Wusthof Classic 10-Inch Wide Cook's Knife

This is a great knife, which I happen to think is well balanced and offers a lot of stability.

It is however a very large knife which some might find unwieldy or too heavy. It is significantly bigger than the standard Classic 10" chef's knife.

More importantly, because of the knifes height (width), the blade itself is very wide and would not fit in any standard knife block I could find. In the end I bought the super knife block from Williams-Sonoma and took a router to widen the cleaver slot.

I must say this is one fantastic knife. It is the knife I usually use when prepping a meal (sandwiches don't count). When I purchase a knife, I always personally sharpen it, so I can't really speak for the factory edge, but it accepts and holds an edge wonderfully. Having the extra wide knife (along with added heft) has more of a curve to it allowing for an easy chopping motion. I have purchased Henckel Pro S in the past and, after noticing a couple of flaws that passed their QC in my expensive knives, I will never purchase one without personally inspecting it first. Wusthof has much better QC so I have no problem ordering them through the mail.

FYI-This knife needs a large cutting board and a serious knife block to hold it. I personally use the Wusthof 25-slot "mega" block and it fits in all three of the top chef knife positions. Overall this knive is an investment, but you will love it!

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Don't let the size or price intimidate you, this is a great knife for the kitchen. I'd been using an 8-inch chef's knife for years because that's what came in a set. But it left a lot to be desired for chopping up even medium size quantities of food. This 10-inch Wusthof has been one of the best upgrades for our kitchen.

The handle feels just right and the balance is superb. The shape of the blade is perfect for a rocking motion that lets you quickly chop and mince. Of course the quality of the steel is legendary so this knife holds an edge and will last. Considering how frequently this knife gets used in the kitchen, it's a great investment.

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The right chef's knife for you is a matter of personal preference, and with knives first impressions are not always lasting. You may be tempted to choose a lighter sleeker model. The size and heft of this knife may be a bit off putting at first. But if you are committed to using correct technique, you will soon fall in love with this blade for those very same reasons. While a cook might reach for this knife out of habit for any number of chores including those for which it was not designed, most often it will be used to chop stuff. This is the original food processor.

With your fingers curled away from the blade the knuckles of your holding hand confidently ride the wide flat surface of this blade. Meanwhile the knuckles of your knife hand are well clear of the cutting board. For greater comfort, I have ever so slightly relieved the edges of the bolster, but I have never owned a knife (with a bolster) that didn't benefit from the same treatment. The blade's ample mass keeps it steadily on line without a hint of flex or wobbles. Because the knife adds its own heft to the down stroke, you will not have to push down into it with the same forces you would need on another knife. This makes it safer. At 58C on the Rockwell scale, the chrome moly steel in this blade is an excellent hardness to take an edge keen enough to shave with and strong enough to chop wood. Also, it doesn't turn colors like older Soligen steel knives.

When the chopping is done, a cook always faces the same annoying choice, slide the pile up on the face of the blade to transfer it to the bowl or pan or reach for a dough blade. Little pile, use the knife, big pile reaches for the dough blade. While this knife does not solve that problem as well as a Chinese cleaver, it does give you just enough more surface that frequently you are pleasantly aware that you just beat the odds. This blade is guaranteed for life. When the terms of that agreement run out, you will still be glad you chose this knife.

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I think this knife doesn't actually cut the food, so much as it intimidates it. The food looks up, sees this massive, wickedly sharp blade approaching, and leaps out of the way at the last possible moment. That's my best guess as to how this knife cuts so effortlessly.

Or I guess it could be the fact that blade takes and holds an edge like a dream, allowing the significant weight of this very large knife to just drop the blade through whatever you happen to put under it. Whatever. The bottom line is you don't have to exert any effort to cut you basically just steer, and the knife does all the work. Which is exactly as it should be.

I've had this knife for about 6 months, and use it almost daily, primarily for cutting up fruits such as pineapple, watermelon, large papayas, peaches, etc. Cutting the rind off a pineapple does require a tiny bit of effort, but otherwise, even a good size watermelon cleaves itself out of the way when it sees this beastie coming.

The wide blade is great for transferring food from the cutting board. Plus it adds that much extra weight, allowing the knife to do that much more of the work for you. I also find the width makes it easier to keep the blade against the fingers of my guiding hand, which makes me feel safer/more confident.

The length enables you to cut through small watermelons, large papayas and personal size pizzas with just one stroke. Sweet! The length also means that much more curve, meaning you can cut more and larger items without lifting the tip off the board. Also sweet!

If had one tiny complaint, it's that the length means the tip of the knife is quite far from your hand, so delicate strokes with the tip, e.g. to cut a blemish out of a piece of fruit, are a little awkward. I've gotten used to it, but it's taken some practice. However, since a 10" wide body knife isn't primarily designed for delicate tip work, I certainly won't deduct for that.

I have a Furi TechEdge Pro Knife Sharpening System. It's a great system, which I love to use. But I've only had to hone this knife's edge 2 or maybe 3 times in 6 months of almost daily use. Granted, I'm only cutting fruits and vegetables on a good quality bamboo cutting board. Still, that's pretty good edge-holding.

You really shouldn't buy a knife of this size, or in this price range, without at least holding it. How a particular knife will feel in your hand is unpredictable, particularly one this large and weighty. But I already knew I liked the Wüsthof Classic line, so I took a chance and bought this from Amazon without ever holding it. And I'm very glad I have it. I love this knife!

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