Wusthof and Henckels your opinion?

M

MikeSSS

Joined
Jan 11, 2009
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16
In need six new steak knives and a good paring knife.
Don't wan't to spend extra money that can go for EDC knives though.

Victorinox has steak knives and so does Wusthof and Henckels, any opinions on these brands.

I want something that is easy to sharpen and that holds an edge and is easily resharpened.

Any other recommendations?

Thanks
 
Wusthof knives are fairly soft steel. Easy to dull and easy to sharpen.

Henckels are better in terms of blade hardness, but they're no longer forged. Today, Henckels are just welded together + priced as if they were not.....

Also, the bolsters on Henckels and Wusthof knives drop down too far and interfere with the beginning/base of the edge.

If you like German made, traditional style knives, I'd go with Messermeister. Forged out of good steel, decent hardness, and the bolsters are the proper length.

If you don't care about CoO or "traditional" European style, there are a ton of great Japanese brands too.
 
I use the Henckels Pro S line and am very pleased with them. Apart from some Old Hickory knives I inherited from my mom (and she from hers) the Henckels and one Cold Steel are all I have in my kitchen. (Don't mistake the new line of Old Hickory that Ontario is selling these days, they're complete and total crap.)
 
My wife and I have a nice set of Henckels brought by my wife's family from Germany. I don't know if they are different from ones bought stateside but for us they are the bee's knees. They stay sharp, are comfortable, and are great slicers (except when she chops, then she says they chop like a hatchet).
 
I have been using Wustof Knives for a few years and love them. When I change, and it will be a while, I will buy customs from someone here if available.
 
Some Henckels are still forged, it just depends on the line. I've used both a Henckels Proline S chef's knife and a Messermeister meridian elite santoku at work. Both were quality knives, but I found the Henckels to be better at edge renention and more comfortable to use.
 
I grew up with Wusthof knives and was ALWAYS sharpening them. The first knives I bought on my own were Henckels. I never looked back.

I've had a set of Old Chicago steak knives for several years and like them. I forget the name but they are large, serrated an have plastic handles. They have never seen sharpening and they do get used.
 
I got my sister the Forschner/Victorinox steak knives (wood handles). Out of the box, they would shave your arm. Edge retention was good. Forschner used to make a round-tipped steak knife that was handy if you didn't want to set and later wash a separate dull knife. Just as sharp as their traditional pointy-tipped steak knives.

DancesWithKnives
 
About 5 years back I bought a set of Wustof Classics for my wife. I am always sharpening them. Plus the handle rivets are corroded and on more than one knife the micarta slabs are cracked. She does not abuse them and hand washes them. Its really frustrating for the amount of coin I dropped on them.
 
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buy the victorinox and save a few bux..

They're going to be doing one of the things thats worst for a knife edge..cutting against a glass or ceramic surface (your plates).
Forged or not forged, it's not going to matter in a steak knife.
 
I have a few Henckels and really like them. I might try to get a set of Forschner/Victorinox steak knives
 
Victorinox steak knives rock! Laser sharp, long lasting, and best of all, cheap enough that you can throw them away if they get dull or damaged.
 
I just ordered a Forschner/Victorinox 15 piece set, well see how it turns out.

Cuttlery and More had the best price by far, they added a 3 pc. paring knife set and free shipping.

Thanks for the help.
 
I got a Victorinox paring knife in Switzerland as a cheap throwaway- I bought it to cut some cheese. I brought the knife home with me, and now it's the most frequently used knife in our kitchen. It holds an edge better than our Henckels- and I think I paid $5 for it.
 
I have some full tang Wustoff classic steak knives for several years and no problem with sharpness and no discolor on handles...I use them a couple times a month and after cleaning I hone the edges a couple strokes then put them back in the block.
 
Vic. represents a good buy , Wushof is a good line . Henkels would be the last choice , of the group you mentioned .

Chris
 
I had a full set of Henckels and Wusthofs. The Wusthof felt and are better made. Both brands commonly use softer steel which are supple enough to 1) avoid chipping from hard contact, 2) be easily re-sharpened, but won't take as sharp of an edge or hold it very long.

The Wusthof steak knives work fine, but I regret not spending less. Mine get abused (cutting on a plate, nicked against a fork, and banged around with the other silverware). I like something like the Victorinox with rosewood handle. And don’t go with a serrated edge – even the micro ones rip and tear like hacksaw.

My paring knives keep disappearing. Most of the time, I use a petty / utility knife just as a paring knife by holding the blade instead of the handle. For about $10, the Victorinox (recommended by America Test Kitchen) and the Kuhn Rikon have surprisingly good steel. The Kuhn Rikon comes with some kind of hard coating on the blade and nicer, bigger handle than the Victorinox. Both are shaver sharp / bounce back easily with a few swipes against a ceramic hone. After about 3 months, they're as good as the more expensive ones I’ve lost.
 
I like Wustoff over Henkels and have used both many times.

I currently use Wustoff and like them just fine since I'm a knife person so I steel them all the time. But my next set someday will be custom or Japanese.
 
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