Review Victorinox Grand Maître Bread Knife

 

- when only the best is good enough

Introduction

There are a couple of misunderstandings about bread knives/bread saws that I would like to discuss at the outset. One such is that all bread knives are the same and therefore it doesn't matter which one you buy. Another is that they are still not important because they are only supposed to do one thing anyway and they can't be resharpened because of the serrations.

Victorinox is almost as famous for their kitchen knives as their folding knives with the red handles

We can start from the back by saying that it is certainly possible to both sharpen and resharpen them, but that it is a rather cumbersome procedure as each wave valley must be treated as a separate edge. But if you have a good knife that you enjoy, it is worth the trouble. And it will take three, four, or maybe five years between times.

That it matters which knife you use becomes obvious if you compare a couple of them side by side. Certainly, the bread knife is significantly more niche than the kitchen's Swiss knife, the versatile chef's knife. They're only supposed to cut bread. Something that also goes well with a very sharp chef's knife, as long as you don't approach a sourdough loaf with a really solid crust because then you might run into trouble. But there are plenty of other knives with limited or rather specialized uses. There you will find, for example, fillet knives, salmon knives, carving knives, Nagiris, meat cleavers, and so on. They are the next step after you have a basic set of kitchen knives. 

Chances are you've used this bread knife if you've ever stayed in a better hotel. These knives are often found at the breakfast buffet, at least in Europe

In other words, the bread knife has a special task that it must do well, and that is to cut bread and other baked goods. But now all bread is not equal. There is a significant difference between sharing a freshly baked airy roll, cutting a firm rye bread, or sharing a cake or pastry. A good bread knife should also handle the latter. As an aside, it can be mentioned that if you don't have a sharp chef's knife,  a good bread knife can also handle, for example, ripe tomatoes or, if necessary, even Christmas ham. Although a dedicated steak knife is preferable to the latter, speaking of knives for special purposes.

Grand Maître compared to a Sabatier Four Star Elephant straight bread knife. The latter actually has the grind on the wrong side for the right-handed!

It is because of the specialization that bread knives are serrated, by the way. In fact, a really hard crust can destroy an ordinary edge if it's sharp and thin enough. At the same time, a knife for bread must be really sharp so as not to require so much force that you press together and compress an airy white bread, for example. That equation is next to impossible to solve without adding saw teeth to the blade. How these should be designed is an essay in itself, but there is evidence that a soft wave pattern with sufficient length and sharp peaks is what works best.*

Today we will take a closer look at a knife that meets all the requirements that can be put on a good bread knife. It comes from Victorinox and their top series called Grand Maître.

 

Weight and Measures

Bread knives can look a little different, although the blade has similarities in how the edge is designed. Then they can be provided with completely straight or slightly curved blades, have a handle that sits in line with the blade, or be slightly angled in relation to it, and so on. They have one thing in common, however, and that is that they are usually made a bit flexible, that goes for this knife as well. The blade flexes slightly if you press the flat side against a surface.

As with all kitchen knives, balance is essential to how the knife feels to work with. This one is exceptionally well-balanced which helps it feel light and nimble

The Victorinox Grand Maître is an exclusive knife in that it is forged. This means that the blade, bolster, and tang are made in one piece. The material is X50CrMoV15 steel and the handle is made of POM (Polyoxymethylene), a material which is very suitable for kitchens as it is both easy to keep clean and very durable. For example, it can handle heat very well. This makes it possible to clean the knife in a dishwasher*.

The knife weighs in at just over two hundred grams, 216g, and is a total of 370 mm long, of which the blade is 23 cm. The height of the blade is 30 mm. Proportions that are fairly common on bread knives. The tip is slightly rounded and the outer part of the edge is not sharp.

Blade

First, some comments about the blade itself as there are some rules of thumb for bread knives. Firstly, they should be quite long. Otherwise, they are not enough if you have to cut a large loaf or perhaps a cake.

However, the blades should not be too high as it is more difficult to change the direction of the cut with a wide knife blade if needed. Then the edge is slightly curved on the Grand Maître, which I prefer over completely straight blades because it makes it easier to cut with the entire edge against a cutting board.

The serrations have been given a rather classically shaped wave pattern. The advantage of this wavelength is, in addition to cutting well, that the knife can be sharpened and resharpened when necessary

Then there was the small unsharpened piece of edge towards the tip. It is there so that the knife does not unnecessarily cut into your cutting boards. After all, it is a variant of the saw you are holding!

