Wusthof or Henckels?

[J-BAR #18287]

I know there are good chefs here.  My granddaughter is getting married.  I'm in charge of kitchen knives, hence the question.  Thanks.

[Subdeacon Joe]

For me, either one.  As long as it feels good in my hand.  

More important is getting the basics. 

3" or 4" paring knife 

7" to 9" chef's knife

9" to 12" slicing knife,  can be serrated. 

Also....very important.....a good sharpening system.   At the very least a set of Crock Sticks,  the set with 2 sets of sticks.  I still have the single pair that I got 45 years ago.   Although,  to replace the  set of sharpening stones I lost in a move I bought 

 

Longzon 4-in-1 Knife Sharpener [4 stage] with a Pair of Cut-Resistant Glove, Original Premium Polish Blades, Best Kitchen Knife Sharpener Really Works for Ceramic and Steel Knives, Scissors. https://a.co/d/g15gkyc

 

which works surprisingly well. 

 

Above those, a boning knife,  a filet knife (which i also use as a boning knife),  a Santoku style  knife, and a  Chinese cleaver-if I'm cutting LOTS of vegetables that's what I reach for. 

 

Other kitchen blades - mandolins.  Oxo makes a nice little V-slicer with several blades

 

https://poshmark.com/listing/OXO-VBlade-Mandoline-Slicer-65132e86884d763e7b5c1645

 

Or just the basics straight slice 

https://www.google.com/shopping/product/1512394514591464158?q=Oxo+mandolin&client=ms-android-comcast-us-rvc3&sca_esv=0ea72c185f263238&sca_upv=1&biw=339&bih=606&tbs=vw:l&prmd=sivnmbhtz&sxsrf=ACQVn0-WOMyI-1JyIArONMnc46KeoXvcQQ:1709788092696&prds=eto:12706332343667453308_0,cdl:1,local:1,prmr:2,rsk:PC_14232309581901559517,pid:2352219348771085941,cs:1

 

 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

Yes, either. I have [too] many of both. GOOD German steel.

 

I have found it advisable to know the lady. Many are afraid of big knives and hand size is important. A 6” cooks knife might get more use than an 8” chefs knife. In the end it’s what gets used that is appreciated more than what is shiney. If she will only use a paring knife, she needs help.
 

My son-in-law thinks he knows everything about safety and told my daughter that she would cut herself by what she was doing. Samantha took him to a knife skills class at a culinary school. He has not criticized her knife handling since. As for cut resistant gloves, they must fit and are clumsy. I have ONE and never use it, cut my self twice in the last 12 years, nothing serious. Well another time in 1969, but a veterinarian fixed that up. An ER doc might have given me stitches. Nobody needs two gloves, IMHO.

 

if you can think about where they will live, how will the knives be stored? Hopefully not just thrown in a drawer. On the other hand a monster knife block would be a mistake. Good knives should never see a dishwasher.

 

and as for Wusthof or Henckels, yes I love them, I have too many. But America’s Test Kitchen gives a top rating to the knife pictured. And to others in the family of that brand.

 

 

 

[Buckshot Bob]

If you’re not looking to include steak knives this isn’t a bad starting set

https://www.dlttrading.com/case-9-piece-kitchen-cutlery-set

These also are decent, you can get them with plastic handles cheaper 

https://www.dlttrading.com/victorinox-7-piece-rosewood-block-set

If she’s your favorite granddaughter 

https://www.dlttrading.com/shun-premier-7-piece-essential-block-set

 

Knives are a bad rabbit hole to dive down 

If you’re ever looking for more of Outdoor knife these guys make some great ones, but you generally have to pre order and wait, they make some excellent fillet, butchering and camp knives 

https://barkriverknives.com

[Subdeacon Joe]

8 minutes ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

 But America’s Test Kitchen gives a top rating to the knife pictured. And to others in the family of that brand.

 

 

 

 

 

I bought a 9" version of one of those about 25 years ago.   I  was going to be doing a lot of food prep at church and grabbed all my gear but my chef's knife and thermometers   I  had to make a run to a restaurant supply store so I picked one up.  About $28 at that time.   Very pleasantly surprised at the quality for the price.   Hardly a day goes by that I don't use it.   For some things the narrow blade tops the thicker Wusthof.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

If her idea of dinner is Chinese takeout or door dash, I think it would be reasonable to give her a set of Cutco knives. They claim never need sharpening but promise “send them back and we’ll fix them up for ten dollars.” I dated a lady who bought a set 50 years earlier for her trousseau. Sent them all back and they were sharpened or replaced($10 total). She stored them loose in a drawer. When she bought them, it was a college student on his summer job going through an Italian neighborhood which just happened to have young almost marriageable women. He cleaned up that week for sure.

