Chefs Choice Trizor 8-in. Chefs Knife

I have an 8" chefs knife ,forged Trizor edge, and have owned it for about 12 years or so. It's not my only chef knife but I do have a fondness for it. When I purchased it Amazon was selling them for around $35, yes $35 NOT $135. I don't know why the average price was around a $100, but I bought it as a "try me" knife.

The fit and finish of the knife was on par with any of the well known German manufacturers, that is-excellant. I didn't like how sharp the spine or the back of the spine (the choil) were though and rounded them sand paper for comfort. The 8" knife is handle heavy. The balance point is just about where the handle fits to the bolster, although it tends to give the impression of being handle heavy when handling the knife. I use a pinch grip when I use the knife. The knife has a lot of belly, so if you prefer a straighter French or Japanese style profile you probably won't like it. I was not terribly impressed with the out of the box sharpness and as I recall there was some literature that came with the knife explaining it doesn't feel as sharp as it is. Ok?. I used it some and it wasn't really dull , but it was about average for out of the box German knife sharpness. I tried honing it on the finish wheel of a Chefs Choice 120 sharpener, still good not really impressed. Did sharpen it once as directed on the 120 --with about the same results. I should mention that I have used a 120 to quite acceptable result with Forschner knives, but they are thinner therefore would seem sharper. I finally hand sharpened this, and when I did I thinned the edge and reduced the bevel to 15 degrees or so. I use India and Arkansas stones and took it up through a translucent hard white. While not spectacular( and this could be due to my lack of skill as a sharpener) it was an improvement. I found the edge retention on par with German forged cutlery, but found it responded to "steeling" quite well on my ceramic rod hone. I almost always use it on a plastic cutting board. I've never put it in the dishwasher and and have experienced no issues with the handle turning colors, or the blade reacting. Because of it's large belly I use the knife mostly for herbs and processing garlic. It is a great "rock n roll" knife. I have found it competent for most average home cooking tasks, though I prefer my Japanese knives for most any given task. I gave the knife 4 stars because I think for what I paid for it and it's never let me down it was a 4 star value. At it's current price however, I'd give it 2 to 3 stars. It's really on par with well known German cutlery for all intent and purposes. It's a thick, heavy, round belly knife that will stand up to most home use, but excell at none. The in thing now seems to be toward a more light thin sharper knife that doesn't have a finger guard. In this price range there are many many knives to choose from, but his is the only one that's American made. For the money I really think the average home cook can do quite a bit better.

This is the only quality knife still being made in America that isn't custom made.Yes it is expensive, but much like and All-Clad pan you're going to pay more for a high end product made in the USA.The steel is of an excelent quality with a Rockwell hardness of 60.To put this into perspective Wustof and Henkels are about 56.To get the best out of this knife avoid Chef's Choice sharpeners as this knife is wasted on the average edge they can put on it.You can read An Edge in the Kitchen: The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Knives -How to B Them, Keep Them Razor Sharp, and Use Them Like a ProInside the Author describes the quality of this knife.

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We ordered these knives (8and 10-inch) for our restaurant kitchen back in 2006 and it was a decision we quickly came to regret: they didn't hold up well at all under the stress of daily use and we were out a lot of money. The handles discolored after the first month and being unbalanced (blade-heavy), they made your fingers ache after a while. On top of that, we spent more time sharpening and resharpening them than actually cutting. In the end our frustration led to throwing them out. We didn't feel right donating them to a charity kitchen given their inherent flaws.

Chef's Choice is a low-end sharpener company that delved into the knife business a few years back and garnered a handful TV-celebrity chef endorsements. This is a knife for the Rachel Ray/Emeril/Paula Deen crowd at best. Since then, that crowd has moved on to even cheaper knives. Blade hardness is only one of many factors that comprise a good knife. That 60Rc rating that hacks like Chad Ward ("An Edge in the Kitchen") promote actually works against you in the kitchen because you're ALWAYS sharpening this knife because it's so brittle! But Chad likes it so much his book is virtually a Chef's Choice marketing pamphlet. Chad's book only recommends you use three knives in the kitchen, and of those three, he finds no value in Santoku knives. That alone should tell you he's a reporter, not a chef, and his book is composed of outdated and misguided information about the knife industry.

Take it from someone who's worked in professional kitchens and restaurants for a lifetime, skip this knife and skip this brand. Your hard-earned money is better spent elsewhere. Also, I could care less where my knives are made. There's a reason why the best knives have been made in Germany and Japan for centuries -because they're the best at it and have been in the business with chefs since the beginning.

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