Nancy's Kitchen Corner

Wusthof Knives

Wusthof and Henkels what is the difference in the levels within each brand?

Each company has many levels in quality, I understand that a knife should have the metal go from end to end, and have the rivets thru the handle for support. I find that each brand has so many choices that seem all to similar anyone know how to break the code what is the difference, which one is better? Like Henkels have a 4 star, double 4 star, signature, pro s, the list goes on and on. Anyone know how to tell the difference.

You have the top features other than a forged blade – this will normally (not always) be indicated by a solid hand guard/bolster (wide end of the blade where the handles are applied).

Zwilling J. A. Henckels’ top lines are:
#1) “Twin Cermax” (Japanese style – Micarta handles – very expensive – exclusive steel)
#2) “Twin Select” (all stainless)
#3) “Pro S (best selling – the line I have)
Henckels has 12 lines – top 3 are only ones I would buy – be wary of the International (single Zwilling/Gemini figure) especially.

Wusthof’s top lines are:
#1) “Ikon” – (tapered bolster which enables better sharpening at handle/bolster end)
#2) “Le Cordon Bleau” – (Wustof’s Japanese style line)
#3) “Culinar” – (all stainless)
#4) “Classic” – (Wusthof’s best selling line)

“Pro S” (Henckels) and “Classic” (Wusthof) are the best lines for the money in these brands, IMO. Another German brand, F. Dick, has comparable knives (maybe slightly better) and is a little cheaper.

If price is not an object, then you get into very high quality (very expensive) Japanese knives like the Misono, Masahiro, and Shun Elite lines.
I also feel compelled to mention Mac, a lesser known Japanese brand which might well be the best value of any knives made.

Wusthof

Wüsthof 2-Stage Knife Sharpener $19.39 Keep your Wusthof collection razor sharp with this easy to use knife sharpener. Seamless, ergonomic handle provides a sure grip. Full manufacturer’s warranty….

Wusthof In Drawer Knife Block, 14 Slot $50.00 Save counter space and keep knife blades sharp inside this convenient 14-Slot In-Drawer Knife Organizer. Unique wave design separates and protects blades for proper storage. Durable hardwood won’t damage or dull your cutlery. Stores 6 large and 8 smaller knives with blades up to 10″L. Requires 17″ drawer depth. 8 1/2″W x 2″H.Since 1814, Wusthof has created cutlery that is the preference of chefs w…

Wüsthof Gourmet 14-Piece Deluxe Knife Block Set $155.99 The seasoned gourmet is always one step ahead, a cut above the rest. This stamped knife set is manufactured of the highest quality high-carbon surgical stainless steel ? a complete arsenal of sensible cutlery that’s sure to hold its razor-sharp, long-lasting edge for many meals to come. Lifetime warranty….

Wüsthof 2899 2-Stage Pocket Knife Sharpener $6.95 The Wusthof 2-Stage Knife Sharpener has a coarse carbide side that sets the knife’s edge and a fine ceramic side to finish the edge. The non-slip rubber feet help to keep the sharpener in place for safe use, and the sharpener’s small size makes it perfect to take along while camping, fishing, or hunting. The sharpener is designed for both right and left handed use….

Benchmade Knife 585 Mini-Barrage Osborne Plain Edge Satin Blade Folding Knife $106.25 THE MINDSET It all starts with a commitment to innovation. And for us, it goes beyond simply being innovatively different- Benchmade continually strives to be innovatively better. We believe that when a customer chooses to purchase a Benchmade, they don’t do so just to be different; they do so because they want the best. This mindset of innovating for improvement is alive and well throughout Bench…

Benchmade 950SBK Knife RIFT Osborne Black Gray G10 With Smiths Pocket Manual Knife Sharpener And Fenix Keychain Flashlight $165.75 The 950 Rift is packed with features to help get the job done. Reverse Tanto for toughness, large-bellied blade for all the utility cutting you can throw at it, and heavily milled and textured G10 scales to help you get a firm grip on any situation. This Set Includes * * *…

Wusthof Classic Bread Knife and Board Set – Wusthof 1590 $18.99 Includes Wusthof 1590 Wusthof Classic Bread Knife and Board Set….

