Wusthof Classic Ikon Cook's Knife, 8-Inch

I wanted to build a collection of professional knives. My choice was between Sabatier K (the only Sabatier brand still being manufactured by one of the two original Sabatier families) and Wusthof. I finally decided on Wusthof, I also decided to go for the Classic Ikon range. Not being able to afford to buy a set in one go, I am building my own set by buying individual knives as and when. Although this probably works out slightly more expensive its better in that you don't end up with knives you don't use. The first thing I noticed was the weight of this knife. Some reviewers on YouTube have said this knife is heavy for a European knife so I was expecting it to be heavy. In fact this knife is lighter than the 20 cm cooks knife I was using. In my opinion it is a perfect weight for a knife of this size, it is also perfectly balanced. I went for the Classic Ikon over the Classic because of the handle shape, it fits perfectly in the hand and it is comfortable to hold. Note the only difference between the Classic and Classic Ikon is the handle, the blades are exactly the same so if you prefer the more traditional handle, you may want to look at the Classic range as they are cheaper. The build quality is excellent with the handle being perfectly flush with the tang. These knives are said to be dishwasher safe but I would hand wash only, hand washing is actually advised on the box. I have read reviews were people who wash them in a dishwasher say over time the handles have cracked. When I worked in professional kitchens in the 70s we used to wipe the blade with soapy water and then dry them with a cloth, we had to as they had carbon blades which can discolour from the juices from the food you're cutting and will rust in no time if left wet or even damp. This is a habit that has stuck with me throughout the years and is what I always do with all my knives even though they are stainless steel. As for sharpness, this knife is extremely sharp out of the box. I have not owned it long enough to say how well it holds its edge but used properly on a wooden or plastic chopping board I am expecting it to last well. Using a knife on a glass or granite worktop protector, or directly on the worktop itself will blunt any knife in no time regardless of price or quality. People say about stroking knives on a steel every time you use it to keep an edge on it. In fact you only need to do this on a quality knife every hour to hour and a half of total use, so unless you are in the kitchen all day using your knives, using a steel once every week or even two is sufficient. Wusthof claim all their kitchen knives are ground to 14° each side which is unusual for European knives, which are typically ground between 15° - 20°. This may explain their sharpness but it also means if you are not able to sharpen knives on a stone and you rely on the pull through style sharpener, you may want to invest in a Wusthof sharpener as these will be set for 14°. The sharpener you may already own may actually take the edge off rather then put a new edge on. All in all this is a quality knife (at a price) and if looked after it should give a lifetime of use. If you want to work in your kitchen at home in the knowledge you are using knives good enough for chefs such as Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver this is the knife to go for. Gordon Ramsay uses Classic Ikon, Jamie Oliver uses both Classic and Classic Ikon.

I've had my 8" Ikon knife for about 3 weeks now and I use it for almost all my food prep. It makes my old knives look like toys. I found the handle shape a bit odd to start with but now find it completely natural and xcomfortable. The balance is unlike any knife I've used before, with a centre of gravity in the handle, just slightly ahead of the centre of the front rivet. This seems to have the effect that if you use the knife with your forefinger along the top of the blade, the blade really feels like an extension of your finger. A much better feel than other knives I've had. The shape is good with a nice rocking action for fine chopping. Maintenance is straightforward and it is easy to get a good edge using a fine whet stone, with no hassle with bolsters and no issues with false edges. Finishing with a paddle strop gives a hair popping edge if you want this. Personally I would not use a steel as this wears the blades a lot and they go wavey. Once sharp the knife keeps its edge very well. Maybe not as well as the much harder VG-10 blades you see in Japanese knives, but without the issues of chipping and difficulty sharpening I've experienced with super-hard blades. All-in-all the best cook's knife I've ever used.

My partner bought me this just less than 2 years ago. The exterior packaging (not saying that is vital) was lacking given the price of this single chef's knife. Razor sharp out of the box and would advise honing your knife skills (REALLY WELL) before playing with this bad boy. I've kept it maintained with the wustof honing steel. After daily use for chopping veggies and slicing meats etc. It is only just showing signs of needing professional sharpening. 100% bang for your buck. However, bare in mind this is a European style chefs knife and comes with a precision made 15° edge. If you want a sharper knife then opt for the wustof ikom Santoku 7".

very very good knife as a chef using this day in day out,good balance, nice weight ,very good quality all round , the bolster and handle are lovely and combatable to hold for loge periods of time , it comes good and sharp out the box but a touch up did put a finer edge on it. and the profile and width of the blade make it so easy to use and cut stuff (mainly veg). I LOVE THIS KNIFE :)

Love this knife. It's so well made. I was looking for a heavy chopper and found it. It just glides through food, slices, cuts and chops with ease, from fine veg to cooked meats, this is a knife that does it all. I was looking at the Global G2 and decided on this beast in the end, unable to compare but don't feel I've made the wrong choice. This knife arrived sharp, very sharp, so be careful. It is on the expensive side of things but it will last a life time with the correct sharpener, and it makes prep of all foods a pleasure not a chore like before.

