All you need to know about wood – the material

Why are we committed to wood? How do you maintain wood? And which wood do we use, and when? Discover the natural resource that we call wood.

Wood – friend to humans, enemy to bacteria

Wood is a magnificent resource and we at Victorinox are passionate about using it. Learn more about wood and you too will come to love this resource which is so amazing that it could only have been created by nature.

Cleaning and Care

Wood or synthetic

Why wood?

Wood is a natural resource that never ceases to surprise us. As humans, we can develop state-of-the-art, high-tech materials – but wood can still stand up to the best of them.

Aesthetics
Wood is beautiful. And not just because the natural brown tone feels so warm and welcoming. The color, texture and grain of wood give each product a special appeal and a uniquely individual look. This means that no two pocket knives with wood scales or kitchen knives with wooden handles look alike.

Hygiene
The types of wood we use contain lignins and tannins. These are the natural enemies of bacteria. Tests have shown that after two hours, 99.9% of the bacteria found on cutting boards made of wood had disappeared. In comparison, the bacteria on cutting boards made of synthetic material or steel survived much longer. Especially on those boards that already had some traces of use.

Sustainability
Even from an environmental perspective, wood is a smart choice, because it is renewable. Even if we process the tiniest amounts of wood, we still ensure that our wood comes from sources that do not indiscriminately cut down forests but instead plant a new tree for each one harvested. That is why we feel most comfortable working with local wood from Switzerland or other European countries. That has the added benefit of shorter transportation routes.

Wood or synthetic?

Pocket knife scales

Positives of wood:

Feels warm to the touch
Decorative, elegant
Natural

Positives of synthetic:

Lightweight
Affordable
Resilient

Recommendation:
We recommend choosing synthetic material for pocket knives that are used frequently and are exposed to extreme conditions, because synthetic materials are more resilient and last longer.

Kitchen knife handles

Positives of wood:

Feels warm to the touch
Decorative, elegant
Natural

Positives of synthetic:

Lightweight
Affordable
Hygienic, due to extreme resistance to heat
Dishwasher safe

Recommendation:
We recommend synthetic handles for professional kitchens where kitchen knives are used continuously and are exposed to extreme conditions, because synthetic material is more resilient. We have no specific recommendation for home use, meaning you should really make your choice based on your individual preference. In other words: Visit the nearest Victorinox store and test them for yourself.

如何清洁木制品？

用水清洁：清洁木制品的最佳方式是用湿布、软海绵或直接在清水中用手清洗。

彻底干燥：无论是砧板还是刀柄，在清洗后需彻底擦干所有木制部件，勿任其风干。风干可能会导致表面留下来自水中的石灰残渣。木料潮湿的部位还可能会有细菌积聚。

勿使用肥皂：勿使用清洁剂或肥皂。因为肥皂和清洁剂会洗掉木材中的天然油脂，导致你须更频繁地上油来保养。

勿放在洗碗机中清洗：洗碗机会对木材造成多项伤害。其一，化学品会洗掉木材中的重要天然油脂，使之变脆。其二，洗碗机内部的潮湿环境对木材等天然材料有害，会促进霉菌的滋生。最重要的是，木材在洗碗机内连续从不同角度被反复喷淋。这会导致木材上产生不必要的磨损。

切勿将木材泡在水中：木材是一种干性材料。如果长时间放在水中，木材上的微孔会吸收水分。

污渍（甜菜根、甘蓝菜、姜黄等）：你可以用砂纸摩擦残留有污渍的木材表面，这样甚至还具有抗菌效果。这是因为当你对其表面进行处理时——无论是切入木材中或用砂纸摩擦——木材会从内部释放单宁酸。它们是所有细菌的克星。

异味：如果木制品产生难闻的异味，我们建议先用 60°C 的热水冲洗，然后按照木纹的方向用醋将其刷干净。最后待产品完全干燥之后上油保养。醋还有助于消除或中和细菌。

细菌：如果担心木材表面残留有细菌，另一种方法是将其放入微波炉中。这样可以瞬间杀死所有细菌。

木材泛灰：如果木材表面有灰色斑点或污渍，可以按照木纹的方向用极细的砂纸将其摩擦掉，然后上油保养。重复此过程的次数越多——稍微打磨，上油，然后再次打磨和上油——表面就越平滑光亮。

如何保养木制品？

对于木制品，如果好好保养，其使用寿命会非常长。我们建议定期用油对木材进行保养。如果是每天都会使用砧板的正常家庭，我们建议每年用油进行一次保养。使用油可确保细菌不会过深地渗透至木材中。木材上的微孔吸收了油之后会使木材表面更密实，从而使其不易受细菌的侵入。此外，油还可以防止所切割食物的气味吸附在砧板上。