Wusthof Sharpener Company
Wusthof Sharpener
Wusthof is one of the worlds oldest and most respected knife manufacturers with nearly 200 years of experience under its belt. Since the first factory opened in Germany in 1814 – Wusthof has set the standard for designing and manufacturing precision-forged knives. Today it is still a family run business that is now in its seventh generation of ownership and is presently under the management of Harald Wusthof.
Wusthof sharpeners and knives are presently manufactured by a skilled team of around 300 dedicated workers in 2 state-of-the-art facilities in Solingen, Germany.
Production follows strict rules in order to achieve the finest quality, while at the same time remaining environmentally friendly.
Today more than 350 forged knives are available in the Wusthof assortment, along with Wusthof sharpeners, cutting boards, knife blocks, kitchen tools, and scissors the company also sells kitchen shears, pocket knives and other cooking accessories, although on a smaller scale than its main competitor, Henckels. All Wüsthof products bear the famous Trident logo – a symbol of form, function, and uncompromising quality since the logo was registered at the Berlin Patent Office over 100 years ago in 1895 to be precise.
Wusthof Knives – Main Product Lines :
With 7 precision forged ranges containing over 200 varying knives in total means that Wüsthof have a knife to suite every style and every purpose. Amongst their more popular items are the Classic and Classic Ikon ranges, Wusthof have varying price points to suit all aspirational cooks and chefs.
Some of the more recent introductions to the Wusthof knife range include the Classic Nakiri, a knife with ‘East meets West’ standards but with the Wusthof edge. Below is a list of the other ranges that Wusthof has created:
• Classic – forged with traditional triple riveted polypropylene handle and full-length tang
• Ikon – contemporary update of the Classic series with wooden handles
• Classic Ikon – same as Ikon but with black handles
• Le Cordon Bleu – almost identical to Classic range but with smaller bolster to lessen weight, endorsed by Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, Paris
• Culinar – contemporary design, with rivetless stainless steel handles and concealed tang
• Grand Prix – upscale line with rivetless stainless steel handles and concealed tang
• Grand Prix II – updated version of the Grand Prix with ergonomic handle, also available as Grand Prix II Colour in a variety of coloured handles
• Gourmet – lower end line, similar to Classic in looks but without bolster and stamped rather than forged blades
• Emeril – low-end consumer grade knives with stamped blades
• Silverpoint – budget knives, laser cut blades and moulded handles
Why its important to keep your Wusthof knives sharp with a Wusthof Sharpener.
You can keep your knives sharp and in shape through a number of methods. The first one is by using a sharpening stone – this is a rectangular block and a honing steel, the honing steel can be either ceramic or finely ridged steel rod that you need to use frequently to align edge that will get bent through repeated contact with the cutting board and hard food stuff.
To sharpen the blade you have to hold the blade at a constant angle with the surface of the stone – usually 20 to 22 degrees, just at the point when the blade’s micro-thin edge and stone’s surface meet – then draw the blade gently back and forth. To hone, hold the steel with the tip resting on the counter and swipe the knife blade from heel to tip, while the blade’s angle to the steel body is the same as when sharpening.
If you want to see more about honing and sharpening knifes then just watch the videos – by clicking on here :- Wusthof Sharpener
The trick is to maintain the same angle constantly. Some sharpening devices, such as Smith’s, come in a kit with diamond stones and a knife holder and angle guides to help build a sharp edge over the blade’s full length. There are several Websites that have detailed info, even videos.
To test a knife’s edge, hold it over a ripe tomato and draw blade without any pressure. If you can slice the tomato effortlessly without it bleeding because of the pressure needed, the edge is fine. Hone the blade several times a week, and sharpen it as needed, when you have to press down to cut.
A dull knife is a dangerous knife, because it leads you to apply pressure, witch may cause slippage and serious injury, not to speak of the attendant frustration and fatigue, because you, and not your knife, is having to work. Sharpness could indeed mean safety.
Top Rated Series of Wusthof Knives are:
Both the Classic and Grand Prix lines were the top rated knives in a test of knives in the Consumer Reportsin November 2005, and are consistently given high ratings by the Cook’s Illustratedmagazine.
Some of Wusthof Knives Professional Users are:
Wusthof knives are used by famous chefs worldwide, including UK’s Gordon Ramsey (who uses the Classic Ikon range), Jamie Oliver (uses both the Classic and Ikon range), James Martin (the Culinar range) and Emeril Lagasse (who not surprisingly uses the Emeril range).
The Wusthof Formula is:
All Wusthof knives, except Classic Ikon Crème, Gourmet and Silverpoint series, have the formula “X 50 Cr Mo 15″ etched into their blade, signifying that each is made with 0.5% carbon, 15% chromium and unspecified but smaller amounts of molybdenum and vanadium.
