Know your Wüsthof
Wüsthof knives are well-known and trusted around the world. You will rarely see any professional kitchen without one in them. These knives are well-made, manufactured in Solingen, Germany with a very high nod to quality. The blades are forged from one piece of high alloy chrome molybdenum vanadium steel, and are exceptionally sharp, robust and long-lasting; tough and is rust-resistant. Though we have mentioned “forged”, Wüsthof makes quite a few lines and models of knives. If you are planning to own one, this guide is for you.
Wüsthof knives are essential for preparing any meal and boast a handful of features ranging from its handle, tang, blade and more. Before we jump to its actual features, lets go over common terminology and basic anatomy of a kitchen knife.
Contents:
Part 1: Anatomy of Kitchen Knife
Part 2: Three Ways Knives are Manufactured
Part 3: Types of Wüsthof Kitchen Knives
Part 4: Wüsthof Knife Features
Part 5: Finding the Right Knife
Anatomy of a Kitchen Knife
Three Ways Wüsthof Knives Are Manufactured
There are two ways that Wüsthof knives are manufactured, it can either be forged, laser-cut or pressed.
Forged knife means that the blade is made from a single piece of steel that is heated, pounded and moulded into form. It is then re-heated, quenched and tempered. This process makes steel stronger. For finishing, it will be polished and sharpened later on.
Qualities of a forged knife
- Typically heavy by several ounces than a laser-cut knife. This positioned forged knives as the “knife for life”.
- Has a thicker blade.
- Usually with full or partial tang, helps with balance and improves overall quality of the knife.
- More expensive than a laser-cut knife.
Laser-cut knife from the word itself, cut out by lasers. The simplest form of this is that a sheet of steel is fed through a machine and the shape of the blade is cut out.
Qualities of a laser-cut knife
- Light and easy to produce.
- Blades are thinner than forged knives.
- Usually made without a bolster.
- Less expensive as it can easily be mass-produced.
Pressed Knife or simply stamped. The process is very similar to laser-cut except that once the sheet of metal is fed through the machine, blade will be stamped or cut out from the steel. It will later then be honed and heat-treated for durability.
Qualities of a pressed knife
- Light and easy to produce.
- Blades are thinner than forged knives.
- Usually made without a bolster.
- Less expensive as it can easily be mass-produced.
Types of Wüsthof Kitchen Knives
There are a handful types of knives and we bet you can only name few. This section will help you familiarize yourself with different types of knives (Wüsthof) and their uses.
- Cook’s knife (General knife)
- Bread Knives
- Asian-Style Knives
- Meat Knives
- Filleting Knives
- Vegetable Knives
- Specialty Knives
- Brunch Knives
- Steak Knives
Note: There’s actually a lot more, but we’ll focus on these for now.
Cook’s Knife
What it is: A multi-purpose knife: the most important piece of basic equipment in any kitchen.
What can I use it for: Chopping, mincing and slicing of Cabbage , Fish , Fruit , Herbs , Meat , Vegetables.
Get this at Gourdo’s: Wüsthof Classic Cook’s Knife
Bread Knives
What it is: Used for cutting breads; The serrated blades of bread knives are able to cut soft bread without crushing it.
What can I use it for: Can be used to slice Bread , Bread roll , Cabbage , Head of lettuce , Pies/cakes.
Asian Style Knives
What it is: Versatile in shape, weight and edge. While similar to a Cook’s knife, you can easily distinguish this because it has scallops extending towards the middle of the blade.
What can I use it for: Can be used for mincing and chopping herbs, vegetables and fruit as well as for preparing fish and meat.
Meat Knives
What it is: In the photo is a butcher knife. The heftier blade works well for splitting, stripping and cutting meat. There are several knives you can use to slice through and chop meat such us a utility knives, carving knives, etc.
What can I use it for: Can be used for cutting Fruit , Meat , Vegetables.
Filleting Knives
What it is: This type of knife gives good control and aids in filleting. It is usually a member of the boning knife family that is used to filet and prepare fish.
What can I use it for: Can be used for filleting fish.
Vegetable Knives
What it is: As the name suggests, is primarily and designed to cut vegetables.
What can I use it for: Can be used for Small fruit , Small vegetables.
Specialty Knives
What it is: These are knives specifically designed for needs beyond just the kitchen or designed for a specific use. There’s a wide selection of knives such as a Machete, Sausage knives, tomato knives, slicers and other boning knives.
What can I use it for: Can be used for harvesting and cutting Cabbage, Head of lettuce, Large vegetables.
Brunch Knives
What it is: Brunch knives are a great companion to any packed lunch or brunch. Not only does it cuts cleanly through rolls without tearing, it is also suitable for vegetables, fruit or dry sausage.
What can I use it for: Can be used for Bread roll, Firm and softer fruit & vegetables, Pizza.
Steak Knives
What it is: This knife not only does a good beef steak justice, but also cuts all other types of meat without tearing the fibers.
What can I use it for: Can be used for cutting meat and steak.
Wüsthof Knife Features
*Excerpts from Wüsthof Classic Cook’s Knife*
Hand Guard
The knife handle sits in the hand comfortably and is curved slightly downwards at the heel to avoid slipping. The robust handle shells are secured with stainless steel rivets and manufactured seamlessly.
Full Bolster
The full bolster reliably protects the ngers in everyday cooking and the balance makes agile and precision work easier.
Full Tang
As an extension of the blade, the tang gives the knife reliable stability. In addition, as a counter-weight it ensures the blade is balanced.
Hollow Edge
Small air pockets are produced by the hollow edge on the depressions of the blade. The positive e ect of this is that thin or soft food items are more easily removed from the blade during use.
Finding the Right Knife
Going over the items above, you may have decided that if quality is all that matters, forged blades are the way to go. However, with all the advances in technology nowadays, laser-cut and stamped blades are as durable as forged ones.
If you feel that you’re having a rough time deciding which to get, drop by any Gourdo’s store and let our team guide you in the selection process. You may also check all Wüsthof products we carry in this link for easy shopping.
Photo and content source: Wüsthof Classic, Wüsthof
Gourdo’s is the only official licensed distributor of WÜSTHOF in the Philippines.
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