Wusthof Classic Ikon 10-Piece Knife Set with Block, Black

I just purchased this set of 10 Wusthof Ikon Classic Knives, primarily for my wife but also for myself as I have started doing more cooking and frequently serve as my wife's sous-chef. If you are in the market for a set of high quality knives you may ultimately make a different choice. However, I would recommend that you follow a process similar to the one I will describe here.

First, I went on-line and researched high quality knives. I read reviews, by both professionals and consumers, and made notes and comparisons. This resulted in the identification of the following brands of high quality kitchen knives that are readily available to American consumers: Japanese Knives: Shun and Global. The two high quality German Knife brands are Henckel and Wusthof.

The second step in the process was to go to local stores, in our case William Sonoma and Sur La Table, to see the knives in person. This is a critical point and, whatever else you do, should not be skipped. Based on the look and feel of the knives, my wife liked the Wusthof Ikon Classic and Blackwood the best. Further, based on our needs and the range of knives in the various sets, we decided on a 10 piece set. We also ruled out the Blackwood series because of price we just didn't feel there was sufficient added value for the significant increase in cost over the Ikon Classic Series.

Finally, back to the computer. When making price comparisons, it is important to note that one 10 piece set may be different from another 10 piece set by the same manufacturer and the same series. Be sure to look at the actual knives in each set so that you are comparing apples to apples. The two sites that I found most helpful, and made it into our final decision, was Amazon and Cutlery and More. We considered building our own set by purchasing individual knives but ruled this out when we did a price comparison. Regarding the set we are discussion, it sells for $600.00 but to purchase the same set through a collection of individual pieces would cost $865.00. The cost savings available through a set purchase can be substantial.

After deciding on the Wusthof Ikon Classic 10 piece set I actually went back to our William Sonoma store to purchase it. The reason I was willing to pay the tax (the only difference in cost) was that I wanted my wife to have the set for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, their 10 piece set contained only two eight inch knives where the on-line sets included three.

So the final decision came down to the set at Amazon or the set at Cutlery and More. They were very similar but not identical. My wife said either set would be fine. I chose to purchase through Amazon because I have had very good experiences in buying from them. I have never had a problem with Amazon and just did not want to risk trying a different vendor with such a substantial purchase. I also purchased the Wusthof Ikon knife sharpener ($50). It was a little more expensive than the Wusthof Hand Held Knife Sharpener, but uses diamond sharpening rods that I thought were worth the extra cost.

Now, to the knives. They are fabulous. They are razor sharp, perfectly balanced, aesthetically pleasing, and feel like an extension of your hand when you cut with them. The hardwood block is simple and elegant. Most importantly, my wife loves them and they arrived in time for Thanksgiving! I highly recommend these knives to anyone seeking a high quality knife set.

I really like the color of the block. The quality of the knives is outstanding. I would strongly recommend this product.

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