Wusthof Grand Prix II 7-Inch Hollow Ground Santoku Knife

I'm a young college student who works at a restaurant as a waiter. Like many young people, I one day got a fleeting aspiration that would probably go away within a couple of weeks. I wanted to be an awesome cook, so the first thing I did was ask the chef at my restaurant what tools I needed to start. He told me a good kitchen knife is THE essential tool of the chef. He recommended I go to Williams Sonoma and try out every knife possible but warned me that chef knives cost close to $100 dollars each. Whoa! He also said that Santoku blades are very popular these days because they're extremely versatile and feel good in your hands (something about balance).

Nonetheless, I went to Williams-Sonoma the next day and tried out the Henkels, Wustof Classic, Wustof Grand Prix, Wustof Grand Prix 2, Globals, and Shuns. I ultimately chose the Wustof Grand Prix 2 because of the perfect balance in the knife. The handle was much grippier than the others, extremely light, but not as thin as the Globals (which I thought might lead to a blister), or with the unnatural offset handle of the Shun (Left handers actually feel that it works perfectly I'm a righty like the majority of people). I'm extremely paranoid of cutting myself ever since my mom cut herself pretty bad but after handling that particular knife, I was confident I would never cut myself. I eventually purchased it on Amazon with in an asian knife set (paring knife + santoku).

When I finally used it for the first time, I seriously could not believe how quickly I could cut. I always thought it was skill that the chefs at my workplace would use to dice things, slice meats, or chop veggies. Was I ever wrong! Any idiot using a knife this sharp and this balanced could cut like a master. I was cutting slices of apples so incredibly thin I started laughing! They were so thin, I could see through them! Tomatoes cut with no effort. After purchasing this knife, I started buying more and more kitchen supplies to match that same euphoria.

A year has passed, and for my recent birthday, my friends got me a gift certificate to Williams Sonoma. I am known amongst my friends as the guy who can cook an amazing meal. I owe it all to this knife! I'm very lazy, and if I took the same time cutting stuff as a I used to before I owned this knife, I simply would not cook for myself let alone others. I take this knife with me wherever I cook I refuse to use other people's knives. Even at work, I hate trying out my coworkers knives. They feel unnatural. I've even gotten comments when I cut up fruit for friends. They literally hear it come out of the knife block and look to see what made that sweet shimmering noise.

I rank this as #4 on my list of top 10 things I own. The first 3 being my North Face Goretex Jacket to get me through the winter walking to classes in Michigan. The second being my Computer so I can buy stuff and write reviews here. The third being my waterproof sneakers (again for the winter). I place this knife before my mp3 player, my stereo, my TV, my xbox, my Playstation 2, and all my Calphalon pans put together. I might even go so far as to put it in front of my absolutely adorable toy maltese-poodle mix (he's related to Jessica Simpson's dog). This review may seem a little far-fetched, but I am simply in love with my knife.

Pros Extremely good construction, Perfect Balance, Good Grip, Easy to Clean, Comes presharpened, Haven't needed to resharpen or even hone since I've owned it, looks good, grooves prevent food from sticking, able to cut extremely thin, Handle allows multiple grips to be used.

Cons Not dishwashable, my girlfriend left it in water overnight to soak, left permanent watermarks on my blade. Grr. Not cheap! Have no clue how to claim lifetime warranty, Tang is only 3/4 length (but also makes the knife lighter).

Try out as many knives before you purchase. Only 1 type will feel "right" to you. But if you think like me (safety first) then you'll love this knife.

When my Wusthof Grand Prix II 7" Hollow Ground Santoku knife arrived from Amazon as a mid-year birthday present to myself, I tore open the packaging and immediately bonded with the high carbon no-stain steel beauty inside. The knife *gleamed*, was obviously surgically sharp and, for an intermediate cook who had been using a 1980s-era Chicago Cutlery chef's knife all her life, it was a bit...intimidating.

After several days of regarding the knife (and it doubtless regarding me), of hefting it and testing its balance, I decided to put it to work on ingredients for guacamole, and within seconds had not only sliced an onion to delightfully transparent thinness (oh, to watch the sun set through a slice of Walla Walla Sweet) but also the top-most layer of my little finger. We were off to a good start.

I had researched and compared the Wusthof Grand Prix II to Wusthof's classic and the original Grand Prix, as well as to various Henkels knives. The Grand Prix II came out ahead for me, primarily because of Wusthof' quality and because I personally wanted to experience a change from the chef's blade and classic straight handle I'd been using for so many years, to a santoku blade and ergonomic handle.

I recommend this knife to anyone who has used vintage or department-store quality knives all their lives, who has envied the ease in which chefs on the Food Channel slice and dice (now you, too, can do it!), who wants to better enjoy food preparation, or who wants to work with the most modern and well-made knife the market offers. With little effort on your part, you can just sit back and watch it perform like a manual food processor, precisely cutting onions, bell peppers, etc., into cubes of perfect symmetry. Enjoy.

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I am lucky enough to own three very beautiful blades: a Shun Santoku 7", the Wusthof Grand Prix II 7", and the Henckel 8". Of these three the Wusthof is my least favorite. The blade is somewhat thinner than the Shun, which may be a positive point for those who prefer lighter blades. The black plastic handle also contributes to a lighter weight. However, I personally prefer the heavier better quality steel of the Shun as well as the beautiful wooden handle. Makes for very satisfactory action on the cutting board--solid thunks. Of those three knives, the Henckel is by far my favorite. It is so incredibly versatile, nice quality materials, and the weight and length are perfect for very fast action using both hands. If you have a choice, I would definitely research Shun and Henckel. That said, the Wusthof is a wonderful knife and you should be very pleased with it. As I said, some of the things that I find less attractive about it may very well be a draw for others. It's a good quality blade and with proper care should last many years. If you've ever wondered what the fuss about knives was, then you really must borrow a nice knife for an evening of cooking. It makes all the difference.

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I have been an enthusiastic amateur chef for many years and have accumulated a knife block full of various fine-edged knives. My most used knife was my Wustof Grand Prix 10" chef. When I saw Rachel Ray using this strange looking knife of the Food Channel, I was intrigued. Over time I saw more and more of the chefs on The Food Channel using this knife and became very intrigued. I decided to buy one. After six months it is still the most used knife in my kitchen. For things like chopping onions, carrots, celery, peppers, garlic, etc it is much easier to use than my chefs knife. Its balance and light weight make a dream to use in this application.

You are still going to need your other knifes. I reach for my chef's knife when it comes time to open a squash or eggplant. I go to my paring, butcher, bread, slicing and carving knifes as appropriate. However, I wind up using this jewel more than all of them put together. Buy it; you will not regret the decision.

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I bought this knife to complement my set of Grand Prix knives because I wanted something that was mid-way between a chef's knife and a cleaver and this fit the bill. The knife is very useful, well designed and well made (as expected of a Wusthof). I would prefer the knife to be a little heavier as it feels somewhat lighter to me than my 8 inch Grand Prix Chef's knife. But it cuts through meat and veggies very well without any "clinging" to the blade. It also makes short work of tough fruits like melons, canteloupes, etc. I also find the Grand Prix 2 handle not as comfortable as my Grand Prixs. I prefer the straight-backed handle of the older model to the new humped-back ergonomic handles on the Grand Prix 2's but that is just my preference. Otherwise, I am pleased with the knife.

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