When people ask us for an affordable kitchen knife and don’t want to skip on quality, these two names Mercer Culinary and Victorinox pops into our head. Both of these knives are like centerpieces of culinary blades, the workhorse that is going to get the bulk of your work done.
From cutting meat to slicing vegetables, there isn’t much you cant do with the best kitchen knife at your side.
In this article, we are going to tell you the key differences between these two brands. Read on to find out in-depth Victorinox and mercer knives review, where they are made, what materials are used for these knives
What’s the difference between Mercer vs Victorinox chef knife review
The hand-to-hand comparison comes down to the basics- the overall length of the mercer culinary renaissance is 15 inches and weighs 8.8 oz, with 8 inches blade length which is made of x50CrMov15 steel, and Victorinox Fibrox 8 is 18.9 inches and weight 6.1 oz with 7.9 inches blade length made of 420 HC blade steel and the blade style is clip point as well.
Mercer vs Victorinox Chef Knife – Key Comparisons
Both of these knives are the favorite of beginners and the fact that they both fall into “Best budget chef’s knife” make them quite special. When people ask us for an affordable kitchen knife and don’t want to skimp on quality, these two names pop into my head.
These knives have what it takes to equip hoe chefs and professional line cooks with a high-quality blade that has the durability to endure a rough life in the kitchen. Victorinox produces all its knives in Switzerland while Mercer knives are made in Taiwan.
Victorinox was founded by Karl Elsener in 1884. Since then they became quite popular for their Swiss army knife mostly popular among gangsters and assassins. With time customers’ needs changed and they expanded their line and manufactured chef’s knife, utility knives, and watches.
You will be able to see the reflection and practicality of a swiss knife to many Victorinox Knife. Some of the best Victorinox knives are -Fibrox, Swiss Modern, Swiss Classic, Grand Maître.
Unlike Victorinox, Mercer Culinary is part of the modern knife industry. And in a very short time, they achieved quite a good reputation for their professional and household knives. Mercer cutlery product lines include cutlery, sharpening tools, plating, and a variety of other kitchen tools and storage solutions.
Mercer knife has been featured and collaborated with Master Chef and other leading platforms in the industry. Some of the best Mercer knives to get are Mercer Renaissance, Mercer Culinary Genesis, Mercer Culinary Millennia.
Both of these companies manufacture blades by using the forged knife and stamped knife.
What These Knives Have in Common?
Handle Ergonomics
With each of their collections, Mercer and Victorinox both do a fantastic job of providing a diverse selection of forged and stamped knives and handle styles. If you prefer a conventional chef’s knife, you can acquire one with a plastic, metal, or wooden handle from either firm, and many of these models come in a variety of blade lengths.
The ergonomic handles and blades provide a pleasing weight to correctly balance the knife without generating undue hand strain or wrist pain.
Both Victorinox and Mercer blades have dishwasher-safe models, depending on the handle material used. Although the weight of each knife type varies slightly between brands.
Instructions for Use and Care
Victorinox and Mercer knives have fairly similar maintenance guidelines and should be washed with warm water and mild soap as soon as you finish using them. Do not submerge your knife in water or immerse it in any liquid over an extended period of time.
Any cleaners containing chlorine or bleach should be avoided since they might discolor various components and cause pit stains on the blades. It’s also advisable to avoid soaking your knife in a stainless steel high-carbon steel sink or in water with aluminum cookware, as this might result in galvanic damage, which occurs when electrons migrate from one metal to another.
Mercer Culinary Vs Victorinox: How They Are Different?
Origins
While Mercer offers a larger number of current knife collections to pick from, as well as a bigger range of handle types and materials, their products are frequently created in nations such as Taiwan.
Victorinox items are manufactured in Switzerland, which has a better reputation among consumers; however, there is less diversity in terms of collections, knife styles, handle kinds, and blade shapes.
Warranties
Victorinox’s goods come with a two-year limited guarantee, but Mercer’s limited lifetime warranty for non-commercial usage has no such restriction. Mercer offers a 25-year limited lifetime warranty to commercial customers, albeit this does not apply in all places.
How Much Do Victorinox And Mercer Knives Cost?
Both of these brands provide a variety of knives at various pricing levels. To make a more accurate comparison, I’ve divided their primary product lines into two categories: high-end and low-end knives.
I tried to evaluate similar knives, limiting myself to 8-inch chef’s knives or the nearest match in the range.
The name of the range appears in brackets next to the broad price range.
These are only a few approximations. Prices fluctuate over time, so use this as a guide only.
| Variety Of Brands | Mercer | Victorinox |
| Standard | Renaissance Series: $50-$60 | Professional Knives: $110-$130 |
| Value | Millennia Series: $15-$25 | Fibrox Pro Series: $50-$60 |
This is without a doubt the most significant advantage of Mercer knives over Victorinox knives.
For the price, Mercer provides a pretty decent product. The Millennia line isn’t likely to be as sturdy as a Victorinox knife, but you’d expect it to be for the price.
If you check at the Mercer Renaissance series, as much of this post does, you’ll notice that it’s a well-made knife that’s made of forged steel, whereas the Victorinox Fibrox Pro is made of stamped steel.
