Product Description

The Wusthof Gourmet 14piece block set includes the 2.75" straight parer for your for exact straight edge cutting of doughs and pastrys. The 3inch parer is a must have knife for all you peeling and paring of fruits and vegatables. The 4.5" utility is useful for the small slicing jobs on fruits and vegitables. The 8inch Bread knife will handle the crusty loaves of bread and the the 8" cooks is a must for all your chopping and dicing needs. The set also includes the come apart kitchen shear, 9 steel and a 17 slot block. In addition this set has 6 steak knives. Typical stamped knives are punched out like a cookie cutter. Wusthof Gourmet knives are Laser Cut. This intricate manufacturing process is superior to other "cookie cutter" methods as it is more precise and leaves the knives with less distortion. The Gourmet knives use the same steel that is used in our other more expensive knives. Wusthof uses a special blend of German steel through out the whole length of the knife. The ingredients of this steel are proudly etched on each blade. Wusthof not only uses the best materials to make a fine knife, but it is also crucial that each blade is precisely tempered. This tempering allows the knife to hold its edge for an extremely long time, yet can be maintained in your home kitchen with out the need to be sent away for maintenance. Located in "The Cutlery Capital of the World", Solingen Germany, the Wusthof factory history goes back as far as 1814 when the company was listed with the Duchy of Berg. To this day, the company remains family owned. Each step is performed to exacting standards by skilled German workers aided by the most modern, computer guided equipment. It is this balance of German technology and old world hand craftsmanship that is the secret of how each WÜSTHOF knife is created. Known the world-over for it’s unique and uncompromising quality,

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4895 in Kitchen & Housewares
• Brand: Wüsthof
• Model: 9314
• Dimensions: 12.00" h x 8.00" w x 18.00" l, 7.50 pounds

Features

• Includes straight edge paring knife, paring knife, utility knife, bread knife
• Also includes cook's knife, sharpening steel, come-apart kitchen shears, six steak knives, 17-slot beechwood block
• Stamped laser cut blade from high carbon stain-resistant steel sharpens easily; precisely tempered to hold its edge
• Laser tested for cutting angle consistency and sharpness; synthetic handles are compression riveted to the full tang of the blade
• Hand washing recommended; lifetime warranty; made in Germany

Amazon.com Product Description
For the home cooking enthusiast, the Wüsthof Gourmet 14-Piece Deluxe Knife Block Set offers a full range of knives, including a 2-3/4-inch straight edge paring knife, 3-inch paring knife, 4.5-inch utility knife, 8-inch bread knife, 8-inch cook’s knife, 9-inch sharpening steel, come-apart kitchen shears, six steak knives, and a 17-slot beechwood block. Wüsthof, a seventh generation family business, has been making precison-forged knives in Germany since 1814. This Gourmet set is laser stamped from high carbon, stain-resistant steel that sharpens easily, and it’s tempered to hold its edge. Each blade is laser tested to ensure a precise and even cutting angle. Synthetic handles are compression riveted to the full tang of the blade. For best care, hand washing is recommended. Wüsthof knives carry a lifetime warranty. What’s in the Box 2-3/4-inch paring knife; 3-inch paring knife; 4.5-inch utility knife; 8-inch bread knife; 8-inch cook’s knife; 9-inch sharpening steel; kitchen shears; six steak knives; 17-slot block.

Customer Reviews

Good for <$200, but stickers are stupid
Forged steel was out of my price range, so I had to go with stamped. ($200 is enough for me, thank you.) The set is nice, a bit light, but good... EXCEPT FOR THE STICKERS. Yes, the red logos on the handles are--in fact--red pixelated laser printer stickers that get ruined in the wash. Get some Goo Gone and spend 20 minutes taking them off before washing the set. Of course, if you were paying for the brand... there is still the logo etched into some of the blades. :)

Good starter Wusthof set, but don't expect forged metal
General thoughts: Decent set, Chef and Bread knives stand out. Stamped, not forged. Handles have a slighly cheap appearance. Scissors can be easily taken apart to be washed. Set has all the knives most people will need. If you are used to el-cheapo $25 knife sets, such as I was, these are a major upgrade and will probably keep most amateur chefs perfectly happy. But - not as good as the Classic series.

I went into a local store to buy a Classic set, and they were out. The salesperson pressured me to purchase this instead, and when I got home I decided I really wanted the Classics. I have decided to return these and upgrade even further (Classics cost around TWICE as much for a comparable set incl. steak knives).

However, despite the slightly cheap-looking handles, they appear to be perfectly decent kitchen knives. I didn't cut anything with them, but I did set them up on my counter, tested each one for balance, and ran my finger over the edges.

They look pretty good overall, although the tang only goes halfway through the knife, and it is even shorter on the two small paring knives (you can see where it stops about mid-handle). And the handle design gave them a bit of a cheap appearance. The block was solid.

I am not sure that I can comment on sharpness. I regret that I did not cut anything with them. The serrated Bread Knife was the only one that felt like it could cut me easily when I ran my finger down the blade. Some of them (particularly the steak knives) didn't feel very sharp, but that might not mean anything.

The Bread Knife and Chef's Knife were well balanced. The rest of the knives were handle-heavy, including the steak knives.

Bottom Line: Get a Classic (or Grand Prix) set if they are in your budget, but if they are not, this seems like a perfectly decent set. Wusthof is known for quality, so these would probably hold up well over the years.

Perfect for under $200
The knives are extremely sharp when they arrive. The most important thing is that you keep the knives sharp with the sharpener provided or the like. Forged steel is not a problem for me as others have noted. For what you get for the price, I don't think you can beat it.