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.

I thought i would buy a chefs knife to see what the fuss was about. it is very sharp and comfortable but now i might try sending my other knives away to be sharpened to see. I do suppose that it will be very strong and will last a lifetimeedit.. Having used it for a few months it is brilliant and it gets used for everything I might even buy a smaller wustoff to go with it

Have been using for 7 months and i'm impressed with it, holds it's edge for long periods of time and the weight feels good to me. That being said some might find it a bit heavy in the hand. Also sharpens up well on a stone, much better than my last henckels knife.Note that mine came in a cardboard sleeve and it took me an hour or so to figure out that it's come from a chefs set which is probably why it was so cheap (£80 as apposed to the retail of about £120 at the time) but made me panic at first. You can go to the manufactures web site and verify it's an authentic blade by the steel marking etc if you have any doubts.

Not what I was expecting poor quality.

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".

Loved how sharp it was, slices through meat and skin so easy. Plan to use it for chopping sausages :)

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.