Handle

As I said, the handle is made of man-made material but is also available in stabilized maple for those who want a wooden handle. The grip is 13 cm long, 1.8-2.7 cm high and 1.9 cm thick. The sides are apparently attached with three rivets, which gives a traditional look. That was also the goal when the Grand Maître series was created. To create knives with an exclusive look and feel without being too expensive.

The knife has a very well-shaped handle attached with three rivets

The shape is curvy and fits a hand well, but really it's something secondary as you don't grip kitchen knives in the same way as a carving knife or the like. They are very rarely held in a "hammer grip" but more often in the pinch or with a finger on the back. Here are a couple of details that elevate this knife above the crowd. One such is how soft and fine the grip is on the bolster closest to the blade. This makes the knife very comfortable to work with. Then the balance is exceptionally good. It is found right at the transition between handle and blade and it makes the knife feel light and nimble. Something that is certainly even more important on chef's knives, which are usually used for a longer period of time than bread knives.

The Grand Maître series is forged from one piece and has a full tang

Then the handle is angled in relation to the blade. There are two schools of bread knives and the other has completely straight handles. However, the angle means that the risk of hitting the knuckles on the surface is reduced. The low blade means that there is not much space left for the fingers otherwise.

To Use

I've had this knife for quite a while at this point and it's had it work with most things that are reasonable. We are mainly talking about bread, but also some vegetables. However, it should be added that all bread is not the same as you know.

Fresh rolls baked with apples in the dough are very tasty

There is a difference between bread with crusts like baguettes and ciabattas and softer bread. Then we have hearty home-baked sourdough loaves with really hard crusts versus fresh rolls. In addition, for the sake of testing, I have also cut soft vegetables such as tomatoes with this knife.

What is wanted is a knife that does not send the crust from the bread like brown confetti all over the kitchen, but bites well even on the most stubborn of surfaces. That's what the Victorinox Grand Maître does with its sharp tips on the saw teeth. Incidentally, the knife arrived really sharp and I haven't had to resharpen it during the time I've owned it despite daily use. But I haven't abused it either. It also works well for e.g. removing the skin of a pineapple, but for that, I usually use a special "junk knife" that I have for such tasks because it quickly dulls a knife.

One challenge is to cut really soft white bread without making a mess

Then comes the delicate task of sharing really soft white bread. In that area, this knife has competition from my chef's knives as I keep them so sharp that they can handle that too. But so does this knife! It is important that the knife really cuts when "sawing". Otherwise, the bread is pressed together into a lump.

To Conclude

Victorinox Grand Maître bread knife is a premium knife, which is only partially visible on the price tag. It stipulates a price of around 140$ or just under that. Whether you are going to spend that much money on a bread knife depends to some extent on whether you have the opportunity to sharpen and possibly resharpen it yourself or can give it away for that. Because all knives wear, even serrated ones, and then they need a new edge. In return, it takes quite a long time to get there and in the meantime, you can enjoy the good qualities.

Victorinox Grand Maître Bread is a well-made and very well-balanced bread knife

This knife is classically elegant and pleasant to look at with its fully forged construction, which gives nice transitions between the blade, bolster and handle. But even more important is that this knife is very ergonomic and also has excellent balance. The latter means that it not only looks exclusive but also feels the same way when you hold it. The function is excellent whether you want to defeat rustic Levain bread or just share a delicious freshly baked roll.

Then there is a real possibility that you have already tried this or an older version of the knife, as many slightly more sophisticated hotels have them as utensils on the breakfast buffet.

In any case, the Victorinox Grand Maître is a knife I highly recommend as it is one of the best in the field I have tried. They know their stuff in these parts of the world and it shows in the tools designed to handle them, whether you are a professional or want something really good for the home.

Specifications: Victorinox Grand Maître bread knife 7.7433.23G


Length Overall: 370 mm
Blade Length: 230 mm
Blade Thickness: 2,4 mm

Weight: 216 g (weighted by me)

Steel: X50CrMoV15
Handle: Polyoxymetylen (POM)


/ J - looking for knives among the mountains

* Among others from Cooks Illustrated.

**  BUT you should NEVER do that. More on why at another time.