Wusthof blade guards, please help!

[gusmdp]

Hi there,
my name is Gustavo and I bought some time ago three Whustof Blade Guards (the old black model) as a result the blades of the three knives got scratched. I sent a couple of mails to Wusthof but they were not even answered. Any advice on what could I do?? I mean, is their responsability that their product is designed so bad that damaged my very expensive knives (Ikon Classic)?

Thanks in advance;

Gustavo

[Randy_]

One thing you might try is going to Cooking.com and posting there. At one time they had a direct line to a Wusthoff rep and could get answers from him. Don't know if they still do; but it would be worth a try.

Other thing that occurs to me is most big companies have an 800 customer service telephone line. You could find that number on their Internet web site and see if they could help you.

Good luck.

[Rob Babcock]

I don't mean this to sound harsh, but what's the big deal? An edge guard exists primarily to protect the edge of the blade from damage and keep it from cutting things. Any scratches on the side of the knife are just cosmetic and probably pretty superficial- they don't hurt anything. I've got probably 15 of those blade guards and none of my knives have ever been scratched badly enough to bother me. A knife is a tool, like a hammer. Who'd complain if their hammer got a scratch?

Okay, okay...a knife can be more than just a tool. We tend to get emotionally attached to them. If the scratches offend thee, polish them out! Try a little Flitz, preferably with the knife laying on something soft so you don't scratch it more or cut yourself.

[GB]

Rob, can you give me some more info on Flitz. What, specifically, should I use to get scratches out of my blade? I have never heard of this stuff before. I have a relatively new knife that I did a number on when sharpening. Functionally, it works amazingly well. It is my sharpest knife. It was gorgeous before I sharpened it. Not so much anymore. Like you said, it is not a big deal (to me), but if there is a way to restore it to looking even close to how it looked before I mutilated it I would love to try. I have nothing, but time, to lose.

[Randy_]

Thought I would see what all of the uproar was about? Here is what the little guy looks like.



Hard to imagine hard to imagine how a felt-lined sleeve like that could scratch a knife unless it got some sort of abrasive grit in it during the manufacturing process,

A little light scratching does not seem like a big deal to me; but Gus is certainly free to set his own standards as to what is acceptable and what is not. And we do not know exactly how serious the scratching is. Maybe if we saw it, we might agree that is was unacceptable as well.

Certainly, there is some merit in being concerned as Wusthof advertises the guard as being produced to ".....protect the blade from scratches....." so they are, apparently, not living up to their own promise.

Since they have ignored your email complaint so far, I too would look for a phone number for their customer service department and give them a call.

[Randy_]

Originally Posted by GB

Rob, can you give me some more info on Flitz.....

Flitz is a metal polish. It will take out light scratching; but is not going to touch serious dings.....sort of like compounding your car paint job. Here is a link to their web site.

Flitz

I notice they have an offer for a free sample of their product. Might be worth checking out.

[justplainbill]

Glad to hear Flitz is still around. I buy their blue goo by the quart and will be needing to order another soon. Since few people have a buffing machine, scratch removal can be a tedious task using felt pads and a silicon carbide or aluminum oxide compound. Do a google on clover aluminum oxide compound for more info.

[justplainbill]

http://lennon.csufresno.edu/~aditya97026/hardness/index.htm[IMG]file:///C:/Users/Willy/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-19.png[/IMG]

[IMG]file:///C:/Users/Willy/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-20.png[/IMG][IMG]file:///C:/Users/Willy/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-21.png[/IMG]

[justplainbill]

[msmofet]

Originally Posted by Randy_

Thought I would see what all of the uproar was about? Here is what the little guy looks like.



Hard to imagine hard to imagine how a felt-lined sleeve like that could scratch a knife unless it got some sort of abrasive grit in it during the manufacturing process,

A little light scratching does not seem like a big deal to me; but Gus is certainly free to set his own standards as to what is acceptable and what is not. And we do not know exactly how serious the scratching is. Maybe if we saw it, we might agree that is was unacceptable as well.

