Wusthof's Classic series features one-piece forged blades, bolsters and tangs with riveted black polymer handle slabs permanently secured to the full-length tangs. The Super Chef set includes three knives from the Classic series: an 8-inch chef's knife, 9-inch carving knife, and 6-inch fish fillet knife. Each Classic knife comes in the old European pattern with full-width forged steel bolsters reaching to the heel of the blade.

All other knives and implements in the set come from the Gourmet line. Laser-cut from solid steel blanks, these knives use similar handle construction but lack the forged bolsters of the Classic pattern. Where needed, bolsters formed from the handle polymers support the blade and add safety to the grip. All Wusthof knives use the same high carbon stainless steel alloy, designed for toughness and ease of sharpening as well as for stain resistance.

Along with a full set of prep knives, you'll get a carving fork, melon baller, citrus zester, and channel knife (for opening oranges neatly and for carving designs in the rinds of fruits and veggies). Chef's needles include a truss type for closing stuffed cavities in poultry and two types of larding needles for inserting thin strips of fat into tasty but dry meats.

The sturdy case uses plastic side panels set in a metal framework with interior storage panels of tough foam that fit each Wusthof knife or tool to a customized pocket.

See the Mundial Chef's Set for a practical set of basic knives in a convenient soft-sided carrying case.

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These two Emerilware knives are lightweight but versatile with easy-to-grip handles of dark polymer, unaffected by temperature or moisture. The overlapping bolster formed from the handle material strengthens one of the critical points in the knife by shifting the junction between handle and blade slightly forward. Molded permanently around the tang of the knife, the synthetic handle is secured by one rivet near the heel of the handle. The head of the rivet is embossed with the company symbol, the Wusthof trident.

Blades of high carbon Solingen stainless steel are from the same alloy as used in other Wusthof products, but cut from a blank of steel with lasers rather than being stamped or drop-forged. Laser cutting leaves the original alloy unchanged and creates no distortion in the metal. That means a stronger and more predictable blade. Tempered tough enough to hold an edge and still be easily sharpened, the blades do require regular honing. These knives are dishwasher safe, but avoid marred blade surfaces and dulled cutting edges by handwashing.

Both the santoku and paring knife are meant for slicing, not for heavy work like prying or chopping. These knives work very well for prepping and slicing vegetables and fruits and may quickly become two of your favorites.

The higher-quality Wusthof Asian Knife Set offers two similar knives in a stronger forged pattern.

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WUSTHOF CLASSIC IKON 2 pc Asian Knife Set w Hollow Ground 7 Santoku 3 Paring US $150.00   Auction Ends: 3d 16h 48m

JA Henckels 2pc Asian knife set Oxo 4pc Cheese Knife set Wusthof Sharpener US $79.99   Auction Ends: 29d 18h 52m

The vegetable cleaver differs in several ways from the heavy European butcher's tool. Thinner high carbon stainless steel for blade and tang makes the knife an excellent slicing tool and easy to handle. Instead of the wide bevel of a meat cleaver, the edge is taper-ground like a cook's knife. The slightly convex cutting edge is amazingly efficient for mincing and dicing. Rock it over fresh herbs like a mezzaluna knife, and it will seem twice as fast as a chef's knife once you get the hang of it.

The wide blade keeps guiding fingers and knuckles well above the cutting board and makes working with larger vegetables easy. Some skilled Asian cooks use this knife more often than any other. Many modern versions are made with rat tail tangs and ferrule-reinforced handles, but Wusthof uses their more reliable riveted slab handle build. The strong blade needs no bolster, and the simple polymer slab grip provides plenty of grip and control.

Maintaining any plain edged Gourmet knife is easy. The steel is hardened to provide a tough cutting edge that restores quickly with a honing steel and can be reworked at home with flat whetstones. Keep the polish intact by washing the knife by hand, not in a machine.

For a more refined version of the Asian cleaver, see the Wusthof Japanese-Style Nakiri Bocho.

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The upswept point of the cheese knife should be first to touch the cutting board. Using the tip of the blade as a rest, the remainder of the knife shears downward under total control. The plain-edged blade cuts cleanly without leaving marks on the sliced cheese, and the heavier section near the handle accurately cubes smaller pieces.

Cheeses produce a lot of friction as a knife cuts, sticking to the blade and tearing instead of falling cleanly away. To reduce that problem, Wusthof added the rows of etched squares on the blade surface. Like the hollows of a santoku, these etchings break up the knife's contact with the food, releasing slices from the blade as it passes through. When you're done and there's a pile of sliced cheese beside the block, use the forked tip of the knife to separate and pick up individual layers.

