WÜSTHOF Kochmesser

What is the best knife brand in Germany?

The perfect knife for you is a matter of personal preference, though there are a few reasons why WÜSTHOF’s seventh-generation family business is widely recognized as the best German knife company. It has been over 200 years since WÜSTHOF first opened its doors, and every knife continues to be made by expert artisans in our hometown of Solingen. It takes fifty-four individual steps to make just one forged knife at our factory, using a combination of state-of-the-art technology and traditional craftsmanship to maximize the longevity of our blades. Knives are precision-forged from a single piece of specially formulated German steel, which is then hardened to a uniquely durable 58 Rockwell. Handles are fixed with stainless steel rivets and enclose something called “the sacrificial anode,” one of the most important innovations in recent knifemaking. The sacrificial anode is an invention we created and patented ourselves in the nineties, inspired by a genius trick from the shipbuilding industry. It’s a small aluminum ring fixed to the tang (the extension of the blade through the handle) that makes each WÜSTHOF knife virtually indestructible. And with proper care and sharpening, our blades really are designed to last decades. We love hearing about the 50-year-old WÜSTHOF Classic chef’s knife a customer inherited (and still uses daily!) as much as we enjoy the success stories of a newcomer in the kitchen putting their first WÜSTHOF Gourmet knife set to good use. 

Why are German knives unique?

Solingen, Germany, WÜSTHOF’s hometown for over 200 years, has been the cutlery capital of Western Europe since the Middle Ages. Knives that originated in Western Europe, particularly Solingen knives, are often double beveled, meaning both sides of the blade are angled towards each other and come to a sharp point in the middle. These blades tend to be more robust and durable, featuring a distinct curvature in the belly of the blade that facilitates a steady rocking motion during chopping. German-style knives are also usually made with stainless steel that’s specifically hardened to be longer lasting and less brittle. And since modern knife craft regularly pulls from both Eastern and Western influences, WÜSTHOF can fuse the best techniques and customs from well-known cutlery regions (like Solingen in Germany, Seki in Japan, and Yangjiang in China) to create exceptional hybrid-style blades. In other words, WÜSTHOF’s German knife sets combine historic artisanship with the latest modern advances in knifemaking to make some of the world’s best blades.    

Why is Solingen the City of Blades?

Solingen, Germany has been known as the “The City of Blades” since the Middle Ages, thanks to its reputation as one of the world’s epicenters of cutlery craft. This legacy is partly due to geography. Almost three centuries ago, transportation routes were west, coal supplies were north, and ore mining was south. Solingen didn't have any of these things — nothing but forests, steep valleys, and roaring rivers as far as the eye could see. But this was a great advantage! The abundant waterpower leveraged from those streams and rivers was used to drive grinding stones and early versions of the drop forge. As a result, Solingen was home to hundreds of “kottens,” or grinding workshops, many of which were used to craft scissors, swords, and, of course, knives. One of these kottens, perched on the banks of the Wupper River, belonged to Johann Wilhem Wüsthof, the first member of WÜSTHOF’s seven generations. His son, Johann Abraham Wüsthof founded Abr. Wüsthof, Scheerenfabrik, Stahl- und Eisenwaaren Zu Weinsberg: (“Abr. Wüsthof, Shears Factory, Steel and Iron Works at Weinsberg”) in 1814.