strength, its ability not to rust, and ability to hold a fine edge. However all steel can and will rust if misused or not cared for.  Proper care is required to keep these fine tools look and perform like new.

The steel makeup for the Victorinox range is:                                                                    

Only quality steel x50CR MO composition with a Rockwell hardness of 55-56 HRC for high edge retention. All blades are conically ground on the full length of the blade as well as ground crosswise. This results in a wider break point with less risk of blade fracturing and less resistance for ease of cutting. This provides, along with the expert manufacturing processes, the exact conditions for a lifetime of sharp edge and performance.