Wide means stiff. The deeper spine resists twisting when you lever through a joint, and there is enough belly on the blade to trim fat on the same pass instead of switching knives.
The black handle is the general-purpose code, which is the sensible assignment for a knife that moves between primals rather than sitting on a single coded board. It is the SofGrip version of the same SG136 pattern sold with a white handle.
Dexter-Russell has made cutlery in Southbridge, Massachusetts since 1818 and is the oldest cutlery manufacturer in the United States. SofGrip is its soft-handle line — a rubberised over-mould on a polypropylene core, sealed to the tang and rated for commercial dishwashers.
