Wusthof Knives Review | Still Made in Germany

We are confident that this Wusthof knives review will help you to make an informative decision on which ones of their knives you’d want to buy for your home or professional kitchen. 

Some of the Wusthof’s other kitchen accessories are made elsewhere, but in this review we will be talking about all the products that are still ‘made in Germany’.

Who is Wüsthof and What are They Known For?

Wusthof (Wüsthof in German language) is a family-owned German company that’s been in the knife and other sharp tools industry since 1814.

Originally, Wusthof started out making pocket knives, cutting shears, penknives, daggers, and other forms of kitchen cutlery and utensils.

Later, at the start of the industrial revolution and as their name became more established, they began to expand their knife making line. By 1880, Wusthof built a steam-powered factory facility to produce their knives.

In the mid-1880s, Robert Wüsthof, the son of the Wusthof family, patented and registered the name. He then took the Wüsthof knives to various trade shows in New York in the US, which helped to increase their exports.

This established early American reviews in this industry.

They expanded even further in the 1970s by replacing their old factory with a brand-new facility, which produced only cutlery. The Wusthof family believed that this would be their strongest pursuit in the commercial and home kitchen knife markets.

Though some of their new factories were already automated, in 1986 they installed the first robot machine. In 1987 Wusthof-Trident of America, Inc was established in the US, followed by Wusthof-Trident of Canada in 2012 to support their essential export operations.

Wusthof’s knives are made in Solingen, Germany, and the first established factory to this day is still found in the same location. In 2002 and later in 2014 Wusthof built two more factories in Lindgesfeld, the Solingen business park.

They also have a brand store located in Solingen, but it’s their worldwide exporting, Wusthof are best-known for.

The entire line of Wusthof’s kitchen knives can be purchased globally: USA, Canada, UK, Russia, Australia and so on, either online or in physical shops.

How Wusthof Knives are Made?

Today, the factories of Wusthof are totally automated, with robots being used on the production line. Among their three factories, they employ 100 robots that inch-out steps in making their knives.

The process of manufacturing a single forged knife consists of more than 40 steps. Forged knives begin their life formed in a die. The technology known as Precision Edge Technology (PEtech) is used for the blade sharpening of forged knives. 

Stamped knives are pressed out of a sheet of stainless steel. These knives require only 14 steps in their production process from the beginning to the completed product, thus allowing for a more competitive price.

Even the German Chefs Association and All Japan Chefs Association have recognized their hard work and devotion in a country that knows knife sharpening by partnering with them. 

How Long Do Wusthof Knives Last?

The simple answer is quite obvious, they’re meant to last you a lifetime as long as you take good care of them. Cleaning and honing as well as the storage conditions are critical for any quality knife. Thus, if these are neglected, you’ll be sorry.

If you never use your knives and just have them as decoration, they will certainly last centuries. How long your Wusthof knives will last, depends on how much you’ve invested in their care.

You need to remember that although the knives are made from stainless steel, that doesn’t mean that elements can’t damage them. Just like anything else that is made from steel, these knives can rust, if they are not taken care of. 

As with any other knife made from steel, Wusthof’s knives will require to be sharpened from time to time, depending on how often you use them. Sharpening, if not done using the correct tools for the job and bearing in mind a correct way of doing it, can also damage your knife.

Read on to find out more about how to take good care of your Wusthof knives.

Which Wusthof Knife Lasts The Longest?

Each of the knives in the entire line of Wusthof knives can last as long as you take good care of them.

If you take good care of the wood and treat it as frequently as required, the sets with wooden handles will last for decades. 

Also, to minimize the wear and tear of your Wusthof knives blades, you should keep in mind the materials your chopping boards are made from. For example, cutting on a glass or a stone such as marble or granite would totally destroy your Wusthof knives. 

In our opinion, the knives in the Wusthof Culinar knife series will last the longest. This is because their handles just like the blades themselves are made from stainless steel as a single piece, which indicates the least amount of risk for the handle separating from the tang.

Also, stainless steel isn’t a natural organic material, which would deteriorate like wood does. The only threats to these knives’ life are exposure to moisture and water.

Do Wusthof Knives have a Lifetime Warranty?

The official website for Wusthof no longer says that their knives have a lifetime warranty. Even though the warranty implies that their knives carry the lifetime warranty for manufacturing defects, there are limitations that apply.

These include the ‘idiot’ clause, which applies to those who don’t take care of their knives. Remember, if you use the knives improperly, for example, you try opening jars or cutting frozen food or bones, the warranty will not cover the damage.

There is also the ‘Act of God’ clause, in which it states that indoor or outdoor fires, tornados, earthquakes, and hurricanes are also not covered by the warranty.

