W?sthof 979783 Classic 8-Inch Cook's Knife

Part of the Classic series, this knife represents two centuries of unexcelled Wüsthof craftsmanship. Like other cutlery in the series, it's hand-forged from a single piece of stainless steel for maximum strength; the hand-polished blade is exactingly calibrated to be hard enough to resist dulling yet soft enough to take a keen edge when it's honed or sharpened. Dishwasher-safe and with a traditionally shaped, ergonomically designed handle that is triple-riveted for durability, this knife brings a guaranteed lifetime of low-maintenance cutting to any cook who owns it. --Arthur Boehm

Yesterday I took a knife-handling techniques course offered by a Wusthof rep at a local shop and was amazed by how quickly this knife turned carrots, celery, and nearly anything else into neat slices and chunks. Using the grip described above, one merely rolls the knife back onto the item being cut, lifts the back only, and repeats, sliding the food into the knife. The front of the blade merely rolls and slides on the cutting board, and is never lifted. (Compared to this, the instructor said my lift-and-chop technique was fairly effective, but abusive! *L*) With this knife, you could cut a carrot or celery into neat, thin little slices in less time than it takes to lift the lid off your food processor and get ready to clean it.

I've got other good knives - prior to this knife, I already owned Henckels 4-star 6" chef's and fillet knives, a Henckels Pro-S 3" paring knife, and a Wusthof hollow-edge santoku (another awesome tool). The Henckels knives are excellent quality, but do not lend themselves to the forward grip; I tried it with my Henckels chef's knife and found that the forged bolster felt sharp-edged when I gripped the blade this way. Make no mistake - the Henckels is an excellent knife and works well, albeit with slightly less control, when all fingers are wrapped around the handle. The Wusthoff knife has a shallower transition fillet from blade to bolster and lends itself to either grip. I'd chosen the 6" Henckels because it felt well-balanced gripping the handle alone, while the 8" seemed heavier and less agile, but with the proper grip the 8" Wusthof Classic is balanced just right. The Wusthof Grand Prix, like the Henckels, tends to encourage an all-fingers-on-handle grip, though the bolster region may be more finger-friendly. I used to look longingly at Grand Prix knives, but last night's class sold me on the benefits of the Classic handle.

Needless to say, after giving it such a thorough tryout I took this knife home with me!


the best tool of the trade   March 20, 2003
Nadyne Mielke (Mountain View, CA USA)
59 out of 62 found this review helpful

My mom, browsing my Amazon wishlist one day, saw this listed there. She emailed me immediately to ask why I would ever want a knife that is that expensive. Aren't the knives that she gave me as a housewarming gift good enough? They are dishwasher-safe and have a lifetime warranty, she reminded me.

I had to explain that while the knives she gave me were nice, they don't even compare to my Wustofs. My Wustof knives retain an amazing sharpness (even when I'm a little lazy about sharpening them). Their balance is unparalleled. The handle fits my hand perfectly. The knives that she sent me always feel dull in comparision, and the handle is simply uncomfortable.

I consider a good cook's knife to be essential for anyone who cooks. The question of which cook's knife to buy depends on the person who will be using it. There are two different questions: which model to purchase, and which length to purchase.

There are two main knife manufacturers: Wustof and Henckels. I think that Wustof knives are better made. However, some people prefer the handles on the Henckels. The Henckels handle is extremely uncomfortable for me, so I don't even consider them.

The second question is that of length. If you are taller, you will want a longer knife. Shorter people will want a shorter knife. I stand at 5'7" (170cm), and find that the 8" knife is most comfortable for slicing and chopping. My best friend is about an inch taller than me and also prefers this knife. A friend who is a couple of inches shorter than me prefers the 6" cook's knife.

If you have never purchased high-quality knives before, I would recommend that you go to a traditional store and try them out first. You want to see if the handle is comfortable and if the balance is right for you. Then come back here and order it -- the Amazon price is much better than that found in any kitchen speciality or upscale department store.

Also, if you have never purchased high-quality knives before, I would recommend two other purchases: a knife holder of some sort and a sharpening steel. The former, which doesn't need to be very expensive at all (my best friend has one that cost him less a dollar; it is simply a plastic tray with slits for holding the blades), keeps the blade from getting nicked while it's sitting in your drawer. The latter keeps the blade nice and sharp. You should sharpen your knives every time you use them. This isn't very difficult, nor is it very time-consuming, but it keeps your knives in perfect condition.