[Alpo]

1 hour ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

Longzon 4-in-1 Knife Sharpener [4 stage] with a Pair of Cut-Resistant Glove, Original Premium Polish Blades, Best Kitchen Knife Sharpener Really Works for Ceramic and Steel Knives, Scissors. https://a.co/d/g15gkyc

I don't have a dog in this hunt, but I found this quite interesting.

 

 

Notice, it says REALLY WORKS FOR CERAMIC and steel KNIVES, and just below that it says UNSUITABLE FOR CERAMIC KNIVES.

[Buckshot Bob]

Knife sharpening is another rabbit hole to go down , just look at all the ways one company has to sharpen a blade 

https://www.worksharptools.com

BTW I picked up one of these when they came out and it’s a great sharpener 

https://www.worksharptools.com/shop/benchtop/manual/professional-precision-adjust-knife-sharpener/

[Capt. James H. Callahan]

Some years back Salty Sarah Callahan was wanting some good knives, bought a complete set of Wusthof. Been great knives, I just have to watch she doesn't put them in the dish washer. Funny thing about knives, you can put cheap ones in the dishwasher forever with no problem. Fine steel will rust. Seems bassackwards but that's the way it is. My personal favorite is a Green River butcher knife. Of course it has to be hand washed and dried or it will rust all over the place.

I've actually come to like ceramic knives too. Seems like they just never dull. Problem is my wife is real good at breaking the tips off or a chunk out of the blade. Something to consider.

JHC

[Buckshot Bob]

If anyone is interested in different knife steel, this website is a good read . Magnacut in this article is supposed to be the latest greatest. I have one knife in it and it’s been great so far 

https://knifesteelnerds.com/2021/03/25/cpm-magnacut/

[Capt. James H. Callahan]

25 minutes ago, Buckshot Bob said:

Knife sharpening is another rabbit hole to go down , just look at all the ways one company has to sharpen a blade 

https://www.worksharptools.com

BTW I picked up one of these when they came out and it’s a great sharpener 

https://www.worksharptools.com/shop/benchtop/manual/professional-precision-adjust-knife-sharpener/

I have one of those and it works great. But they will wear down your blade. I don't use it much on the fine steel, esp large knives. Works wonders on scissors! I've worked a lot with Kairos Prison Ministry, and the church we used for years the kitchen had a good many knives, but the edges were usually little sharper than the backs. At the start of the weekend I would take that Worksharp and have the knives with a pretty decent edge in just a few minutes. The women working the kitchen really loved that. They cut up a LOT of food over a weekend, and of course nothing is worse than using a dull knife.

JHC

[Pat Riot]

A few years ago I went kitchen knife shopping and learned quite a bit. The two knife brands you listed @J-BAR #18287 were at the top of my list. 
In the end I picked the unsexy Victorinox brand. In my opinion they’re the Glock of kitchen knives. Ugly but very functional. 
Actually, the set I bought didn’t come with the sharpening steel (the use of one of those is fingernails on a chalkboard to me) and the fillet knife. 
 

https://a.co/d/hYtb1JG

 

I also added these:

Lansky Deluxe 5-Stone Sharpening... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000B8IEA4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

IMO the best bread knife ever made. 5 years and hasn’t needed sharpening. 

Tojiro Bread Slicer 235mm F-737 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001TPA816?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I also purchased a Wallop Nakiri, meat and vegetable slicing knife but apparently they are no longer made as I cannot find and example. 
This knife was a runner up to the Wallop:

https://a.co/d/brdZt7V
As far as I am concerned this style of knife is a must have in the kitchen. I can slice vegetables paper thin with my Nakiri. 
 

 

 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

That’s all good for someone who knows what he’s doing. For a young bride, I don’t think so.

 

My preference for bread knives is a double serrated knife.likely overkill but I like it.  I bought an offset bread knife from one of those guys who does a weekend sale at Costco. Offset is great because you don’t crash your knuckles into the counter, but I really only need it if I’m shaving chocolate. I would not get near any of his other metal.

 

for a steel. It’s not a sharpening steel, it only helps condition the edge. The steels I use are diamond which actually remove metal. The knives will last longer than I will, I doubt I can wear them out if I work at it all day every day.

 

I have a Tormek if I actually want to sharpen something.

 

I never forget Scary Sharp either.

[Pat Riot]

40 minutes ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

That’s all good for someone who knows what he’s doing. For a young bride, I don’t think so.