Anything else that happens under normal circumstances in your kitchen, which could result in failure of your Wusthof knife, has a lifetime warranty. In the US, each state has limitations on what constitutes a warranty return, too. You will need to contact your Wusthof state dealer to see what is covered in your case.

Also, make sure to keep the bill of sale for proof of where the knife set was purchased, since only that state is responsible for what conditions will apply. This is what is considered an implied warranty, and not all states agree on what this means.

Some states will also dismiss incidental and consequential claims as a result of product failure. If you have other questions about the warranty, have a look at the Wusthof warranty for more information.

How Sharp is The Wusthof Knife Edge?

The knife edges that Wusthof is best known for are similar to those of the Japanese knife blades. As mentioned above, the edges of the Wusthof knives, except for the Asian knife series, are sharpened to 14 degrees on each side.

This makes a total of a 28 degree blade tip, which is considered to be very sharp. This tends to hold up for long-term use and holds a slicing ability that is comparable to a scalpel.

The Asian style knives, for example the Santoku knife from the Classic line, boast a 10-degree edge on both sides. These knives are best for making extremely precise, paper-thin slices.

If you had a slice of fish or meat cut with one of these knives paper-thin, you could place this slice on top of the computer or smartphone screen and still be able to read this review easily. 

The Wusthof Ikon knife series will arrive nice and sharp. However, they will eventually start to dull after a lot of use, like most knives do.

How Often Should I Sharpen My Wusthof Ikon Knife Set?

A good way to understand how often you need to sharpen Wusthof knives is compared to using a hard lead pencil. How hard do you put the pencil lead to paper? In essence, how much pressure do you use while cutting? The other fact to consider is how much you use your knife. 

Some chefs will sharpen their knives every day, while the average kitchen chef sharpens their knives once a week. It just depends on how well the blade is cutting and your cutting needs. These examples should only be used as guides for your reference.

How To Sharpen Your Wusthof Knives

If you’re going to sharpen any kind of Wusthof blades, we recommend a commercial kitchen polishing stone and a professional honing rod. 

Polishing is a different method to sharpen not only your gourmet and classic knives, but any of the knives in your set. It does take a bit of learning how to hold the knife and what angle to keep.

You only need to sharpen your Wusthof knife when the teeth on the cutting edge have been misaligned. Either a sharpening stone or honing rod can quickly help them to be straightened-out, so the edge is razor-sharp again.

How To Hone Wusthof Knives Like a Pro

With every set of Wusthof knives, there should be a honing rod included. A honing rod or honing steel is also often referred to as chef’s steel, sharpening rod/stick/steel, butcher’s steel and whet steel. It can be ceramic or made from steel and, sometimes, diamond-coated.

Wusthof’s recommendation is that for best results, it is better to use either ceramic or diamond steel to sharpen your blunt knives, if they haven’t been sharpened for an extended period of time.  

So, if your knife set doesn’t come with a honing rod, it’s best to buy one from Wusthof. What a honing rod does is that it re-sharpens the teeth on the blade edge. If you look at a knife under a microscope, you’ll see that the knife has jagged teeth that run straight down the blade. These teeth are the reason why a good knife cuts well. 

A firm, slow slide down the blade is enough to align the cutting teeth, resulting in a sharper blade.

If you don’t already have a honing steel, before you purchase one, make sure to get one that is long enough for your knives.

Wusthof 2-Piece Handle Knives

The knife handles that Wusthof offers come in different styles: a handle is part of the knife, a handle is molded into the knife as one piece or a two-piece on the tang knife handle.

The handles of the Aeon, Crafter, Epicure and Ikon lines are made as two-piece handles. These knife handles are made from different types of wood including millenia-old bog oak, Grenadill wood (African Blackwood), smoked oak as well as wood composite material.

Image	Product	Features	Price
	Wusthof Crafter Chef's Knife 6-inch	Precision forged Single piece Smoked Oak handle Brass rivets Stainless-steel	Buy on Amazon
	Wusthof Epicure Chefs Knife 6-inch	Wooden handle 2 rivet Stainless-steel Ergonomic design Full bolster	Buy on Amazon
	Wüsthof Classic Ikon Chefs Knife 6-inch	Classic workhorse knife Tuff handle Trip rivet Double Bolster Top quality	Buy on Amazon

The knives in their Culinar series have an impressive stainless steel handle, which is a part of the knife itself and will never come apart. Unfortunately, this line is no longer being made. However, Culinar series knives are still available for purchase online.

Wusthof knives in the Grand Prix ll series have a molded synthetic handle.

The pieces in the two-piece handle are held together with knife bolts; thus, these knife handles are more sensitive to water.

Wusthof Knife Handle Repair: Is it Possible and How?

Wusthof knife handles are made from either synthetic or natural (wooden) materials, such as polypropylene, polyoxymethylene (POM), wood composite material, oak and the new luxury knife series are made from millennia-old bog oak. 

