Berkel vs Sirman vs RGV vs Fama: slicer brands compared
Berkel, RGV, Sirman and Fama are four slicer brands with different histories and positioning: Berkel is the heritage brand founded in Rotterdam in 1898 and famous for its flywheel slicers; RGV (Cermenate, near Como) is a common sight in Italian homes and small shops with models such as the Lusso and Special Edition; Sirman (Curtarolo, near Padua) and Fama (Rimini) build equipment for catering and butchery, with professional meat slicers alongside meat grinders, cheese graters and other machines. There is no single "best brand": what matters is how you will use the slicer, the blade size and how easy it is to get spare parts and service.
Below we compare Berkel vs Sirman vs RGV vs Fama on origin, range and typical buyer, with a summary table and a checklist to help you choose. For the general technical criteria (blade diameter, power, drive) see our guide on how to choose a professional meat slicer.
Berkel slicers: the flywheel heritage brand
Berkel's story starts with Wilhelmus Van Berkel, a Dutch butcher with a talent for mechanics, who opened the first slicer factory in Rotterdam on 12 October 1898. His machine used a concave blade and a moving carriage, both driven by a hand-cranked flywheel: the same principle behind the flywheel slicers still made today. Berkel came to Italy in 1924, in Milan; the brand is now run by Van Berkel International S.r.l., based in Oggiona Santo Stefano (Varese), which also sells the OMAS brand in around 100 countries.
Berkel product lines
- Flywheel: models such as the B114, B116, B2, B3, P15, L16 and Tribute, plus special editions. These are the hand-operated machines you see in delis and restaurant dining rooms, chosen above all for cured ham.
- Home use: Home Line Plus and Red Line, electric slicers for the home with strong visual cues from the classic design.
- Professional: electric lines such as Pro Line, Suprema, Domina and Essentia for delis, butchers and food service.
Plenty of older electric Berkels are still in service, such as the 932/933 (see the Berkel BS932 and BS933 spare parts sheet), the Futura and Premiere, and the Home Line HL200 and HL250 (Berkel Home Line spare parts sheet), and dedicated Berkel spare parts are available for them.
Buying a used Berkel slicer
Used Berkels are much sought after because these machines, flywheel models in particular, stay in service for decades and are often restored. Before buying one, check the blade (how much diameter is left after years of sharpening), play in the carriage, the sharpener and whether parts are available for that exact model. For flywheel machines we stock blades for flywheel and Berkel slicers, such as the 300 mm Berkel-compatible flywheel slicer blade. Second-hand machines in stock are listed under used equipment.
If you are looking at a second-hand Berkel, start from the checklist in our used meat slicer buying guide.
RGV slicers: home and professional models
RGV srl is based in Cermenate, in the province of Como. The company started out with professional slicers and later carried the same approach into home models: today it makes domestic and professional slicers, catering equipment and small appliances (juicers, graters, vacuum sealers, dough mixers).
RGV slicer ranges
- Home use: Lusso and Luxury, Luxor, Ausonia, Mary, Compakta, Desy, Vintage and the Special Edition models. The RGV 25 Special Edition, for example, has a 250 mm stainless steel blade and a 140 W motor and comes in several colours (red, black, ivory).
- Professional: a separate line with larger blades. RGV models with spare parts available also include the Dolly, Lady, Kelly and the 275, 300, 350 and 370 mm versions.
RGV slicers are identified mainly by blade diameter (195, 220, 250, 275, 300, 350, 370 mm) and by series name: keep both to hand when ordering parts. Many parts are shared across series, for instance the RGV sharpener assembly for Lusso, Lady and Dolly 22/25. Machines are listed under RGV slicers for sale with the RGV Lusso 250 spare parts sheet to help identify part codes, and parts by model under RGV slicer spare parts, all models.
Sirman slicers: equipment for food service and butchers
Sirman S.p.A. is based in Curtarolo, near Padua, and was founded in 1969 on a business idea by Nereo Marzaro. It builds equipment for professional kitchens and food retail, aimed at restaurants, bars, pizzerias, butcher shops, supermarkets and food production: slicers, but also meat mincers, cheese graters, vegetable cutters, mozzarella cutters, dough mixers and vacuum packing machines.
Sirman slicer ranges
- Mirra: countertop slicers with 220, 250 and 300 mm blades, described by dealers as medium-duty machines (cafes, delis, small kitchens).