Wusthof Classic Knives – Wusthof 4066 3.5 Inch Paring Knife $34.97 Wusthof Classic Knives – Wusthof 4066 3.5 Inch Paring Knife…

Wusthof Classic 8 Inch Bread Knife – 4149 $64.97 Wusthof Classic 8 Inch Bread Knife – 4149…

An Edge in the Kitchen: The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Knives — How to Buy Them, Keep Them Razor Sharp, and Use Them Like a Pro $17.95 Why are most of us so woefully uninformed about our kitchen knives? We are intimidated by our knives when they are sharp, annoyed by them when they are dull, and quietly ashamed that we don’t know how to use them with any competence. For a species that has been using knives for nearly as long as we have been walking upright, that’s a serious problem. An Edge in the Kitchen is the solution, an int…

Knives ’97 (Knives, 1997) $11.48 Knives ’97 (Knives, 1997) 17th Published in 1996 by Dbi Books

Folding Knives $19.48 Folding Knives : Carry and Deployment by Steve Tarani Published in 2008 by Empire Books

Knives of War $17.48 This book has the widest array of international fighting knives ever assembled! Compiled by three of the most recognized names in historical military knives, Knives of War presents detailed line drawings, rare historical photos and fascinating facts and anecdotes about the edged weapons used by both sides during World Wars I and II, as well as contemporary fighting knives since World War II. A number of World War II veterans who used these weapons on (or behind) the front lines in elite units enthusiastically shared inside information with the authors, and it is presented here for the first time. Of particular interest is some previously unknown information about the U.S. Marine Raider Gung Ho Knife and the Gerber Mark II Combat Knife, as well as a wealth of details on the most famous fighting knife of all, the Fairbairn-Sykes. Among the other edged weapons examined in this book are big knives; knuckle knives; folding and gravity military knives; bayonet and sword conversions; ceremonial hangers; and trench clubs.

Little Knives $18.48 Little Knives are the nagging thoughts that keep you from sleeping. Guilt. Desire. Regret. There are many lives to lead, and many paths best not followed. Play it safe, and live through these. In Little Knives, you’ll meet the wife of a disabled Confederate soldier who begins to suspect something sinister in the relationship between her husband and his doting older sister. You’ll see how a pathological fear of hair is at the root of a paranoid husband’s jealous rage. You’ll learn why letters mingle souls for a reclusive wordsmith in possession of an unusual nineteenth-century diary. And you’ll encounter to the earthbound spirit of a Pennsylvania farmer who can’t stand noisy teenagers. Twelve tales in all, Little Knives will introduce you to many memorable souls, including a twelfth century crusader, a lonely mortuary assistant who confesses to inadvertently raising the dead, demons in the form of troublesome crows, a girl just dying to become a vampire, and a WWI aerial reconnaissance photographer who faces an evil far greater than any uniformed enemy. You’ll read a transcript of a taped confession that relates a somewhat questionable tale of transmigration, find out how dangerous fungi can be, and discover the secret behind an undelivered package that could very well be the key to another dimension. For fans of horror, science fiction, and suspense, Little Knives cuts deep. Be careful as you turn the pages.

Close to the Knives $12.98 In Close to the Knives, David Wojnarowicz gives us an important and timely document: a collection of creative essays — a scathing, sexy, sublimely humorous and honest personal testimony to the "Fear of Diversity in America." From the author’s violent childhood in suburbia to eventual homelessness on the streets and piers of New York City, to recognition as one of the most provocative artists of his generation — Close to the Knives is his powerful and iconoclastic memoir. Street life, drugs, art and nature, family, AIDS, politics, friendship and acceptance: Wojnarowicz challenges us to examine our lives — politically, socially, emotionally, and aesthetically.

19 Knives $14.48 With characters ranging from the desperate to the obsessive and wildly comic, Mark Anthony Jarman’s 19 Knives employs dazzling linguistic verve and staggering metaphoric powers in every sentence. Jarman doesn’t just write about people. He puts us in their skin so that we feel their frailty and courage. No other contemporary Canadian short story writer slices up the imaginative excitement, cultural hybridity, and Joycean play of language we see in 19 Knives. Including one story shortlisted for the U.S.’s prestigious O. Henry Prize, and several other prize-winners, this collection brings a major emerging fiction writer to the fore.

Night of the Knives (The Executioner) $3.98 Night of the Knives (The Executioner) by Don Pendleton Published in 2004 by Gold Eagle

Custom Fixed-blade Knives $19.48 Custom Fixed-blade Knives by David Darom Published in 2007 by Chartwell Books

The Complete Encyclopedia of Knives $15.98 The Complete Encyclopedia of Knives by A. E. Hartink Published in 2005 by Chartwell Books

‘Tumi Knives’ $357.95 Edgardo Crovetto honors Peru’s cultural and historic legacy with an abstract acrylic on canvas. “The composition is underscored by a blazing sun, which was regarded as the most important deity in Inca cosmogony,” explains Crovetto. “I painted several tumi knives over it because they were regarded as sacred and were used during celebratory rituals. The geometrical patterns on the right celebrate the distinct artistry of the Inca.” Titled “Tumis” in Spanish.