Knife handle repair is possible, but it is generally not covered by Wusthof’s warranty. Wusthof will assess this on a case by case scenario.

To replace a damaged wooden handle on your Wusthof’s knife, you would need to find a professional knifemaker. First off, the knifemaker will remove the old knife handle. Then, they will draw out a wooden template for the new handle.

Next, this template will be attached to the blade tang of the knife with either Loveless or Corby bolts, forming a base for the new handle. 

The Loveless bolts have the appearance of a fastener with two rings that resemble an eye. This is because one side of this bolt is threaded and is cut off and polished later. If a knife handle attached this way isn’t appealing, then the Corby bolts are used.

These have no inner thread showing and are more solid looking.

The bolts are attached using an additional epoxy to keep them from loosening. The ends are cut off and then the handle template is ready to be shaped. The template is then sanded-down on a belt sander to get the correct shape.

It then goes through final sanding by hand to smooth it further. After the handle is sanded, it gets sealed with tung oil or similar options to keep the wood preserved, giving your knife a longer lifespan.

How to Clean Wusthof Knives

Here is the easiest method to keep your Wusthof knives clean and usable. For a regular clean, use water and a kitchen sponge with a little bit of washing soap. Then rinse the blades with water and use a clean towel to dry your knives immediately. 

Do not use the scrubbing side of the sponge, unless there is food that is stuck to the blade. Oil build-up can easily be washed off with soap and hot water. 

Make sure your knife is totally dry before returning it to the knife holder or block. It should be dry to the touch, so there isn’t any moisture left on it. Use a dry kitchen towel to wipe your knife dry.

Can Wusthof Classic Ikon Knives go in the Dishwasher?

Unless you want to see your expensive knife set ruined in a month, never do this! All knives that have wooden handles are sensitive to water. Water in the dishwasher, as well as harsh detergents, will make the wood expand, which in turn will cause damage.

As the wood expands while in the water and shrinks while drying, cracks will form and the handle will soon start to deteriorate. For that matter, none of the Wusthof gourmet knives should ever be washed in the dishwasher!

So, always wash these knives by hand and dry them immediately to prolong their life. 

Wooden handles should also be treated from time to time with a wood sealer that would help to protect the wood from moisture. 

Image	Product	Features	Price
	Wusthof Classic Ikon 2 Piece Knife Set	Good starter set 8-inch chef's Knife 3 1/2-inch paring knife Solid handle	Buy on Amazon
	Wusthof Classic Ikon 3 Piece Knife Set	Good starter set 8-inch chef's knife 8-inch carving knife 3 1/2-inch paring knife	Buy on Amazon
	Wusthof Classic Ikon 7 Piece Knife Block Set	Acacia Full tang Triple reverted Block set	Buy on Amazon
	Wusthof Classic Ikon 16 Piece Knife Block Set	Black handles Triple reverted Steak knives Honing steel	Buy on Amazon
	WÜSTHOF CLASSIC IKON 12 Piece Knife Block Set	Stainless steel blades. Made in Solingen, Germany Steak Knives Block included	Buy on Amazon

Some Knife Names to Mention Made by Wusthof

Wusthof Current Knife Lines

These are the newest lines in the Wusthof knife series:

Wusthof Discontinued Knife Lines 

All the knives below are either discontinued or made for specific countries.

Are Wusthof Knives Better than Henckels Knives?

This is always a highly debated question. Both Wusthof and Henckels are big names that produce high-grade cutlery, Wusthof – all made in Germany, whereas Henkels are not all German made.

Henckels has been around 100 years longer than Wusthof. Does that make them better? Not at all, since knife technology only improved at the turn of the century.

According to popularity polls, both are doing pretty well and have similar traits. It really comes down to personal preference and your requirements.

Which Wusthof Knife Set Is Better: The Classic vs Epicure?

There’s no question about which one is better, the Classic set is much more stylish. The handle design is what you would expect a kitchen knife to look like. The Epicure is nearly the same; however, it has a different handle stock.

It’s also made of a composite wood that isn’t the most attractive, but we are not partial to natural brown handles. It does look stylish to a point, but it seems the color is more country kitchen than anything else.

The Wusthof Epicure does offer two different blades that include one version with and one without the full bolster. This is a nice touch that you can’t get with the Wusthof Classic set. In this set, the bolster goes down to the blade’s edge.

So, if we have to answer the question, the Classic is the better of the two.

Image	Product	Features	Price
	Wusthof Classic Chef's Knife 8-inch	Stainless steel Single piece Full tang Triple rivet	Buy on Amazon
	Wusthof Epicure Chefs Knife 8-inch	Precision forged Ceramic coated blade Comfortable Made in Solingen, Germany	Buy on Amazon
	Wüsthof Classic Ikon Chefs Knife 8-inch	Perfect worker Classic look Comfortable Stainless steel	Buy on Amazon

Which Wusthof Ikon Block Set is Better?

