Wusthof CLASSIC Three Piece Starter Set

received 7/8/14These are my first sharp knives and the question I have to ask is "why did I wait?"I had been purchasing toss away knives and replacing every year or two. I recently became unemployed when the company I worked for went out of business and I decided to take some time off to de-stress before rejoining the work force. In that time I started cooking and reading up on knife skills and realized that I could not do what they were teaching with the knives I had. They were simply too dull. So began a ton of research.Best budget knife based on research:Victorinox Fibrox 8-Inch Chef's KnifePros: Sharp and $40 approx for chefCons: Stamped (isn't supposed to hold edge as long) and the handle which felt like cast iron to me (which is like nails on the chalk board to me)Best Japanese Knife based on reviews:MAC MTH80It was on my list to test out, but they didn't have it at william sonoma and the hard steel knives have reviews that discuss chipping a lot. Some reviews I found put this knife at the top.Best Western Knife:Wusthof Classic- Great balance- they changed the angle of the blade a few years ago and they can now compete with japanese knives- in expensive- less likely to stain vs Japanese Damascus knives.Doing the sharpness test on my arms, it only cut off one or two hairs although I was moving slowly. How does that compare? I don't know, but I'm going with "it's nice and sharp" in my book.I can now practice those knife skills they show on TV with ease. I've never cut things so small before.The weight is fantastic.Classic vs Ikon Vs GourmetIkon is the exact same as the classic except for the handle. The weight is all in the handle and it felt uncomfortable to hold appropriately. It was NOT balanced.Gourment - stamped budget knives. Get the fibrox instead as these aren't very good knives.The piece set contained:(1) 8" chef knife(1) 8" bread knife(1) 3.5" paring knife.I list that because the product itself didn't describe so I went off of visual proportions and I was nervous until I received it. At 200 this is a great price for all three. Basically you save $10 and the paring knife is free.Packaging was a wusthof box with felt and a plastic see through top. Knife tips were covered in circular rings to protect tips. My bread knife was not. I'm not sure why.I'm very happy that my research delivered to me exactly what I wanted and what a HUGE difference sharp knives can make. I love the weight, balance, and sharpness of these knives so much.

These things cut like a dream and hold a nice sharp edge well.The grip is comfortable in your hand, and you really feel like you're holding a quality knife.I find myself cooking more and ordering out less just because I want something to cut.

I already had a Wusthof Santoku knife which I like very much. This completes the set of knives I use on a regular basis. Excellent quality, extremely sharp from the factory and they stay sharp. Well balanced and a good grip. I would recommend.

I bought these knives as a starter set for my daughter for her apartment. I have used these knives for 40 years. i absolutely love them. Very high quality, lasts forever!!

Still my favorite set of knives after almost 20 years! You really don't need a drawerful of fancy knives. These 3 will do just fine. I liked this set of Wustof Classic knives that bought so much that I bought them again for a second home! The 8" Chef's knife will really do the chopping work for you, once you get accustomed to using a large knife. I've had several of their serrated knives and this one will serve great for all purposes. The pairing knife gets a lot of use. Both the Chef's knife and paring knife sharpen really well and look good after years of hard use.

Nice weight. Great addition to our kitchen.

Now I understand why good knifes are worth paying the money for. I Wish my first set of chef quality knifes had been purchased in my 20's and not in retirement!! Oh the things I could have cooked!

Great gift for a home chef.