 

My preference for bread knives is a double serrated knife.likely overkill but I like it.  I bought an offset bread knife from one of those guys who does a weekend sale at Costco. Offset is great because you don’t crash your knuckles into the counter, but I really only need it if I’m shaving chocolate. I would not get near any of his other metal.

 

for a steel. It’s not a sharpening steel, it only helps condition the edge. The steels I use are diamond which actually remove metal. The knives will last longer than I will, I doubt I can wear them out if I work at it all day every day.

 

I have a Tormek if I actually want to sharpen something.

 

I never forget Scary Sharp either.

I think you’re assuming she doesn’t know what she’s doing. 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

24 minutes ago, Pat Riot said:

I think you’re assuming she doesn’t know what she’s doing. 

Yep. My experience says that is a safe assumption 99% of the time.

 

I have taught women on four continents how to cook.

 

And I suspect that if she were knife-proficient J-BAR would not have been tasked with buying knives for her.

 

 

Edited March 7 by Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984

[Dawg Hair, SASS #29557]

Most of my knives are Wusthof.  I also have a couple of Cutco.  

Several years ago my father-in-law was trying to cut a slab of frozen meat by banging it with a wooden pestle and managed to break the tang under the grip..  This was a 4.5 inch Wutshof butcher knife.  Next day I went to Bed Bath & Beyond to buy another one.  I told the sales lady what had happened and that I wanted to replace it.  She then asked me if i still had the knife and if I did to bring it in to the store.  I did that and she gave me a new one free of charge and told me Wusthof has a lifetime no questions asked guarantee.  The price of the knife, was about $65.00.  I don't know anyone else with that type of warranty

I have gifted Wusthof knives to both my daughter and my oldest grand daughter.

[J-BAR #18287]

Thanks for all the comments.  I appreciate your experiences.

[Buckshot Bob]

7 hours ago, Capt. James H. Callahan said:

I have one of those and it works great. But they will wear down your blade. I don't use it much on the fine steel, esp large knives. Works wonders on scissors! I've worked a lot with Kairos Prison Ministry, and the church we used for years the kitchen had a good many knives, but the edges were usually little sharper than the backs. At the start of the weekend I would take that Worksharp and have the knives with a pretty decent edge in just a few minutes. The women working the kitchen really loved that. They cut up a LOT of food over a weekend, and of course nothing is worse than using a dull knife.

JHC

With this sharpener I’ve found once I have the edge the way I want it I can just hit it with the fine stone or the strop with some fine compound to bring the edge back .

A knife should last a long time this way. 
For the cheaper knives we have I have one of the worksharp belt sander sharpeners for constant quick and dirty work, I just leave it in the kitchen and a couple of pulls through gets a dull blade to serviceable . No matter how much I try to get my wife to use a cutting board she generally tends to use a steak knife on a ceramic plate to cut everything up. I have given up fighting her on this because it saves the other knives. I just try to keep the steak knives sharp so she doesn’t hurt herself. 

[Chantry]

Spyderco has some kitchen knives as well and I've been very happy with them, same with the Victorinox that I have. 

 

The one J.A. Henckels International knife I have was made in China and isn't very good.

 

 

[Rip Snorter]

Have both along with Old school Gerber.  Check out Shun as well and Rada on the inexpensive end are excellent.

[Choctaw Jack]

Wustoff and Henkles are both good brands, but the industry standard in meat processing , and arguably, food preparation is Forschner, otherwise marketed as Victorinox.

They're made to work well all day, and they take a very good edge without a lot of work.

This ,of course, is just my opinion.

( After over 50 years as a butcher, using Victorinox exclusively).

Choctaw

[Happy Jack, SASS #20451]

WE prefer Wusthof.  They are very good. They make specialty knives such as short chef's with wider blades. My wife who has small hands specialty likes that one.

[Pat Riot]

3 hours ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

Yep. My experience says that is a safe assumption 99% of the time.

 

I have taught women on four continents how to cook.

 

And I suspect that if she were knife-proficient J-BAR would not have been tasked with buying knives for her.

 

 

Well, gawd forbid anyone give advice on here without someone else commenting and critiquing on said advice or nit-picking it for one reason or another. 
 

Good for you! Apparently you are far more experienced than I on cutlery and the intelligence of the average woman. 
 

 

Gimme a break. 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

7 minutes ago, Pat Riot said:

 

Gimme a break. 

Break given.

[Okie Sawbones, SASS #77381]

51 minutes ago, Pat Riot said:

Well, gawd forbid anyone give advice on here without someone else commenting and critiquing on said advice or nit-picking it for one reason or another. 
 

