Collection: Victorinox Wood Handle

A wood handle knife has a timber handle rather than a moulded synthetic one. Chefs and butchers choose them for the feel and balance in the hand, and Victorinox makes wood handled versions of its carving, slicing, butchers and boning knives.

Timber handles are generally hand washed and dried rather than put through a commercial dishwasher, because repeated heat and moisture can dry, swell or crack the wood. Plan the wash routine before choosing wood handles for a high volume kitchen.

A butchers knife has a broad, heavy blade used to break down carcasses and portion large cuts of meat. It has more blade depth than a boning knife, so it can take longer, heavier strokes through muscle and fat.

The terms overlap. Both describe a long, narrow blade that takes clean slices from cooked meat in a single stroke. Carving knives are often slightly shorter and pointed for working around a bone, while slicing knives are longer for even slices.

A straight edge gives the cleanest cut through cooked and raw meat, and is easy to maintain on a steel. A wavy or serrated edge saws through crusts, rinds and skin without slipping, but is harder to resharpen in house.