Not what I was expecting poor quality.

It is sharp agd and handy

Great knife, and very sharp as would be expected. The handle weight is significant, with the tang going all the way through which aids with balance. I would say this - I have two Chefs knives, one that was £24, and this one. While I love the elegance and weighted feel of this knife - it doesn't really feel £80 better than my other. Although, it may last a lifetime, where as my other plastic-handled one will probably not.

I own both this knife and the shun classic 8''. I have to mention that both knives are wonderful. I own the Wusthof classic ikon 8'' chef knife and the shun classic 8'' and love them both. The main weight of the Wusthof is toward the handle for a bolster grip as the Shun classic has it's center of balance near the pinch grip. The Shun classic is more sharp than the Wusthof, therefore, the edge feels much more fragile than the Wusthof's so I feel more confident doing heavier tasks with the Classic Ikon. Don't get me wrong, both knives are insanly sharp. One of the reason why the Shun is more sharp than the Wusthof is obviously the thickness of the two blades, where Wusthof is thicker, but also because it looks like the Shun had been hand sharpened with a much finer grit than the factory edge Wusthof has. I sharpened the Wusthof on my water stones up to 8000 grit and now it is razor sharp, I easily shave hairs with it now. Overall, I feel like the Wusthof might be better suited for Mrs and Mss everyone, as it is sturdier yet very very sharp. Overall I love both knives, but I feel like the Wusthof might be better suited mr & ms everyone as it is less fragile but still very very sharp.

Ottimo prodotto come ci si aspetterebbe da Wusthof. Ottima qualità dei materiali e finiture del coltello. Manico molto ergonomico e ben smussato, non da fastidio nell'utilizzo, ottima affilatura. Arrivato nella sua scatola originale completo di anellino proteggi punta.

Ich habe die letzten x Jahre ein Global G2 verwendet, das ich konstant mit Nassschleifsteinen geschliffen habe. Ich bin positiv überrascht und werde vermutlich nicht mehr zu meinem japanischen Stahl zurückkehren: + Angenehm schweres Gewicht + Super schnell scharf zu halten mit Wetzstahl + Einwandfreie Verarbeitung + Aufgrund des fehlenden Barts zu halten wie ein japanisches Gyuto + Gut für Wiegeschnitt zu gebrauchen, aufgrund der Rundung Von mir eine klare Kaufempfehlung. Ich kann dazu den Dick Dickoron Wetzstahl empfehlen. 2 Handgriffe und das Messer ist rasierklingenscharf.

Nice, sharp, balanced. All I can say is it's a very nice knife. Well worth it.

Aficionados o profesionales, este cuchillo es una gran inversión. Nada como un cuchillo de chef con un buen filo, balance perfecto y calidad en sus materiales. El movimiento de cortar se hace fluido y cuando se requiere tiene un peso adecuado para poder cortar cosas mas duras (cartilagos y huesos pequeños / medianos). Por lo demás 20cms es un tamaño más que adecuado para un cuchillo de chef en casa. De fabrica el filo es perfecto y para mantenerlo asi por supuesto necesita los cuidados de rigor, usar la chiara para mantener el filo lo más posible. Y de tanto en tanto (en mi caso cada 2-3 meses) un buen afilado con piedra /- pulido (piedra de 800 filo /3000 pulido). En fin hacer la prueba de cortar papel para determinar el filo.... debiera cortarse perfecto si rasgar. El precio, como los buenos cuchillos de gama alta, asusta. Pero esta es precisamente la herramienta que más uso y más satisfacción te dará en la cocina. Cinco estrellas, sin dudarlo. Si nunca te has atrevido a gastar más por un buen cuchillo, esta es una buenisima opción (ojo, no me pagan por decir esto, es sólo que me ha dejado muy contento)