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All of my favourite knives are stamped Victorinox with black fibrox handles... I find the shape and grip of these knives, coupled with the thin and flexible stamped blades, are ideal for processing any food that doesn’t require a cleaver.

But... I have eczema on my hands, most pronounced in my (dominant) right palm. I apply a very strong corticosteroid to my hands, once weekly, to keep the disease in check.

I don’t know why this took me so long to make the connection, but the worst rash spots are on the two contact points with the knife handle; one spot on the the heel, and another on the pad between my index and middle fingers. So to test, about 3-4 days ago I set aside all my comfortable knives and am using (mostly my wife’s) forged blades with hardwood or resin handles. And... my rash is going away! Today it is time for my weekly medicine, and the hands look pretty much like the morning after treatment.

It only took me 30 years to put 2 and 2 together....

My question is: Is this material known for causing allergic reactions or other kinds of dermatitis problem? A google search comes up with nothing, which surprises me.

I have a known latex intolerance (but the symptoms are generally different)

rumtscho
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Douglas Held
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    "Seasoned Advice is a site for professional and amateur cooks and chefs, and anyone who works in the kitchen..." – Douglas Held Oct 27 '18 at 09:34
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    This is a totally on-topic requesting information about the career or the lifestyle. – Douglas Held Oct 27 '18 at 09:35
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    Ask your dermatologist. – Max Oct 27 '18 at 09:44
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    What would a dermatologist know about knife materials? I have gone to a dermatologist and they tested me for an assay of commonly irritating household chemicals. I was positive for none of them. Why would you answer the question in a comment @Max? – Douglas Held Oct 27 '18 at 09:46
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    Your dermatologist would be in a good position to test the material with your skin, no ? at least better than a cook (home or professional). – Max Oct 27 '18 at 09:50
  • Thank you all. I have edited the question to appeal directly to chefs. And @Max, my dermatologist asked me to try an think of what was touching my palms on a regular basis and eliminate it. I went through motor oil, airplane handle, pens, computer mouse... dozens of things but never thought of kitchen equipment. I cook two meals a day. – Douglas Held Oct 27 '18 at 09:53
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    Pack one knife safely in a bag and take it to the doctor. Call Victorinox if they can send you a sample along with a detailed description of what is in there (other than thermoplatic elastomer) – Johannes_B Oct 27 '18 at 09:59
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    Instead of handle's material, have you thought about residues from the dishwasher cleaning/soap? – mattia.b89 Oct 27 '18 at 10:45
  • Can you exclude that the handles have become slightly porous (= residues) or abrasive over time? The latter case could make these areas extra sensitive to substances? – Stephie Oct 29 '18 at 13:14
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    An imporant note, despite the upvoted comment: the help center wording does not mean that everything that is of interest to cooks is also allowed on the site. We explicitely exclude a lot of otherwise interesting topics or question formats. This one is somewhat of a grey area, because of its closeness to health advice, but I would not hammer it closed, since it concerns readily noticeable effects. – rumtscho Oct 29 '18 at 14:00

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Black Fibrox is a trademarked brand name for Thermoplastic Elastomers, or TPEs. This is a common plastic substance used to produce "grippy" plastics that feel rubberized, for a variety of applications.

Thing is, TPEs were largely invented as an allergy-free alternative to latex. Studies have, to date, not turned up any naturally occuring TPE allergies in test subjects. So you may be the first patient with a TPE allergy! Lucky you.

To verify this, do you have any wearable electronics? Items like the Fitbit and various smartwatches frequently use TPEs as band/covering material. If you have one of these, and you are allergic to TPEs, you should be reacting to it as well. Or go to your dermatologist, now that you know the substance you think you are reacting to, he can do targeted tests.

I can think of two short-term solutions for your knives. One is to sell them any buy the versions with "rosewood" handles, which I believe are non-TPE. The second would be to coat the TPE handles in something durable, like silicone.

FuzzyChef
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    You are a freaking genius! Thank you @FuzzyChef! I knew knowledgeable people were out there. – Douglas Held Oct 27 '18 at 18:43
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    YW. My wife is a professional researcher, some things rub off. – FuzzyChef Oct 27 '18 at 18:45
  • I am a total gadget-phobe and although I was given a FitBit I sold it on EBay... along with the GoPro and the Flip video camera and the UAV. I know, lame, huh. I will try to find some TPE and tape it to myself to test. Also: it may be that the material after years of breakdown in the dishwasher is what brings out the reaction. My oldest Fibrox handle in use is from circa 1994. – Douglas Held Oct 27 '18 at 18:45
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    You put your knives in the *dishwasher*? I think the FIbrox isn't the only issue. https://www.seriouseats.com/2018/10/how-to-load-a-dishwasher.html – FuzzyChef Oct 28 '18 at 00:12
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    I still don't see how this is on-topic here. If Victorinox starts using Fibrox for the luggage bag handles ... the very same question could be asked on Travel.SE – Johannes_B Oct 28 '18 at 06:48
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    @Johannes_B but it *wasn't*. Chill out, the question has been asked and been answered. We don't need to be OCD about a question being 6 inches over the border, particularly if it's an interesting question. If you're really unhappy, take it up on Meta. – FuzzyChef Oct 28 '18 at 17:55