Wusthof Gourmet 8-Inch Cook's Knife

Lower quality than the Classic series
The Wusthof Gourmet knives are "stamped" out of a larger sheet of metal. The Wusthof Classic knives are "forged" and are therefore much stronger, more durable, and stay sharp longer. They also feel a bit heavier and thicker to me, which makes cutting easier. They're more expensive, but are worth it in my opinion. There is also a bolster (the thick metal portion joining the handle and the blade, which adds weight and balance and keeps the cook's hand from slipping) on the Classic Chef knife whereas this Gourmet Chef knife simply has a handle that curves into a finger guard, which is not quite as good.

Stamped vs. Forged
I've been buying and using Wusthof and Henckels knives for more than 40 years and thought I would add my 2 cents worth. Traditionally, non-stainless high-carbon blades were considered essential for the highest quality knives. Advances in stainless alloys have negated this tradition to the extent that it is hard to find a non-stainless high quality knife. Traditionally, drop forged was considered to be much superior to stamped for blades. To my knowledge, no Wusthof or Henckels knife is now fully drop forged. One can watch the knife making process online at both Wusthof and Henckels. The knives are formed from strip sheet metal spooled on a roll. Only a small portion of the knife blade is heated red hot and compressed and forged to form the bolster for the "forged" knife. The blades are then stamped to form their shape. The blades are then ground, tempered, and sharpened. These are very high quality knives, make no mistake; however, they are not necessarily better than this...

It's a Wusthof. Need I say more?
I have been wanting a Wusthof knife of my own for a long time but was always put off by the price. Most places I shopped for kitchen implements only sold these amazing knives in sets starting at $300. When I saw this knife for under $60 on Amazon, I had to try it.

It was worth every penny.

This is the best knife to try from Wusthof before committing to a set. I find myself going to this knife again and again when I cook because it has yet to fail me. I will say now to be careful when you first use it as I shaved one of my fingernails down when getting Top Chef zealous in the kitchen. Wusthof knives are the sharpest and most precise I've used. And this one is a perfect multi-purpose knife to have in the kitchen.

I look forward to purchasing more Wusthof knives to create my own set. If you're thinking about purchasing, do yourself a favor and get it. A great knife at a decent price.

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