Product Description

Wusthof Classic 10 Inch Cooks Knife - Wusthof 458226

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17328 in Kitchen & Housewares
• Brand: Wüsthof
• Model: 4582-7/26
• Released on: 2001-07-31
• Dimensions: 4.40" h x 14.50" w x 20.10" l, .70 pounds

Features

• Heavy 10-inch blade superior for chopping and other cutting tasks
• Forged high-carbon stainless steel blade, hand-honed for razor-like sharpness
• Traditional-style composition handle is triple-riveted for strength and permanence
• Dishwasher safe
• Lifetime guarantee

Amazon.com Review
A cook's knife is the indispensable backbone of any cutlery collection. It performs a wide variety of cutting chores, from fine chopping to dicing and slicing. The heavy 10-inch blade of this definitive example provides sturdy heft so the knife rather than the cook does most of the work. The extra blade length makes quick work of all cutting jobs. The knife looks formidable, but it's a pleasure to hold and use--a true kitchen friend.

Part of the Classic series, this knife represents two centuries of unexcelled Wüsthof craftsmanship. Like other cutlery in the series, it's hand-forged from a single piece of stainless steel for maximum strength; the hand-polished blade is exactingly calibrated to be hard enough to resist dulling yet soft enough to take a keen edge when it's honed or sharpened. Dishwasher-safe and with a traditionally shaped, ergonomically designed handle that is triple-riveted for durability, this knife brings a guaranteed lifetime of low-maintenance cutting to any cook who owns it. --Arthur Boehm

Customer Reviews

Design - Quality - Longevity - Comfort
Best 10" chef on the market: the Classic line has good handle weight and nice heft, and the scales are medium enough for small/med sized man hands to use with confidence. I find the Grand Prix to be a bit on the big side in the handle dept. Where this knife is a winner is: blade profile, steel characteristics, and edge grind.
If you compare this to, say, a Henckles 10" Chef, you'll notice that the Wusthof has a deeper, rounder 'belly.'This roundness enables the knife to rock back and forth (is that 'roll' back and forth?) for dicing with *much* greater ease than the Henckles, which tends to fall to the board and need to be picked up again, again, again.
The Wusthof steel, I think, has a touch more carbon than the Henckles, and a little less Chromium. It takes a second to touch up - effort that is rewarded by superior cutting performance, with a higher edge grind. That said it is not fragile.
The Wosthof blade is slightly hollow ground, whereas the Henckles is slightly convex, which causes the Henckles to 'split' more than 'slice' hard vegetables like carrots and radishes. I've been using a 10" on and off since 1989. . . and I love it.

Great Knife
There are really two main competitors in the high-end mainstream kitchen knife market: Henckels and Wusthof. Those who have used both usually have a preference. My preference (and therefore bias you should know about) is for the Wusthofs.

The Wusthof Classic line is the more conservative counterpart to the Grand Prix line. The only difference, however, is the handle style. I personally prefer the Grand Prix, but this is an issue of personal preference. The balance and grip of these knives are as close to perfect as I have found. For those wondering what benefits a higher priced knife provides, one benefit is that the blade (or tang) is one piece all the way through the handle. This makes the blade much stronger, and less likely to snap.

This particular model, the 10 inch cook's (or chef's) knife, is a good knife. Wusthof offers four sizes of chef's knives in the Classic line, 5, 6, 8 and 10 inch. For most home cooks, I think the 8 inch knife is the best choice. This knife, the 10 inch, is a bit big for most jobs. The 5 and 6 inch are a bit small for bigger jobs. While the 8 inch isn't perfect for all uses, if you are only buying one size chef's knife (and most people only buy one), the 8 inch is the knife I would recommend.

Therefore, if you are buying your first cook's knife, I would recommend the 8 inch size. This is a great knife, but I don't think the size is right for mainstream users.

Cry once...
Yes, the price of a Wusthof Classic is intimidating, and yes, you will feel buyer's remorse...until you use it for the first time. Even for the casual cook, the difference between a Wusthof and even a middlin' fair brand must be experienced to be appreciated. I bought one for my father (who never gets excited about ANY present, ever) for Christmas; and he hasn't stopped thanking me yet. That in itself made it well worth the price.