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.

如何清潔木質產品？

使用水：清潔木質產品最好的方式是使用沾濕的布料、柔軟的海綿，或直接用手以大量清水清潔。

徹底乾燥：不論是砧板還是刀柄，很重要的一點，是必須要在清洗後將木質完全乾燥，而不是放著風乾。風乾可能會留下水裡殘餘的青苔。而且潮濕的木頭可能會滋生細菌。

請勿使用肥皂：請勿使用清潔劑或肥皂。因為肥皂和清潔劑會洗去木質本身的油質，所以之後需要常常在木質上塗油。

請勿使用洗碗機：洗碗機對木質會造成很多損害。而且，化學物質可能洗掉木質中重要的天然油質，導致木質變得脆弱。另外，洗碗機內非常潮濕，對木質這種天然物料有害，更有可能滋生霉菌。更甚的是在洗碗機內會不停噴水。這會導致木質不必要的磨損。

請勿讓木質浸泡在水中。木質是一種乾燥的物料。如果長時間浸泡在水中，木質的細孔就會吸入水分。

污漬（來自紅菜頭、羽衣甘藍、薑黃等）：您可以將木質表面的污漬磨走，有助防止滋生細菌。這是因為當您以切割或磨砂方式處理表面時，從而釋出木質內的單寧酸。這種成分可抗菌。

臭味：如果您的木質產品開始散發不良氣味，建議您先以 60°C 的熱水沖洗，然後用醋沿著木質紋路刷淨。之後將產品完全乾燥，然後再抹上油。醋也可以除菌和中和細菌。

細菌：如果您不確定木板是否真的無菌，可以直接放進微波爐。這會立即殺死細菌。

木質灰化：木質表面如果有灰色斑點或污漬，可以用細沙紙順著紋路打磨，然後上油。打磨、上油，然後再打磨、上油，重複此程序愈多次，表面會愈平順光亮。