Good for you! Apparently you are far more experienced than I on cutlery and the intelligence of the average woman. 
 

 

Gimme a break. 

 

I believe a retarded monkey is more experienced, you old neanderthal.

[Chief Rick]

@J-BAR #18287, I wouldn't spend any more money on knives than is necessary.  The amount spent would be determined by the recipient's knowledge and application of knife use and care.

 

Both of the brands you've listed make really good knives and both also offer Chinese knives.

 

I have some of both brands.  I also have some custom knives from Carter Cutlery.

 

Some of my favorite go-to knives, though, are Dexter-Russell.  All of mine are relatively inexpensive (for what they are) and made in the USA.

 

I'd buy a small variety of common use knives along with a magnetic knife wall mount instead of a factory "set" with counter-top "knife block".

[Okie Sawbones, SASS #77381]

I have a ton of knives, purchased, gifted, or inherited. Wustoff, Henkles, and Victorinox. I like them all, and they are good for novice to expert.

[Pat Riot]

12 minutes ago, Okie Sawbones, SASS #77381 said:

 

I believe a retarded monkey is more experienced, you old neanderthal.

I take offense to that word! I’m no Neanderthal! I’m an Archaic Human and don’t you forget it! 

[Texas Joker]

1 hour ago, Choctaw Jack said:

Wustoff and Henkles are both good brands, but the industry standard in meat processing , and arguably, food preparation is Forschner, otherwise marketed as Victorinox.

They're made to work well all day, and they take a very good edge without a lot of work.

This ,of course, is just my opinion.

( After over 50 years as a butcher, using Victorinox exclusively).

Choctaw

Yep still own several good forschners one of which is toothpicked by being steeled for years.

Solingen is a German brand with a decent reputation 

 

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Best knife sharpener there is.

https://www.amazon.com/Tri-Angle-Sharpening-Kit-Medium-Fine/dp/B00JHX512S/ref=asc_df_B00JHX512S/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198090821251&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12788190870794118435&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9023812&hvtargid=pla-350132658401&psc=1&mcid=faccd33e453e38c896f1208334c09116&gclid=CjwKCAiA6KWvBhAREiwAFPZM7uOAqwZT57U4A1e3YzbHrsAIako5B2mkX8ckri6KYa8puzhqDe90uRoCxaMQAvD_BwE

[Rip Snorter]

Solengen -The city has been known for it’s blade making prowess for centuries and was given the title “The City of Blades.” Highly skilled knife and swordmakers perfected their craft over the centuries and organized into powerful companies and guilds.

[Subdeacon Joe]

Another brand to look at is Opinel.  They make pretty good knives, most at reasonable prices.  

[J-BAR #18287]

48 minutes ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

Best knife sharpener there is.

https://www.amazon.com/Tri-Angle-Sharpening-Kit-Medium-Fine/dp/B00JHX512S/ref=asc_df_B00JHX512S/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198090821251&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12788190870794118435&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9023812&hvtargid=pla-350132658401&psc=1&mcid=faccd33e453e38c896f1208334c09116&gclid=CjwKCAiA6KWvBhAREiwAFPZM7uOAqwZT57U4A1e3YzbHrsAIako5B2mkX8ckri6KYa8puzhqDe90uRoCxaMQAvD_BwE

Yep, got one of those.  Only thing that works on my serrated blades.  Good for a quick touchup on others when I don't have time to break out my whetstones.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

9 minutes ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

Yep, got one of those.  Only thing that works on my serrated blades.  Good for a quick touchup on others when I don't have time to break out my whetstones.

Use Comet to clean the stones

[TN Mongo, SASS #61450]

My wife tells me I'm a knife snob and I'm approaching hoarder status.  I own and use Henckels (must have 2 men pictured on the blade), Wusthof, Cutco, and an ancient set of U.S.  made Chicago Cutlery.  For everyday touch ups I use the knife sharpener below.

 

Amazon.com: The Edgemaker Knife Sharpener Pro 331- Perfect for Sharpening & Honing any Blade, Durable, Safe & Easy to Use- Orange : Everything Else

 

I also have a Lansky sharpening kit that's 35 years old and it works great.  A fellow shooter bought a new Lansky recently and it was not nearly as well made and didn't work well.  I also recently acquired a work sharp Ken Onion powered sharpener that I'm looking forward to playing with.  My Chicago Cutlery was a wedding gift (47 years old), but everything else I have acquired has come from estate sales.  Most of my finds have been NIB, but other gently used stuff sharpens right up.  My last NIB Cutco 8 piece set cost me $15 at an estate sale.