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Messermeister Knives Review | Top Cutlery Messermeister

Messermeister knives is just one of many knife makers that produce their knives in Solingen, Germany.

Maybe they aren’t as traditional in their history as the big German knife makers such as Wüsthof and Zwilling.

messermeister german knives review

However, they were still founded by a German and are still made in Germany today.

Let’s check them out and see what they have and where they came from.

Who is Messermeister and are they German?

As we just mentioned above, they are German. Perhaps, not as old as some other German family-owned knife making companies. Messermeister was quite late to the German knife making party, as it was only founded in 1985.

The company was started by Bernd Dressler, who was born in Germany, migrated to Australia in the 1960s and later moved to America to chase fortunes.

He started a homewares distribution business with his wife Debra Dressler in 1981 before moving into the knife making business and starting Messermeister a few years later.

A year later, the family of 4 and the business moved from Los Angeles to a small rural town in California that reminded Bernd of his hometown in Australia. This allowed him and his wife to bring their two daughters up in a similar environment to the one Bernd grew up in.

Unfortunately, Bernd Dressler passed away in the early 2000s, leaving his wife with the company to run. Fortunately, both his daughters became involved in the company, making it an all-woman family run business.

The company has made many achievements over the years with new and innovative products as well as knives.

Even today, Messermeister still makes their knives by hot drop hammer forging, which is the old traditional way knives were made. Numerous companies have moved away from this technique, but Messermeister has stayed true to their roots.

The Messermeister line of knives are all made in Solingen, Germany, thanks to a collaboration with another German knife making family. This is how Messermeister knives can bear the Made in Solingen, Germany branding on their knives.

Where are Messermeister Knives Made?

Messermeister knives are all made in Solingen, Germany and obey all the Solingen trademark conditions. 

Solingen germany home to messermeister knives

This is the only way they can stamp their knives with the Solingen Germany mark.

Some of their other accessories may or may not be made in Germany, but we are focusing on the knives, which are.

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How Messermeister Knives are Made

These knives are made the traditional way. There are no modern techniques here, only the old hot drop hammer forging method.

Drop hammer forging is when molten steel is repeatedly struck by a huge hammer, which in return gives the knife its basic shape and adds to the performance of the blade. 

Not all German manufacturers make their forged knives in this way today. 

There are 45 steps that a Messermeister knife goes through before it is ready to be shipped out for its life in the world. All knives are polished extremely well. All edges on the knife feel smooth, and the only part of the knife that will cut you is the blade. 

The end product is a Messermeister Knife finished to the highest German standards.

Are these Knives Sharp?

Messermeister knives are extremely sharp and will cut through foods in the kitchen with ease. If you want a knife you can use effortlessly that holds its sharpness, then Messermeister is for you.

All the elite lines of knives, which includes all the German made knives, are sharpened to 15 degrees per side. 

This gives a total blade angle of 30 degrees, making them one of the sharpest knives you will ever find. 

These knives should be sharpened with either a fine cut or polished honing rod. 

They do have two other lines that are not made in Germany, and these are sharpened to 20 degrees per side. 

Messermeister Oliva Elite 2 Piece Knife Set
  • 2-knife set
  • 8-inch Knife
  • 3-inch knife
  • Sharp cutting edge
  • 15 degree blade

This gives a total blade angle of 40 degrees. To sharpen these knives, you can use a honing rod made of regular steel.

Always make sure your honing rod is about 2 inches longer than the blade you wish to sharpen. Messermeister’s easy to follow knife maintenance tutorial will guide you through what needs to be done.

If you already know how to sharpen a knife, then you’ll be fine, it’s just like sharpening any blade.

Furthermore, Messermeister offers all their customers a free knife sharpening service. The only catch, if you can even call it, that is you have to pay for the return postage.

So, if you’re not confident in sharpening your knives yourself, then package them up and let the pros at Messermeister do it for you.

ImageProductFeaturesPrice
Messermeister Fine Steel 10-Inch

Messermeister Fine Steel 10-Inch

  • Fine range
  • 10-inch length
Buy on Amazon
Messermeister Fine Steel 12-Inch

Messermeister Fine Steel 12-Inch

  • Fine range
  • 12-inch length
Buy on Amazon
Messermeister Royale Elite Fine Steel 10-inch

Messermeister Royale Elite Fine Steel 10-inch

  • Elite range
  • 10-inch length
Buy on Amazon
Messermeister Oliva Elite Fine Steel 10-inch

Messermeister Oliva Elite Fine Steel 10-inch

  • Elite range
  • 10-inch length
Buy on Amazon

Will Messermeister Knives Last a Lifetime?

