You may think we're a little biased toward Victorinox knives based on how often we talk about them on our YouTube channel or on our blog. But really, they're boning knives are just that good. We choose to use Victorinox knives for the superior sharp edge retention and high-quality materials they use. It’s not just for the cameras, either. We don’t switch to some other brand of knives when the camera stops. The Victorinox boning knives really are the boning knives we reach for every day.
We have discussed a little in our videos and blogs about these boning knives and why we like them, but today we are going to go in-depth with one of our absolute favorites: the semi-rigid 6” boning knife with rosewood handles. This is an attractive and affordable stainless steel knife that will surprise you with how often you reach for it in your own kitchen.
Boning Knife Details and Features
The first thing you will notice about the 6” boning knife is the graceful curve to the stainless steel blade. A curved blade allows for precision cuts without having to apply a ton of force. Victorinox gave the blade on this boning knife a perfect curve so you can get through big, tough chunks of meat, then get detailed removing bones without switching knives.
A semi-flexible blade is ideal for deboning because the knife can follow along heavier bones without cutting into them. A flexible boning knife is great for thinner meats and proteins with smaller bones where you need more dexterity. Flexible boning knives also perform better when cutting through soft tissue or trimming fat. There is nothing worse than finding bone shards in your steak, and this slightly flexible blade on this boning knife is the ideal compromise between a rigid, heavy duty knife and a truly flexible blade.
The curve design also provides an incredibly sharp edge and piercing point perfect for getting through tough membranes, skin, and other obstacles. Victorinox ships their boning knives sharp, and this one is no different. A classic 20 degree flat grind gives the 6” boning knife a perfect sharp edge that is easy to maintain. In fact, a few quick passes with a truing iron is all that is needed to keep this semi-flexible boning knife in optimal condition.
The blade itself is made from a unique high carbon stainless steel blend created for Victorinox. Each boning knife blade is stamped into a blank, then ground to the perfect dimensions. The high carbon stainless steel semi-flexible blade is one-piece and tapered. The shank of the blade on this boning knife measures about 3/16”, while the tip is nearly zero. The one-piece blade gives strength and precise control without risk of the blade separating from the handle of your boning knife.
The scales of the grip on this boning knife are made of genuine rosewood, a sustainable hardwood that produces a really beautiful handle. The scales are held to the shank of the boning knife blade with three stainless steel rivets. Being a hardwood, the handles will not require very much upkeep, even after hours of using your boning knife and soaking it in blood.
Using Victorinox Curved Boning Knives
In the hand, the victorinox semi-flexible boning knife is very lightweight. It weighs in at 3 ¼ oz, and is even slightly lighter than the company’s Fibrox pro boning knife of the same size (the Fibrox pro boning knife is the one we typically use when working in the shop). The lightness may feel cheap to some people when first using the knife, but trust us on this one, a light boning knife is way more accurate and comfortable than a heavier one. Plus, there's no doubt that Victorinox carbon stainless steel boning knives are high quality.
The curved high carbon stainless steel boning blade makes it so easy to find the seams that run between muscle groups, and the sharp point helps to separate meat quickly. Removing silver skin is a snap with this flexible boning knife, and the slightly flexible blade helps prevent tearing a hunk of meat apart while removing membranes. That little bit of flex in the carbon stainless steel blade is also optimal for trimming out shoulders and neck sections, where you’re dealing with lots of tendons and glands while avoiding bones.
If there was any complaint to be made about this boning knife, it might be the handles. While very attractive, there is hardly any contour at all, and users with smaller hands may find the handles on these boning knives to be uncomfortable, at least at first. Once you spend a little time with the curved boning knife, you’ll find a hand position that is optimal for you, but it isn’t as natural of a feeling as with some other knives.
Final Thoughts on the Victorinox Boning Knife
The reason we recommend this curved boning knife over others we use is the versatility. If you watch our YouTube channel, you’ll see us using this boning knife (as well as the fibrox pro boning knife) for everything from breaking down a deer carcass to trimming out prime cuts. You can even watch us butterfly a flank with ease using one of the Victorinox semi-rigid boning knives.
This flexible boning knife makes a great gift and it’s a really good value. Made out of high carbon stainless steel, it's built to last. There is no sheath included with the boning knife, so unless you have a wood block or a magnetic knife holder, you should plan on finding a sheath to keep the edge from getting nicked and damaged in storage. Finally, a diamond-encrusted truing steel is the only other thing you should need to keep the sharp edge of this boning knife in top shape for many, many projects to come.
