Wusthof vs Henckels

[college_cook]

I like both styles a lot, though I definitely prefer the heft of a french style knife. I find that it is preferable to use for everyday tasks, while some of the Japanese knives are superior for specific tasks. A co-worker let me use his favorite japanese blade (which he used as an all-purpose knife) for about a month because I was curious about how it felt to use. I will say that the grip was quite comfortable, though I did miss the heft, and it just didn't 'run' along the cutting board in quite the same way as a french knife does. The motions you use are slightly different... I have to admit though, the edge of my co-worker's knife was far sharper than I could ever hope to achieve on my Wusthofs, and I have nice Wusthofs too, Grand Prixs.

A good kitchen or cutlery retailer will let you test drive different blades. Find a good store and get what feels best to you, not what feels best or is preferred by everyone else. If you're a good cook, or are becoming a good cook, you know or will soon realize that your knife truly is an extension of yourself; its the tool you use to express your diligence and craftsmanship in your cooking.

[chef_william]

Well i decided to splash out on a new knife today - i have a cooking demo in sheffield on sunday which invloves boning a duck, so i thought i'd treat myself!

Decided on the Wusthof & i went for their 14cm Boning knife from the ClassicIkon range...

When i first saw these i was put off by the handle design, but i must say - its incredibly comfortable, i was really suprised - id say his is the most comfortable knife i've used, it has a nice weight too.

The blades are thinner than on the classic range, making cutting easier. The bolsters on this range only goes half way down the blade, allowing you to sharpen the entire blade, which was always a downside to the wusthof classic knives.... and Gordon Ramsay uses them, so i couldnt resist lol

I got 25% off too bcause my friend works at the shop so thats a bonus - cost me £50 in total. Admitidly i could have got the Kasumi for about £3 extra, but im sad and a bit of a Ramsay nut so i couldnt resist (i know, i know....)

So yea, im happy..

[luvs]

geebs, way when, ago, advised me best.

i got a wusthoff classic hollow blade santoku & love that knife. i went with what was comfortable. it's tang is beautiful. my other knives er $900 worth from cooking school, & i don't appreciate them like my wusthoff.

[Jcas]

I have Globals and a Wusthoff or two.

The globals definately hold their edge longer than the wusthoffs and always slice effortlessly through everything, but if i need a knife i can feel in my hand i reach for the wusthoff every time.

love them both, but i think it depends on what you are doing.

[Bigjim68]

I pretty much agree with Jcas. After 40 years of Forschners, I recently spung for 5 Japanese laminated knives. They are sharper out of the box than I ever got the Forschners. However, after chopping 3 pounds of beef with the japanese, I appreciated the large handles on the Forschners. For me, the bottom line is, get the knives most comfortable to use. Most medium to high end knives will do a good job if kept sharp.

[Poppinfresh]

The 2 brands are largely equal, IMO.

The only Wusthof I can tolerate are the Grand Prix Series, and the only Henckel model I like is their Twin Cuisine line. I think the Wusthof is generally a better blade, but I prefer the heft of the Henckel. It sort of balances out in the end, IMO.

[stupidfab]

im a huge fan of wusthof, their the only knife i use, i have used other type but i have found none can compare. i alowaise keep 3 knives with me when i cook, i have my 3 inch paring knife, my 6 inch chef knife, and my 10 inch chef knife. i find that they can solve any problem, the spine on my 10 inch chef knife is thought enough to crack an oyster.

this is a picture of my knife. The spine is about 4 mm at the thickest point!

[Rob Babcock]

I don't think there's much to recommend one of them over the other. Both are pretty comparable, quality wise- it comes down to personal preference, and how a given knife feels in your hand. I'll admit a slight preference for Henckels but both are fine. I prefer Japanese knives for almost everything anyway.