With a history covering almost two centuries, Wusthof keeps providing the world with well-made kitchen knives and shears, pocket knives, and other accessories. Based in Solingen, Germany, Wusthof remains run by the same family and presently employs in excess of 350 employees, each of whom, you could presume are committed to creating each Wusthof knife set as sharp as its reputation.

Product Lines

The Wusthof knives are crafted using two methods - forging for the high-end line and stamping for their less expensive line. Consequently, contingent on your bank account size, you can enjoy being the proud owner of a set of legendary Wusthof knives albeit having different levels of sharpness.

The forged knives are used for the Classic, Ikon, Classic Ikon, Le Cordon Bleu, Culinar, Grand Prix, and Grand Prix II lines and the stamped knives can be found in the Gourmet, Emeril, and Silverpoint lines. There is a solid difference between forged and stamped knives in any Wusthof knife set, with experienced cooks choosing forged knives all the time when choosing their chef's knives. Stamped knives are normally only good for steak and paring knives.

Regardless of which Wusthof knives set you purchase, though, every one of their knives are an amalgam of 15 percent chromium, 0.5 percent carbon, and a small amount of molybdenum. Together with the manufacturer's logo - a trident in a circle against a red background - these cutlery pieces are easily distinguished from thier competitors' products.

Advantages

While we're trying to avoid sounding like a spokesperson for Wusthof, those knives have been proven over and over to be among the highest quality blades available. Substantiation of this statement is Wusthof knives are the preferred blade of celebrated chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver and James Martin, while also being annually voted as one of the best performing knives by Consumer Reports and Cook's Illustrated.

For amateur chefs, the slip-proof traditional handle lends itself comfortably to a variety of hand sizes and therefore helps many guests or spouses to feel confident handling the knives in the set. Naturally, these knife blades are very sharp and just about never rust, stain or lose their edge. More than anything else, high-quality manufacturing processes and materials are the defining characteristics of a quality knife.

Disadvantages

The main thing that can dissuade the hobby chef from buying a Wusthof knife set will be Wusthof's expensive price. With the most affordable set of low-end Gourmet paring knives is priced at $35, you will probably find different knife brands offering more knives at comparable prices. For the the more expensive collections, $300 is peanuts.

Also, you may find products that have thinner-than-is-comfortable handles such as the Wusthof Classic. Naturally, men are more affected with this situation thanks to their more substantial hands. And of course, some do not care for a stainless steel handle, preferring instead the polypropylene type.

For the most part, Wusthof knife sets will give substantial quality for the cost. It performs very nicely and efficiently the way that all high-quality knives ought to, performs for generations as the company has done, and looks very professional while it rests on your countertop. With a knife set as good as this, you probably will decide to invest in another set as a gift for newlyweds.

Moses Harun is involved with a project that helps visitors make smart decision when shopping for knives. One of the highest rated knives reviewed on his site is the Wusthof knife sets.