Wusthof knives (deals, expensive, purchase, shipping)

[7G9C4J2]

I agree about the price of those things; they're not cheap. But when you calculate the cost per year over the length of time you'll use them, you realize that you're spending just a few dollars a year on them.

The Bed, Bath & Beyond in our community carries the Wusthof line, so one of the things that I did when I was Christmas-shopping last year and the year before was to wait for one of their 20% off coupons to come in the mail. You can only use the coupon on one thing, so I'd get one in the mail, go into the store and get the next knife on my list, take it home, put it away in my secret Christmas stash, and just wait patiently for the next coupon to show up. Took me about 4 or 5 months to get them all, but I saved 20% on each one.

[Huckleberry3911948]

best internet deal i could find on a wustof was 45 bucks for a santoku

[Fontucky]

I have a couple of Wusthof knives in my collection. Great quality knives. Just heed what you've already been told.... stay away from their second line of China made product. Most all old line manufacturers of high quality kitchenware (Henckles, Wusthof, Calphalon, to name a few) have a lower priced second line of products made in China, in order to remain as competitive as possible.

I've learned to keep that stuff at 10 foot pole distance. It just doesn't have the quality.

[MB2]

Originally Posted by Steve Bagu

If you want a good knife... talk to a butcher that cuts meat for a living...I did and have a 3 pc set of R.H.Forschner Co knives. One for veggies...one for general usage...and one 6 incher they use for boning (I use it for cutting my beef stew meat or steak). Bought them in the mid 60's and still going strong. Steve

Yes....I so agree with that !
Forschner knives is all we are using in our meat department.
Double forged steel blades, which makes them pliable, shatter and "snap" proof, rust-free, holding the edge way longer then any other knife.
Germany is known worldwide for it's steel and metal products, but unfortunately don't come very cheap.

WÃœSTHOF knives and products are also on the pricier side (amongst other German brands), but a VERY, VERY GOOD investment, and top notch quality !
If you take good care of them, they will last forever.

I encourage for people to avoid cheap knives, which are mainly made in China. I've seen the weirdest stuff happening with those kind of knives. From little metal pieces snapping and breaking out of the edge of the blade....to starting to badly rust all over.
Also, if you still have wooden handle knives in your kitchen, think about replacing them eventually with nylon handle ones. (Wood is porous, trapping tons of bacteria ....and that's one of the main reasons, why they are not allowed to be used in the food industry anymore)

If you do have costly knives with wood handles.....give them a bleach bath after each use....and let them soak for at least 10 to 20 minutes. (straight bleach)

Your health will thank you for it !

[Beretta]

I love Wusthof knives! I highly recommend and if I could only have one knife it would be a Wusthof. My husband used to own a gun and knife store and I've had them all, but this brand is one of my all time favorites!

Mod Note: I'll change the title of this thread for you.

[fisher33]

thanks smokymtngal - that's been buggin me.

thanks everyone for all the great information. i will plan on visiting tj maxes, marshalls, etc. just to see if they have any before heading over to w-s to try them out. that's a great point about bb&b - i'll have to see if ours has them and use my coupons (sometimes they let you used the expired ones too).

that set in the photo in the first post is the $130. i think that's pretty good for two great knives that should last a really long time and a sharpener. it's a christmas present from my mom and dad so, i don't think they would mind. haha.

i will look at forschner's too and be sure to get a knife made in germany.

i feel much smarter now! thanks so much everybody. i'll keep you posted on what i end up with!

[AONE]

I love mine but I went with the solid handle. Just a preference there. but it is a great knife.

[Niftybergin]

My Wusthofs are about 5 years old and I love them. (I even take them with me when I go to visit my mother for Thanksgiving, because she's got these awful Ginsu-bought-off-tv knives that don't cut anything.) I have a 7-inch chef's, a vegetable (which is serrated, so works as a bread-knife as well), and a slew of small paring knives. I'm not much of a cook, so that's enough of an assortment for me.

The thing that is most important to know/understand about knives -- even really expensive, good quality knives -- is that you have to sharpen them regularly. Yes, they do hold their edge well, but that doesn't mean that you don't need to swipe them along a sharpening steel every other time you use them (or so) to keep the edge honed. And every few years, you can use a diamond steel or take them to a professional sharpener. (DON'T use your diamond steel as your regular sharpening steel. You'll wear your knives down.)

Don't load your good knives in the dishwasher, and don't let them sit around with acidic foods (like citrus or tomatoes) on the blade. Doing that can cause the blades to become pitted, although you can use something like a MAAS polish to get off the discoloration.

[mommytotwo]

The funny thing is I have been using a brand of knife called Rada, which is sold only as fundraiser, usually at places like a flea market. I think the blade is stainless, and the handle aluminum. And these knives are cheap, the one shaped like the one in the picture is about $10. The paring knife might be about $6. But seriously, they work really well and are very lightweight.
They also sell a knife sharpener which I use before cutting anything. So I am very used to this particular type of knife.

My mother just started working at William Sonoma, so using her employee discount she has been shopping like a maniac, and she got, I think, one of these knives. I tried cutting with it, and let me tell you I was scared!!!!! It was heavier, thicker, and I thought I was much slower with it. Kind of felt like I was walking through quicksand. And I really didn't think I was doing much better a job with the onion I was chopping. I asked my mother for one of the other knives, but unfortunately (probably the drawback), it was dull and she didn't have a sharpener. So rather than cut myself w/ a dull knife, I stuck with the expensive, VERY sharp knife and was very very careful.

So what I would like to ask all you owners, is there a learning curve with these knives? I can chop very fast with my own knives that I am used to, and they chop well, for that reason I bring them with me if I know I will be expected to do any kitchen work because I cannot stand crappy knives, but really, I figure the more expensive knife has GOT to be better, so what gives? Maybe I was just too scared to really go at it? It just didn't seem to work better for me.

btw, bed bath and beyond, where I live, will allow you to use up to five coupons at once and they also disregard the expiration date.....don't know if they do that everywhere, or just here, but fyi!

[Hesster]

Germany isn't the only place they make good knives. Some of the Asian knives are very nice as well. Might want to check out Global or Shun.