Wustof Classic

[dc2123]

Thanks everyone. I'm pretty sure I am going to buy an 8" classic wusthof.

I am also considering getting a 10" classic from someone off ebay if the price doesn't go up. It looks like its in good condition. My only question/concern is. Can knives practically regain their original edge with a professional sharpen. Hopefully the link works.
Wusthof Classic 10 inch Chef's Knife | eBay

 

[dcSaute]

jeesh. I missed the "Classic" notation... my bad.

 

[jennyema]

My advice is to DO NOT BUY A KNIFE UNLESS YOUVE TRIED IT.

Knives are like shoes. They have to fit.

Try before you buy.

 

[bakechef]

jeesh. I missed the "Classic" notation... my bad.

That's OK, I was mistaken once, it was TERRIBLE....

 

[katwill]

I have been washing mine using room temperature water and a mild dishsoap which is what we normally use to do the dishes and dry them immediately so I dont get water spots. Our water tends to be hard.

 

[katwill]

Thanks everyone. I'm pretty sure I am going to buy an 8" classic wusthof.

I am also considering getting a 10" classic from someone off ebay if the price doesn't go up. It looks like its in good condition. My only question/concern is. Can knives practically regain their original edge with a professional sharpen. Hopefully the link works.
Wusthof Classic 10 inch Chef's Knife | eBay

Depending where you live, you may be able to go to a chef's store and bring a vegetable, meat a fruit and they may let you test. There is a Chef's Central near my job and they let you do a test run with some of their most popular knives.

 

[RPCookin]

My advice is to DO NOT BUY A KNIFE UNLESS YOUVE TRIED IT.

Knives are like shoes. They have to fit.

Try before you buy.

He has already said that he likes the Classic. I was assuming that means that he has handled one, but maybe I'm mistaken.

 

[RPCookin]

Here is a photo for 2 of my knives. The bottom one is a 6" Wusthof Classic and the other is an 8" Chicago Cutlery Centurion (I also have a 10" Wusthof). You can see that both look a lot alike, and the handles are virtually identical. There are some small differences in the way the blade blends into the handle, but to me those are irrelevant as both knives feel the same in my hands. I don't know if the steel is of the same quality, but the Chicago seems to be as durable as the Wustof.

I inherited the Chicago when my mother passed away, and I use it a lot. I have no doubt that it was mistreated when she used it, as she really never had a decent knife until my sister bought her this one. I know that she used the grinder on the back of her electric can opener to sharpen it with, and had no idea what a honing steel was. For all that, I fixed up the edge with my Chef's Choice 3 stage and it has served me well for 3 years now.

Edit: Just Googled it and the 8" Chicago is $59 at Amazon. They don't seem to offer a 10"

 

[Aunt Bea]

This thread has been very interesting and informative for me.

Since the initial post I have been paying attention to the knives used in the butcher areas of 3 stores and 2 delis. In all cases they use what looks like inexpensive Dexter-Russell Sani-Safe knives. I also was inspired to take my two KMart Martha Stuart knives and have them sharpened. These knives were purchased long before Martha went to jail and have not been sharpened in over 15 years. What a difference the sharpening makes! The knife sharpener also seemed to have a large quantity of Dexter-Russell Sani-Safe knives waiting to be sharpened. I'm beginning to think that a basic knife that is sharpened periodically is the best choice for me.

I do love the idea of those Wusthof Classics!

It's awful to be cheap, I mean frugal!

 

[bakechef]

This thread has been very interesting and informative for me.

Since the initial post I have been paying attention to the knives used in the butcher areas of 3 stores and 2 delis. In all cases they use what looks like inexpensive Dexter-Russell Sani-Safe knives. I also was inspired to take my two KMart Martha Stuart knives and have them sharpened. These knives were purchased long before Martha went to jail and have not been sharpened in over 15 years. What a difference the sharpening makes! The knife sharpener also seemed to have a large quantity of Dexter-Russell Sani-Safe knives waiting to be sharpened. I'm beginning to think that a basic knife that is sharpened periodically is the best choice for me.

I do love the idea of those Wusthof Classics!

It's awful to be cheap, I mean frugal!

I agree just about any decent quality knife kept sharp is a good knife. Biggest difference is balance and how long they hold an edge.

Those Dexter Russell are nearly bullet proof, they can take a ton of abuse. If I didn't have the wusthof classics (they were a gift) I would have spent my money on the Dexter Russell or others from restaurant supply.

 

[dcSaute]

>>Can knives practically regain their original edge with a professional sharpen.
caution advised, Grasshopper.
regardless, the answer is yes.

"professional" sharpening places are like "professional" automobile repair places.
there's good ones, and there ones you car wishes you never knew about.

learn to sharpen your own knives.
multiple very recommended doohickies are available to help.
and then there's the ole fashioned by-hand-on-a-stone way.
it's not rocket science.
done routinely (2-3 x / year) takes 15 minutes +/- per knife.
and as an extra added bonus, not available in stores, it gets done right.

>> What a difference the sharpening makes!
a dull knife is not a good choice for anyone regardless of skill level.

and iffin' you like sharp, try steeling.