Certainly, there is some merit in being concerned as Wusthof advertises the guard as being produced to ".....protect the blade from scratches....." so they are, apparently, not living up to their own promise.

Since they have ignored your email complaint so far, I too would look for a phone number for their customer service department and give them a call.

the NEW ones are felt lined inside and a bit flexible. i just bought several replacements for the old hard ones that cracked and for a new knife (Hankels 3" parer).

i have several of the OLD black and gray blade covers which are just a hard plastic sheath. i never noticed any scratches caused by the old hard guards/covers.

[gusmdp]

Hi there, thanks for all your posts. I know that the scratches are not a big deal, but what bothers me is that the blade guards are supposed to prevent scratches and dents, and is not working good enough. As msmofet said the new model has a felt inside, the old ones just hard plastic.
I will post some pics later so you can see tha damage.

Thanks;

Gustavo

[GB]

These have always worked well for me.

[justplainbill]

Got the type available from Huberts for free when I bought a 6" chefs knife from LamsonSharp. Have had it for about 5 years and it works pretty good.

[Rob Babcock]

Sorry all, haven't been online in a few days. Yeah, that link to Flitz is good- that's the stuff. Barkeeper's Friend will also do a good job of final polish.

I know some of the new guards are felt lined, but bear this in mind: the felt will absorb water. While it will prevent those small scratches it can hold moisture against the blade. Bear in mind that what we call "Stainless Steel" is just steel with 13% or more Chromium. That gives it a standardized measure of rust resistance but no steel is rust proof. If you don't believe me try this experiment: put 2 gals of water into a tall, narrow container. Add a few TBSP of bleach. Then immerse a "stainless" knife into that water & leave it. You'll probably see rust in a day or two.

The felt also gets dirty. If you put away a knife that's not 100% clean it will go right into the felt. Of course you should keep you knives clean but think about it- are yours always thoroughly clean when you put them away?

I don't mean to be a wet blanket but a coworker of mine has several of the felt one and has complained about just those issues.

[GB]

The knife safes that I use do not have felt. They have hard rubber spacer that keep the knife from moving around, and not not hold water or much of anything else to the blade.

[Rob Babcock]

Originally Posted by GB

The knife safes that I use do not have felt. They have hard rubber spacer that keep the knife from moving around, and not not hold water or much of anything else to the blade.

I know, GB. Those are nice blade guards. I was referring to the felt ones.

[GB]

Oh I knew you would know that Rob. If I know something about knives or knife accessories then there is no doubt you know it I have a great respect for your knife knowledge.
My comment was to people unfamiliar with them so they would not be weary to try them.

[Rob Babcock]

Originally Posted by GB

Oh I knew you would know that Rob. If I know something about knives or knife accessories then there is no doubt you know it I have a great respect for your knife knowledge.
My comment was to people unfamiliar with them so they would not be weary to try them.

I shouldn't do this, but I can't help myself! A few guys I work with have had a minor problem with those guards you have, GB. When kept in a hot place the little rubber nubs that grip the knife tend to leave marks on the blade. Those marks are pretty stubborn and really resist being cleaned off.

I can never let a guy just enjoy anything, can I?

That said, they're about the best guard option I've ever seen (next to a wooden Saya).

[GB]

I used to keep all my knives in them for permanent storage. When I moved into my new house I did not have a spot for me magnetic rack (my preferred method of storing my knives) and i did not have a block, so the knife safes were the next best thing. I have since acquired a block so now I only use my safes when I travel.

[Randy_]

I've got one of those Blade Safes on my chefs knife and consider them to be relatively inconvenient as compared to a sheath type guard or a block or a magnetic unit. It pretty much requires two hands and contortionist ability to unlatch the cover or a third hand unless there is a method I have not yet figured out.

In absolute terms, it is only a second or three longer to get into action so it is more of an annoyance that a real problem unless you happen to suffer from arthritis and have some limits on your dexterity.