Like all high-quality German knives, these knives, too, are built to last a lifetime. The Messermeister lines that are made in Solingen, Germany, are crafted from the finest raw materials to give you a product that will last a lifetime.

Is There a Lifetime Warranty?

The knife-for-life warranty covers the entire Messermeister range of knives. Any knife that has material defects or faulty workmanship will be repaired or replaced at no cost to the customer. It also stipulates that general wear and tear is not covered by the warranty. Just make sure you look after your knife properly, and you’ll be fine.

Also, knives that have wooden handles should be treated as required and should never be put in a dishwasher. Doing so will considerably reduce the life of the handle and cause it to swell.

Messermeister also has a one-time courtesy offer, which means they will replace your knife at a discounted price. This will be offered, if you mistreat your knife and damage it. Not bad considering most companies wouldn’t offer you a thing.

Knife Range Review: 3 Options

There is an extensive range of knives to suit all budgets and different cooks, either home or professional. It doesn’t matter whether you’re an amateur or an executive chef, Messermeister has a knife for you, too.

They manufacture their knives in Germany, Portugal, Japan and China. As this is a German knives review, we will only mention the German made Messermeister knives that are currently on offer.

Messermeister Knives Chef Knife

There is a range of 14 different chef’s knives, of which 9 are German, made in Solingen, Germany. 

Looking at these 9 knives, there are 2 which come as Kellenschliff chef’s knives. These knives create air pockets along the blade, which helps vegetables such as cucumber, onion, potato and so on fall, away from the blade.

This allows you to cut or dice without having to stop and clear the blade continuously. 

Messermeister Meridian Elite 8-inch
  • Merdidian Elite
  • Kullenschliff
  • Chefs Knife
Messermeister Meridian Elite 8-inch
  • San Moritz Elite
  • Kullenschliff
  • 8-Inch

The other 7 chefs knives are of a classic design with different shaped handles. You have a choice between wood or POM handles. The Messermeister chef’s knives come in a selection of sizes. These range between a 6, 8, 9, and 10 inch blade.

The prices are reasonable too, of course, depending on your budget and choice. 

If you are an entry-level chef or someone looking for a good workhorse, the Park Plaza Chef’s Knife is great value. This knife is made from German stainless steel, is bolster free and has a POM handle, which makes it perfect for hard work. 

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a high-quality knife, be sure to check out the Oliva Elite Stealth Chef’s Knife or the Royale Elite Stealth Chef’s Knife. Both of these classic looking chef knives are sure to impress.

Each knife has a different style wooden handle and can be purchased in any of the sizes, we mentioned above. If you want a stylish high-quality knife check these 2 out, we are confident, you will be impressed.

ImageProductFeaturesPrice
Park Plaza
Messermeister Park Plaza Knives

Messermeister Park Plaza Knives

  • Stamped
  • No bolster
  • 15 degree blade angle
  • Lifetime warranty
  • German Stainless
  • 6-inch
  • 8-inch
  • 9-inch
  • 10-inch
Buy on Amazon
Oliva Elite
Messermeister Oliva Elité Knives

Messermeister Oliva Elité Knives

  • Forged
  • Bolster
  • 15 degree blade angle
  • Lifetime warranty
  • German Stainless
  • 6-inch
  • 8-inch
  • 9-inch
  • 10-inch
Buy on Amazon
Royal Elite
Messermeister Royale Elité Knives

Messermeister Royale Elité Knives

  • Forged
  • Bolster
  • 15 degree blade angle
  • Lifetime warranty
  • German Stainless
  • 6-inch
  • 8-inch
  • 9-inch
  • 10-inch
Buy on Amazon

Messermeister Steak Knives

If you’re looking to purchase a high-quality set of steak knives, then Messermeister steak knives are definitely for you. 

They have a total of 7 steak knife sets to choose from, 4 of which are made in Germany to the Solingen high-quality standard. These steak knife sets include the Olivia Elite, San Moritz Elite, Meridian Elite and Royal Elite Multi-Edge.

