You are on a budget but want a quality blade. And, finally, if you want to be more traditional, then a chef knife would be the way to go. The website mentions a DLC (diamond-like coating) but dont know what difference that makes. The Classic provides a more luxurious experience but needs to be specially cared for to keep it in top condition. Priced from $55 to $375. Classy stuff and its an eye-catcher in an understated sort of way. ), A contemporary answer to the Classic with a curvy, ergonomic handle. Between size and sharpening issues of the full bolster, its starting to look more like a baby boning knife. These jumbo knife sets define pricy and are a bit over the top. Questions regarding the wide Wusthof Classic chef knives: What are the differences, benefits, and is it worth the cost? And you would think they would start there, no? If you cant find it in Classic, Wusthof doesnt make it. Please be aware that its a 9-inch chef and a 4-inch parer, but dont let that extra inch on the chef scare you. If you need the core knives for a home kitchen and you want them all to look alike and fit in their own blockthis is the type of set youre looking for. Finding a Professional Sharpening Service Reviews of Professional Knife Sharpening Services, RE steels/hones and sharpeners and their differences If you read these articles, they will help bring you out of your knife-edges darkness and into the light :), Whats a Honing Steel? Thanks in advance.. and again kudos on a great article!! . Thanks again. Theyre priced like forged knives ($52 or $80 Canadian is the current 20%-off sale price for a 5-inch serrated utility knife), but the bumph doesnt say anything about their manufacture. For example, Shun knives (see our review) have a 16 degree double bevel, which makes them even wider than Wusthof's standard German knives, which have a 14 degree double bevel. We have a ton of the Grand Prix pieces (before the Grand Prix II came out) and recently a well-meaning house guest accidentally melted the handle of one of the steak knives in the dishwasher. A regular 10-inch blade will accomplish the same thing (it will be wider), but it will also be longer and more cumbersome. If its there, then youre in good shape. Youre welcome, Chris! One note is that the blade on the chef's knife is not as tall compared to the Classic or Ikon lines, as you can see in the image at the beginning of the review (about 1.4 inches tall compared to 1.9 inches). Ive just fixed it. Wusthof's stamped blades (Gourmet and Urban Farmer) start right around there, and their forged blades start at about $70-$100 more. Wusthof uses the same steel for every line of knife they make: X50CrMoV15. No sites clarified the differences. I wish we could have visited them as well in Solingen when we took our tour of Wusthofs factory a while back. Whether you prefer it is really your own preference, so you should try them both. There are only two reasons why you wouldnt want to go this route: 1) if you peeled a lot of acorn squash or other hard-skinned vegetables, OR tended to treat your tools roughly and didnt want to have to worry about the brittleness of Japanese steel, OR 2) you just hated the feel of a Japanese blade and didnt think you could ever acclimate to it (you could). because thats only 25 degrees. (The set comes with a little bottle of oil you should use to protect them.). If anyone if looking to put together a nicer set and doesnt want to pay $600, cobbling a set together through eBay is the way to go. First of all, I apologize for the fact that this text is translated by Google translators because I cannot speak English. Wusthof Classic vs Ikon vs Classic Ikon: Why you should consider splurging, Wusthof Crafter Review: Best Knife Yet? This is probably our favorite out of all the Wusthof handles, though the difference in feel is small enough that for most people, it's not worth the extra cost. Its a Gourmet. I feel good about my purchase of an expanded medium-sized Wusthof Classic knife set: 8 knives + 6 classic steak knives. The decision I am trying to make is whether to buy this set or splurge on the extra wide 6 chef knife. This pretty much covers all your food prep needs, so everything else is extra. There is nothing out of the ordinary about this steel, but its tough and definitely wont rust. Since sitting with water is how steel rusts, making sure your knives don't do this is the best way to prevent it from happening. It is an excellent steel for knives because it's durable, rust resistant, and fairly easy to sharpen. Pros: Durable Wusthof steel, super sharp, synthetic bolster protects fingers, comfortable beechwood handle, 56 HRC and partial bolster makes it easy to sharpen . Japanese santoku: flat blade with blunt tip, best for a more up-and-down cutting motion. Manufactured in Solingen, Germany, since 1814, Wusthof knives, along with the other major German maker, Henckels, have all but dominated sales of knives around the world for the past 50 years. You can find decent quality knives even at lower price points as long as you're willing to live with lower quality handles (e.g., molded plastic rather than resin or wood), stamped blades rather than forged, and/or steel that will need more frequent sharpening (i.e., it has a lower hardness rating). You constantly run the risk of allowing the cutting edge to press into the metal before you pull it away. 1) My understanding is that, nowadays, all Wusthof blades are laser-cut out of large sheets of steel. If youd bought it from Amazon online, that might be a different storyWusthof has had some complaints about piracy from Amazon customers (nothing rampant). Bought separately, these would all add up to $100200 more. We discuss Wusthof handles above in more detail, so you can read there about the different options. The Gourmet is Wusthof's oldest and most complete line of stamped knives. Other knife brands have different bevels, and you should know what they are before you attempt to sharpen the knife. But you can give that same paper an extra fold and bring it down to 12.5 degrees. Hurray! Technically both knives have plastic handles but the synthetic POM material on the Wusthof Classic looks and feels more like wood. I will likely research magnetic blocks and look for those less prone to scratch the knives. (To give you some perspectiveyour average 8-inch chef knife is 1 3/4 wide at the heel.) Here's a video about the Wusthof process if you want to know more. Which is rather odd, because the eight-inch chef is the most popular knife model ever. It took around nine months to research, write, and design/publish. BUY NOW $165180 @ Amazon Honestly? BUY NOW $150225 @ Sur La Table / Amazon This bad boy is a fantastic option for cooks doing some serious slicing. Compare. From what I understand, it is important to hone and sharpen to the factory degree edge, or one is creating a different edge. It's better to start out with too few rather than too many knives. Crate & Barrel is currently have a sale on Wusthofs Urban Farmer series. I could only find that some people thought it to be too light for a workhorse chef knife. But let me query one of my sources at Wusthof and see if I can confirm. