The H in the model number is the heavy pattern — a thicker spine than the standard S112 butcher knife. That mass is what makes the difference on salmon, tuna and large cod: a light blade rides up over the spine, a heavy one holds its line and splits the fish rather than tearing along it.
Twelve inches gives the reach to run the full length of a big fish without repositioning, and the straight edge means the cut is made by drawing rather than sawing. The textured handle is the practical part, because this is a job done with wet, cold, oily hands.
Dexter-Russell has made cutlery in Southbridge, Massachusetts since 1818 and is the oldest cutlery manufacturer in the United States. The Sani-Safe line is its NSF-certified foodservice range, built around a textured polypropylene handle moulded to the tang so there is no seam for food to lodge in.