Among the three Wusthof Ikon sets that are available for purchase at the time of writing this article, the best of these knife sets would be hard to pick. Each of the Ikon sets has pros and cons, depending on what kind of knives or knife styles you’re after.

Our favorite pick among the three is the stylish Ikon Blackwood, however, the Classic Ikon Crème knife block set also looks highly attractive.

The Wusthof Classic Ikon is made with a polypropylene handle that has a wood-like feel. This is perfect if you do a lot of cutting in the kitchen and worry about water damage.

If you would like to impress people, who like watching you cook, then we’d suggest you go for the natural wood handles. If you purchase any of the Wusthof knife blocks for your home, you’ll always have something to talk about with your guests, who are also into cooking.

Image	Product	Features	Price
	Wusthof Classic Ikon 7 Piece Knife Block Set	Acacia Full tang Triple reverted Block set	Buy on Amazon
	Wusthof Classic Ikon 16 Piece Knife Block Set	Black handles Triple reverted Steak knives Honing steel	Buy on Amazon
	Wusthof Classic Ikon 12 Piece Knife Block Set	Stainless steel blades. Made in Solingen, Germany Steak Knives Block included	Buy on Amazon

Who Uses The Best Wusthof Knives?

Among the many professional chefs who use Wusthof knives, there are kitchen enthusiasts who just like quality. Some well-known chefs like using these specialized Wusthof knives. At some point, Jamie Oliver used to use Wusthof knives, however, he switched to a sponsored brand later on. 

Martha Stewart and Ina Garten are big fans of the Classic line of Wusthof knives. Michael Cox, James Martin, and Emeril Lagasse are three pros, who openly praise Wusthof knives. 

Many cooking academy students learn to use this brand for their beginner set of sous chef knives.

What Knife Does Chef Gordon Ramsay Use?

It seems that the foul-mouthed Gordon Ramsay likes to use the Wusthof’s Ikon chef knife line as well as Henckel’s knives. In one of his recent masterclass online programs, he used Wusthof knives.

In the last few years, Gordon has settled down in regards to his outrageous behavior to reel in the sponsors. So, it makes sense that a name like Wusthof would give him a chance to show off their knives.

Which Wusthof Knife Sets are Best For Students?

Any starving student who’s attending cooking school to become a chef will be looking for a good starter kit. Of course, you wouldn’t find a decent knife kit at Ikea that would suit the purpose. 

The Grand Prix II chef knife set could be the perfect solution for you. Each of the Grand Prix II Wusthof knife sets comes with various amounts of knives and a honing rod, so you can choose a set that suits you best.

To complement your new Wusthof knife set, you can also purchase a cook’s case or carry-all bag, which can hold the entire knife collection and also can be used for storage. The bag handles are made from cost-effective hard-wearing polymer (POM). 

If you’ve made plans to study at a cooking school, start researching ahead. You might find a good deal on this knife set, either new or secondhand.

Why Wusthof Classic Ikon Knives are So Expensive

If you haven’t figured it out, certain woods are more expensive aside from the knife. So, if you look at the Blackwood series knives, you think, why is the price on this knife a hundred dollars more? Well, this is because Wusthof uses a very select African Blackwood for their knife handles in this series.

It’s the same shaped handle in the Ikon series that’s meant to impress. Because this wood is premium, the price automatically goes up. Real wood over plastic is always going to be costlier.

This isn’t the case for the Wusthof Ikon Crème and the Classic Ikon Black, which both are made from POM, a synthetic plastic that is cheaper to produce.

No matter what the handles are made of, the Wusthof knives are exclusive knives and these knives aren’t typical bread and butter knives for buttering-up your toasted bread! When you see the attention to detail like this, you know Wusthof is screaming quality.

Are Wusthof Knives Worth The Money?

So, we have given you plenty of information to digest and hope you can now make a well-informed decision which of the knives or knife block sets you would like to purchase today. For the price that you pay for this level of quality, Wusthof knives are a good deal.

Many secondhand knife sets, that are resold on eBay and Amazon, sell for nearly the same price as the new sets. 

Being able to purchase Wusthof knives on Amazon as a second hand item, this is how many people can afford such an incredible set of Wusthof knives on-the-cheap. Sadly, Wusthof don’t allow for  transfer of warranty. But then again, with these knives being so well-made, you might never need the warranty anyway. 

Wusthof gourmet knives as a knife block set are often given as a wedding gift and ironically most of these knife sets last longer than most marriages. So, the Wusthof knives should really be put into the same category as investment in good silverware sets.