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Since you like Wusthof, one of the brands potentially worth exploring for you is Nexus, an American brand, using a BD1N stainless steel with an HRC rating of 63 and a really nice G10 handle, the 8.5" Nexus chef knive is $79 on Amazon. And please be crystal clear that the steel and the cutting performance will be exactly like the Wusthof Classic and the Classic Ikon. You can also easily change the coarseness of the grind, so you can get the exact sharpness and type of edge that you want. The only knives most cooks really need are a chef's knife (or santoku), a paring knife, and a bread (serrated) knife. Santokus and Japanese-Asian-style blades come in a range of shapessome pointier, some longer or wider than others. When the honing steel can't straighten out the fibers enough to give a knife its edge back, it's time to sharpen. I was expecting to see two numbers (20/20). Im thrilled! Most people love Wusthof's Classic and Classic Ikon handles (both synthetic, but with different shapes). I may never be quite that fortunate again! Im looking to buy a new santoku knife. There are 9 horizontal rows, and Im calling the top row 1 and the lowest (vertical) row 9. Watch some videos or read about it to see how to do it properly (whichever method you use). If, when you hone, you put too much pressure on the tip as you finish your stroke, you can gradually round it. (Please beware that sometimes the magnets are not strong enough.) You get the santoku along with a 3-inch, straight-edge paring knife for around $40 less than buying them separately. Many of them can match Amazons prices and service. But one of these days..! And not as massive. That is one mean-looking knife. Please feel free to ask any more questions! Wusthofs Japanese-style knives generally come in two sizes5-inch and 7-inch. Instead, steeling aligns the metal on the edge of the knife, smoothing out the tiny fibers that get bent when you use the knife. Japanese steel is also more prone to chipping because it's harder and therefore, more brittle. If you're new to knives, sending them out for sharpening can be a good idea. There are many different kinds and grades of stainless steel. (Or fits.). I still have one question: How long should the Wusthof Classic Ikon paring knife be? Wusthof takes pride in its relentless pursuit of excellence. So your narrow slicer will be looser and more wobbly than necessary. and this is a nice, light, nimble blade. 2) It might be hard to sharpen. But the highlight of the sale was a large collection of Ikon Blackwood kniveschefs, slicers, santokus, parerswith minor imperfections in the handles, going for a song. They discontinued doing wooden handles as the POM handles just take more abuse (dishwasher won't destroy them in short order, you know how people do). You are gradually dulling the edge for no good reason. Explore Classic Color Coral Peach Shop Now Velvet Oyster Shop Now Meet the Classic Colors Explore All Tasty Sumac Coral Peach Velvet Oyster Pink Himalayan Salt Purple Yam Tasty Sumac Coral Peach Velvet Oyster Pink Himalayan Salt Purple Yam That is, if you're on a budget and want a good quality knife, the Wusthof stamped knives are both good choices. All Wusthof knives are made in Solingen, Germany, where the company was founded in 1814. Although I own a Sabatier carving knife, I have no personal experience with the K Sabatier brand. Wusthof Pro 10 Inch Butcher Knife the PRO series offers chefs the confidence to equip their kitchen staff with the best performing stamped food service cutlery. Sharpening is as important as the knife itself, as no knife will keep its edge forever. If you want a partial bolster (easier to sharpen) and like the feel of the handle, Classic Ikon is the better choice over Classic. for a steak knife set. Why would I want a cutting/slicing tool with a handle made of polished steel so smooth (without a single gripping texture) that at any moment it might slither out of my fingers like a Brook trout? Especially since it was a WS exclusive. If you are constantly shoving your Shun chef knife into a snug-fitting slot and grazing the cutting edge against the wood, then thats dumb. Instead, they prefer cheaper, less precious knives like the Pro series which are durable but inexpensive enough to be replaced regularly when the heavy use of a busy kitchen inevitably damages them or wears them down. Disclaimer: When you purchase through links on this page, we may earn an affiliate commission. Are you sure youre not rounding your knife tips through incorrect honing? A heavier knife that can cut through bone and other hard foods. If you're an urban farmer (or just a cook) on a budget and want the same high quality carbon steel used in more expensive German knives, this is a great choice. Nothing is stamped. Wsthof 22-Slot Knife Block Beechwood block has room for three cooks knives (including wides) up to 10 long. Amici is one of Wusthof's highest end lines, with a standard 8-inch chef's knife about $300, which makes it slightly more than the Ikon Blackwood. Manufactured in Solingen, Germany, since 1814, Wusthof knives, along with the other major German maker, Henckels, have all but dominated sales of knives around the world for the past 50 years. Your article has been very helpful and thorough. All the sites that sell these say theyre forged, which doesnt make sense. On the other hand, its usually length, more than width, that gets in the way. Super helpful :D. In case youre wondering about the above question: I believe I have settled on an Ikon chef 20cm and paring 8cm.