- Canova: 250 and 300 mm models.
- Palladio and Galileo: 300 and 350 mm machines rated heavy duty, for high slicing volumes.
The most requested Sirman parts are blades, belts, blade guard rings, control panels and electronic boards, all grouped under Sirman slicer spare parts. For the Mirra series there is a Sirman Mirra spare parts sheet.
Fama slicers: Fama Industrie of Rimini
Fama Industrie is a family-run company based in Rimini, founded in 1953 by Mario Fabbri and now selling in more than 100 countries. It is best known for professional meat grinders and cheese graters, but its catalogue also includes slicers, vegetable cutters, spiral and planetary mixers and contact grills.
Fama vertical and gravity slicers
Fama's slicer range includes vertical models (such as the FA300 and FA350, with 300 and 350 mm blades) and gravity models, where the product sits on an inclined carriage and slides towards the blade under its own weight, such as the FA302, FA303 and FA352. The FA303, for instance, is a 300 mm gravity slicer with a 270 W, 230 V single-phase motor. For more on the different systems read flywheel vs gravity slicer. For part codes see the Fama gravity slicer spare parts sheet. Fama machines for sale are under Fama professional slicers.
Slicer brand comparison table
| Brand | Origin | Slicer range | Typical buyer | Spare parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkel | Rotterdam, 1898; in Italy since 1924 (now Van Berkel International, Varese) | Hand-operated flywheel, home (Home Line Plus, Red Line), professional electric | Delis and restaurants slicing in front of customers, design-minded home users | Flywheel blades, original and compatible parts |
| RGV | Cermenate (Como) | Home (Lusso, Luxor, Special Edition...) and a professional line up to 370 mm | Households, bars, small shops, food service | Wide availability by model and blade size |
| Sirman | Curtarolo (Padua), 1969 | Professional countertop (Mirra, Canova) and high-volume (Palladio, Galileo) | Restaurants, delis, butchers, supermarkets | Blades, belts, rings, boards and control panels |
| Fama | Rimini, 1953 | Vertical and gravity (FA300, FA303, FA352...) | Butchers, delis, professional kitchens | Parts for Fama slicers, meat grinders and graters |
The table sums up how the manufacturers and their dealers position each range. Every brand covers very different machines, so always compare models of the same class and blade diameter, not brands in general.
Checklist: choosing between Berkel, RGV, Sirman and Fama
- Define the job: home use, a bar with a few cuts a day, or a deli or butcher slicing all day.
- Pick the system: flywheel (manual, a showpiece), vertical or gravity (electric, faster on large volumes).
- Pick the blade diameter from the largest product you slice: 220-250 mm for home and bar use, 300-350 mm for whole cured meats and heavy use.
- Compare models in the same class, not brands in general.
- Check parts and service for that exact model: blade, sharpener, belt, electronic board.
- Buying used? Note brand, model and blade size, and check that wear parts can still be sourced.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Berkel or an RGV slicer better?
It depends on what you need. Berkel is the reference for flywheel slicers and has design-led home lines; RGV offers many home and professional series in several blade sizes and is very widespread in Italy. Compare models with the same blade diameter and intended use.
Where are RGV slicers made?
RGV srl is based in Cermenate, in the province of Como, Italy, where the company designs and sells home and professional slicers. Its home range includes the Lusso, Luxor, Ausonia and Special Edition series.
Is a used Berkel slicer worth buying?
A used Berkel, especially a flywheel model, can give many more years of service if the mechanics are sound. Check the remaining blade diameter, the carriage and the sharpener, and make sure parts for that model are available before you buy.
Do Sirman and Fama make slicers for home use?
Sirman and Fama are professional equipment makers: their slicers are designed for food service, delis and butcher shops. A small model can be used at home, but the design is aimed at commercial use.
Are slicer blades interchangeable between brands?
Only in some cases. Diameter, thickness, centre hole and the number and position of fixing holes vary from model to model, so a "compatible" blade must be matched against all the measurements of the original.
Summing up
Berkel, RGV, Sirman and Fama serve different needs, from the classic flywheel to compact home slicers and professional gravity machines: the right choice starts from the job and the blade size, not the badge. Whatever brand you own, we stock parts for all four, and in Rome and Lazio we offer slicer repair and service. To see how these machines evolved, read the history of meat slicers and how the slicer moved from the deli into our homes.