Mercer Renaissance M23510 Chef Knife – Detailed Knife Review
This is the kind of knife you want to consider if you are into European knives and you are shopping for a new knife. It’s one of those knives you really can’t go wrong with. It has really surprised me in terms of how well it performs.
First off, the steel, this knife uses a high carbon german X50CrMov15 steel. It is an 8-inch chef’s knife with a pretty classic western-style handle made from Delrin which was actually made by the DuPont company as a metal substitute so it’s very sanitary, gets that NSF stamp of approval is also water-resistant and heat resistant.
The rivets attach the handle to the full tang as well. The edge stays tapered round which on paper sounds super fancy. But you might be disappointed after you re-sharpen it as the edge will feel a lot different. Unless you have the same machine as they are using to get this tapered round edge on the blade, it’s going to feel different after you sharpen it for the first time.
The edge of the knife goes all the way down to the length of the heel so there’s none of that edgeless heel garbage so you can sharpen the entire length of this blade. The shape of the knife is quite typical. If I compare it to Victorinox maybe just a few millimeters wider. The handle doesn’t come all the way up onto the knife as well.
As for the artistic details on this knife, it got the honing rod logo with its branding on it. It has a very generous radius from tip to heel and has no hard stops anywhere while performing. Which is really nice for chefs who like rocking on their knives.
Sometimes a knife that has a flat spot in the back will have an abrupt stop when you are coming down from the belly of the knife, this knife doesn’t have any of that. It is extremely smooth. You can finely chop mushrooms, cilantro, onions with this knife very comfortably.
This is a utilitarian knife. This is often frequently found in culinary school students. For the price point, this is the best budget kitchen knife you can get your hands on.
Victorinox Fibrox 8-Inch Chef’s knife- Detailed Review
This Victorinox knife is made in Switzerland. It’s got an 8-inch blade made of stainless steel, very low maintenance and it is NSF certified which means this knife is safe and approved for professional kitchen use.
The first thing you’d notice is the handle shape and that is where the word Fibrox comes into play. The handle is a combination of ergonomic design as well as the textured plastic that is supposed to add a non-slip grip to the handle. It is super utilitarian and holds a beefier grip in hand.
This knife isn’t forged. it is stamped which is the process by which they take a cold-rolled sheet of steel stamp out the shape grind it temper it and sharpen it.
This takes way fewer steps than actually forging a knife which isn’t only reflected in the price but it results in a way thinner and lighter knife which may not be your preference if you like more weight in your knife. The steel of the knife has a plasticky metal feel.
Speaking of being a ground blade on this knife, the edge is actually designed to be resistant to fantastic chipping. That is what makes it a great knife to use instead of your main chef’s knife where the project is very heavy-duty work. The breakpoint of this knife is wider and beefier on this knife so it’s way less likely to chip.
Still Can’t Decide? Here’s an Alternative – The Wusthof Classic 8-inch classic chef’s knife
The Wusthof classic chef knife is known as the workhorse of the kitchen. It’s a great beginner chef’s knife. It has a classic look with a brushed finish. Most german knives are back heavy and this Wusthof stays with the tradition of being handled heavy. Which helps with a rock chopping motion.
The first thing you will notice when you hold this knife is it got some weight to it which is a good thing that means the knife will do more of the work for you. The handle and the blade are pretty evenly balanced. Which allows for more control in making your cuts.
This knife has a full bolster and a finger guard to prevent you from cutting yourself because it is a very sharp knife straight out of the box. It is well crafted from one single piece of steel. The profile is something you’d expect from a traditional chef’s knife.
The blade width is 4.7 centimeters with a 2.5 centimeters knuckle clearance. The cutting length is 20 centimeters which is ideal for home cooks. The handle feels durable and really comfortable in your hands.
However, it depends on your gripping style. Pinch gripping or using a thumb grip on the handle will make the curved handle feel very comfortable in your palm. But if you use a pinch grip at the blad, you won’t be benefited from the curved design. It’s a fully full tang forged knife.
It is robust enough to process a large number of vegetables, breaking through chicken bones, this knife will do all of that with ease. The face of the blade is broad which encourages proper cutting techniques against knuckles and the forged bolster allows for a comfortable grip when you need to choke up for a pinch grip. The handle material is Polyoxymethylene material.
It’s very easy to clean and doesn’t hold food fibers. The material is also quite thick and will hold dimension over time. After years of use in washing in hot water, your blade and handles will still have a smooth transition and there won’t be any misalignment.
The blade is made of x50CrMov 15 german steel. It contains a carbon content of 0.5%. It’s easy to resharpen. This steel type is a worry-free steel type. This knife is the best all-purpose knife, we can recommend.
Our Recommendation
If you have to choose between these two brands, I would recommend the Mercer Renaissance knife.
It offers excellent value for money, as well as the components used, are superior to those used by Victorinox at a comparable price.
Victorinox’s Fibox Pro series, on the other hand, has secure traction here on the handle and is lighter.
However, in terms of practicality, I like the Mercer.
Victorinox does make a lovely Rosewood handle knife. If you would like an aesthetically compelling knife but don’t want to spend a lot of money, this is an excellent option.
Hi, my name is Taras Kulakov and I’m a knife enthusiast. I have been collecting knives for over 30 years and I’ve owned literally thousands of different models over that time. My goal with this site is to share some of what I’ve learned about knives. You can find more info about Taras Kulakov here.