DD has a near new set of Wuesties, never steeled the knives because she didn't like the sound - too "grating"....
on a visit I was appalled at the edges, heard the "grating' story.
let her cut some chicken, then ran the knife over the steel.
"try it now" said I - to which she reacted "gosh can't believe the difference - guess I'll learn to like the grating noise...."

I require my knives be sharp.
but I'm not a nifenut insisting on shaving with my kitchen knives.
for me there's "perfectly adequate and useable sharp" and "fanatic sharp"

 

[dc2123]

I also have a question about honing steels. If I am going to buy a wusthof chefs knife, should I buy a wusthof honing steel? And is it important to buy a new steel or could I buy a used one?

 

[RPCookin]

I require my knives be sharp.
but I'm not a nifenut insisting on shaving with my kitchen knives.
for me there's "perfectly adequate and useable sharp" and "fanatic sharp"

This is my word too. I don't need to shave a tomato before I slice it, and "adequate and useable sharp" is good enough to slice it paper thin "without a seed out of place" as the infomercial says about the type of knife you don't want to buy.

My best friend here is a restaurant owner and he uses the Dexter-Russell Sani Safe knives (he prefers the butcher style blade over the chef style). He typically makes several gallons of Conch salad daily and is one of those guys who when you watch him work (his knife work is the "floor show" behind the bar), you wonder why you can't do it like that. I'm certain that I would fillet my fingers down to the bone if I tried to slice and dice as fast as he does it.

Also no professional sharpening services here, he sharpens his own and he uses the handle of the large spoon he serves with for a honing steel.

 

[dcSaute]

I also have a question about honing steels. If I am going to buy a wusthof chefs knife, should I buy a wusthof honing steel? And is it important to buy a new steel or could I buy a used one?

it is important that the hone steel be harder than the knife steel.

otherwise the knife 'sharpens' the hone vs. totherwayround.

buying from the same maker puts confidence in "it's right"

used is fine. I've got my grandparents steel from the twenties and it works peachy keenly.

 

[dc2123]

Also, any suggestions on cheap roll bags for a beginner. Gotta be professional going into the kitchen. My first time I staged, I went in with a dull chef/paring knife rolled up in a towel.

 

[Roll_Bones]

All Wusthof Classics are forged. They look like this. The steel of the blade is thicker at the base (bolster) and extends to the end of the handle in one piece. The black handle pieces are just attached to the tang.

Other knives are stamped steel. They can have a full tang or not. The difference is in the shape of the steel, which doesn't vary in maximum thickness from the heel of the blade to the end of the handle.

One style is not inherently better than the other. The quality of the steel and how it is sharpened are more important. Heft and balance will differ between the two types.

My Henckel 8" chefs knife has the steel all the way through, with the rivets.
My Henckel 10" chefs knife does not have rivets or is the steel visible in the handle.

Do you think the 10" knife has a full steel? I like it the best of the two actually. Might be because its longer? Not sure why.

About 15 years ago someone got me an electric knife sharpener.
Its a ChefsChoice "EdgeSelect 120".
It has three honing stations onboard.
I use it two or three times a year. I use my round steel every time I pull out a knife.
The sharpener was good gift to get and it sure does a very good job without removing to much material.

 

[CharlieD]

I love my set of Wustof Classic. But it still needs periodic sharpening, of course I do like my knives to be razor sharp.

 

[Andy M.]

My Henckel 8" chefs knife has the steel all the way through, with the rivets.
My Henckel 10" chefs knife does not have rivets or is the steel visible in the handle.

Do you think the 10" knife has a full steel? I like it the best of the two actually. Might be because its longer? Not sure why...

The two knives are just different product lines from Henckels. The 10" may or may not have a full tang. If you're really curious, go to the Henckels website and view the different lines.

Keep in mind that Henckels has two major categories with several styles of knives in each of the two.

Their logo is of either one or two little stick figures. The major product category with two stick figures together is the higher quality and more expensive line. There are several different models of knives in this category.

The major product line with a single stick figure is the "budget" line. There are several different models of knives in this category also.

 

[RPCookin]

My Henckel 8" chefs knife has the steel all the way through, with the rivets.
My Henckel 10" chefs knife does not have rivets or is the steel visible in the handle.

Do you think the 10" knife has a full steel? I like it the best of the two actually. Might be because its longer? Not sure why.

About 15 years ago someone got me an electric knife sharpener.
Its a ChefsChoice "EdgeSelect 120".
It has three honing stations onboard.
I use it two or three times a year. I use my round steel every time I pull out a knife.
The sharpener was good gift to get and it sure does a very good job without removing to much material.

I have the same sharpener. I use it only when my ceramic honing steel (it isn't "steel" but I don't really know what else to call it) no longer gets the job done. I also only use the second and third stages (stage one is very aggressive and can quickly wear out a good knife when used unnecessarily). Unless I have picked up an old knife that needs to have the edge recreated from scratch, I never use the first stage. For my regular kitchen sharpening, I only need a touch up a couple of times a year and the second and third stages are plenty to keep a good knife properly cared for.

 

[Andy M.]

I have the same sharpener. I use it only when my ceramic honing steel (it isn't "steel" but I don't really know what else to call it)...

I'd call it a hone. That's what it is and what it does.