All of these steak knife sets can be purchased in a set of four or six knives in total. 

The only exception is the San Moritz Elite set, which can only be purchased in a set of 4 knives.

In addition, you have an edge type choice as well. You can have a traditional fine edge on the blade or, if you prefer, there is the multi-edge option, too. Multi-edge simply means one side of the blade is straight, and the other side has little teeth on it.

It’s just like a serrated blade, but for steak. It comes down to personal preference as to which one you would want to purchase.

Below are the four different sets of Messermeister steaks knives for you to compare, so you can see what their differences are.

ImageProductFeaturesPrice
Messermeister Oliva Elité Steak Knife Set

Messermeister Oliva Elité Steak Knife Set

  • German stainless
  • One piece forged
  • 15 degree blade angle
  • Bolster heel
  • Wood handle
  • Lifetime warranty
  • 4-piece set
  • 6-piece set
  • Fine edge
  • Multi edge
Buy on Amazon
Messermeister San Moritz Elite Steak Knife Set

Messermeister San Moritz Elite Steak Knife Set

  • German stainless
  • One piece forged
  • 15 degree blade angle
  • Bolster heel
  • Wood handle
  • Lifetime warranty
  • 4-piece set
  • Fine edge
  • Multi edge
Buy on Amazon
Messermeister Meridian Elite Steak Knife Set

Messermeister Meridian Elite Steak Knife Set

  • German stainless
  • One piece forged
  • 15 degree blade angle
  • Bolster heel
  • Wood handle
  • Lifetime warranty
  • 4-piece set
  • 6-piece set
  • Fine edge
  • Multi edge
Buy on Amazon
Messermeister Royale Elité Steak Knife Set

Messermeister Royale Elité Steak Knife Set

  • German stainless
  • One piece forged
  • 15 degree blade angle
  • Bolster heel
  • Wood handle
  • Lifetime warranty
  • 4-piece set
  • 6-piece set
  • Fine edge
  • Multi edge
Buy on Amazon

Messermeister Knife Set and Knife Block Set

Messermeister has a substantial range of sets for you to choose from. Once you know the knife line that you want, all that is left to do is select a set that suits. Below are 4 of their high-quality German lines that you can purchase in block sets. 

Select a set with or without a block, confirm the set of your choice contains the knife sizes you want, and it’s all done.

ImageProductFeaturesPrice
Messermeister Meridian Elite Sets

Messermeister Meridian Elite Sets

  • Available in different set sizes
Buy on Amazon
Messermeister Park Plaza Knife Sets

Messermeister Park Plaza Knife Sets

  • Available in different set sizes
Buy on Amazon
Messermeister Oliva Elite Knife Sets

Messermeister Oliva Elite Knife Sets

  • Available in different set sizes
Buy on Amazon
Messermeister Park Plaza Knife Sets

Messermeister Park Plaza Knife Sets

  • Available in different set sizes
Buy on Amazon

Which Messermeister Kitchen Knives are Elite?

If you can call it elite or maybe versatile is a better word, it’s going to be the Meridian Elite collection. These knives are drop forged and all have bolsters. 

This line gives you the most choice of different kinds of knives to build a set of your desire. 

If you like to have all of your knives the same, this set is for you. 

There are various sets to choose from or build your own.

If you want it all, they have a 23-piece set that is everything a home chief would ever want. 

Meridian Elite 18-Piece Set
  • Block set
  • 18 Piece
  • Everything you need

No matter the job, there’s a knife in this set for it.

Where are Other Messermeister Products Made?

Messermeister has a huge range of products for all kinds of uses in the kitchen. Their knives among other products are made in Germany, Portugal, Japan and China. This includes the knife bags, knife blocks, knife guard, knife backpack, bamboo knife magnet and knife roll.

However, as far as we can tell, it’s only their high-quality German knives, which we have mentioned here in this article, that are actually made in Germany.

Conclusion: Are Messermeister Knives Good?

In closing, we can say that German made Messermeister Knives are good. Are they for everyone? Probably not. 

The reason for this is you have to find the knife that suits you and fits comfortably into your handle. 

But, if you already know this brand, you will know that it is very popular in the culinary world. 

So, if you like the look of the knives and want a quality knife that’s going to last a lifetime, grab yours today.

messermeister german knives being sharpend