I am extremely happy with my purchase. I am slowly growing my knife collection. You will always find one of these knives on my wishlist. Even my mother has come around -- after experiencing these knives herself, she bought one for herself, and sent me the 6" cleaver as a birthday gift!


Invest in exceptional knives   December 31, 2002
27 out of 27 found this review helpful

As a home cook, it took me quite awhile to decide to invest in an excellent knife. I can't stress enough what a difference it makes. This classic 8 inch chef's knife was my first Wusthof. It has exceptional heft and balance, fits comfortably into my hand (I have smallish hands, so this was an initial concern) and, despite my fears and my experiences with other knives, I have yet to cut myself. A cheap, dull knife is more dangerous than a good, sharp one. This knife never slips, it cuts evenly and cleanly, and I *never* have to saw.

In addition to discount store block knives (a waste of money, despite them being so much cheaper), I've regularly used Chicago Cutlery and strongly prefer the Wusthof. It is much easier to clean (no wood handle to harbor microbes), contours comfortably into my hand (CC does not), and I find it holds its sharp edge more readily (CC needs frequent sharpening).

When I finally decided to buy it, I went to a cutlery store and tried out the Henckles and the Wusthof Grand Prix. This knife has much better balance and heft than did the Henckles (though I only tried it in the store) and just felt more comfortable in my hand than the Grand Prix. Additionally, Cooks magazine did a comparison test of chef's knives (ala Consumer Reports) and put this knife at the top of their list, too.

The downside is that this knife is expensive, and it is hard to justify the expense for the regular home cook. In my experience, a high quality Wusthof is not a splurge. It is the right tool for the job. I buy one Wusthof knife at a time, and always keep them on my amazon wish list. This was my first, and is the most useful for generalized chopping tasks.

A drawer full of cheap knives is much less practical than a small collection of a Wusthof Classic chef's knife, paring knife and utility or "sandwich" knife. These three can tackle any job expertly. Do yourself a favor, get the right tool for the job.


Buy once, keep a lifetime   November 27, 2001
Russ Mead (Seattle WA USA)
27 out of 28 found this review helpful

I love this knife. For years I was a prep cook. I chopped case after case of everything a restaurant uses. I have used cheap stamped knifes, and even custom knives. This one is the best I have ever used.

Now I only cook for fun. I take this knife with me when I travel so I don't need to use what ever my host has at home. (I do most of the cooking at family gatherings.)

It is easy to keep sharp. I recommend ceramic crock sticks. You can run this knife through the dish washer and it still looks great. The thick back makes it easy to control with my left hand. The handle material is tough. I like the full tang construction. It assures this will last several life times.

One other thing, the largest competitor (Hinkle) now imports some products from Spain. I have seen a set of these Spanish Hinkle knives for just a little more than the German Hinkle Chef knife. If you want status in your knifes, the Hinkles are not all what they were at one time. How does someone know the Hinkle is German or Spanish? Wustof is German. Period.

If given the choice, I would own just one knife, this one, over a complete set of anything else.

Look in the knife bag of chef and see what they use. Chances are you will find this medium sized chef knife by Wustof.


Great Knife   November 19, 2001
D (Metro Detroit, MI USA)
18 out of 19 found this review helpful

There are really two main competitors in the high-end mainstream kitchen knife market: Henckels and Wusthof. Those who have used both usually have a preference. My preference (and therefore bias you should know about) is for the Wusthofs.

The Wusthof Classic line is the more conservative counterpart to the Grand Prix line. The only difference, however, is the handle style. I personally prefer the Grand Prix, but this is an issue of personal preference. The balance and grip of these knives are as close to perfect as I have found. For those wondering what benefits a higher priced knife provides, one benefit is that the blade (or tang) is one piece all the way through the handle. This makes the blade much stronger, and less likely to snap.

This particular model, the 8 inch chef's knife, is a great knife. Wusthof offers four sizes of chef's knives in the Classic line, 5, 6, 8 and 10 inch. For most home cooks, I think the 8 inch knife is the best choice. The 5 and 6 inch are a bit small for bigger jobs, but the 10 inch is too big for most jobs. While the 8 inch isn't perfect for all uses, if you are only buying one size chef's knife (and most people only buy one), this is the one I would recommend.

I highly recommend the Wusthof 8" chef's knife.