Made with the same strong construction techniques as larger knives in the Wusthof line, the Wusthof 4-3/4-inch Hard Cheese Knife looks good enough for table service, matching popular contemporary serving patterns with a traditionally designed riveted slab handle of black polymer. The Wusthof logo is etched permanently on the blade and embossed in red on the knife's grip.

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WUSTHOF gourmet 3PC cheese knife set with cutting board 8933 new US $79.99   Auction Ends: 20d 9h 7m

Because soft cheese knives are meant for working with food soft enough to push a blade through, the job involves less cutting than other work. Keeping the knife sharp still helps, and this Wusthof blade of high carbon Solingen stainless steel can be kept razor-sharp easily with nothing more than a honing steel. Many soft cheese knife styles skimp on blade strength, and thin stamped steel blades actually do work well. Though this Wusthof knife does feature a thin blade, the strength of the forged pattern expands what the knife can do. The full tang construction and steel bolster of the Wusthof 5-inch Soft Cheese knife give the knife more strength than it really needs, but that's never a bad thing. The knife is still light and easy to handle.

The large holes in the blade decrease the amount of contact between cheese and steel, creating smoother cuts with less distortion of the pieces as the knife passes through. These holes also weaken the blade, so the knife shouldn't be twisted or levered as it cuts. The wide, pointed tip of the blade is used for scooping up soft blocks of cheese. Piercing blocks of Parmesan or slicing hard cheddars are both jobs for other knives.

Instead of being the oddball knife in the set, the Wusthof soft cheese knife matches the other serving and prep knives in the Wusthof Classic lineup and won't look out of place if used with most other modern patterns. This soft cheese knife from Wusthof works well and doesn't look cheap.

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WUSTHOF gourmet 3PC cheese knife set with cutting board 8933 new US $79.99   Auction Ends: 20d 9h 7m

Wusthof uses one blank of high carbon stainless steel to forge a strong one-piece full tang knife with all the features essential to the boning task. The blade is narrow but well tempered, stiffer than a filet knife and strong enough to withstand twisting and turning as it cuts through tough connective tissue. Edge-hardened to 58 on the Rockwell scale, the cutting edge slices through small bones without chipping and still sharpens easily with an ordinary honing steel.

The grip is especially important for this type of knife, because hands will often be slick with fats and other juices while doing this tricky chore. The forged bolster comes in handy not just as a reinforcement for the blade but as a physical barrier between fingers and cutting edge. The polymer handle slabs -- riveted to the stainless steel tang -- fit most hands comfortably and offer enough good grip for strong leverage. The dropped heel of the handle keeps fingers from slipping back when pulling the knife.

Made from stain-free Solingen steel, the Classic Boning Knife should be cleaned by hand. Mild detergents and prompt cleanup protect the finish best, and hand washing prevents accidental blunting of the knife's edge.

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NEW WUSTHOF GOURMET 6 BONING KNIFE 4606 14CM US $34.99   0 Bid Auction Ends: 23h 50m

The Wusthof knife roll is well-planned with elastic covers that hold knives in place and internal Velcro closures that lock down the corners of the second layer of the roll. More Velcro on the outside of the roll keeps the knife carrier shut tight. The main carrying system is a loop of Cordura strap sewn to the case in a duffel bag style. There's a pocket for a name tag or business card on the outside of the case, and access to the outside pockets via zippered closures.

The Wusthof knife roll also includes metal D-rings sewn to the ends of the bag, which accept the clips of a shoulder strap. The strap itself is not included with the bag, and the Cordura handle sewn to the bag is much stronger than the shoulder strap system.

Although this bag is good for occasional transport of your good cutlery and serves well for storage, it may not hold up to frequent heavy use. Cordura is a synthetic canvas often used for knife sheaths and tool pouches. While the cloth itself endures sunlight and resists abrasion and is moderately puncture-resistant, the stitching which holds Cordura products together is much more vulnerable to wear and tear. Inspect any weak points -- like the D-ring loops for the shoulder strap -- regularly before relying on them to support your good tools.

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Storage capacity is good enough to transport a full kit to and from culinary school or professional appointments. The main compartment of the soft-sided bag is reinforced by a removable plastic storage tray, allowing chefs to lift out their knife collection as one piece. The back compartment of the white tray is a bin where essential gadgets can be kept handy. Internal flaps seal the knife compartment and provide extra separated storage for larger kitchen tools. Smaller pockets in an outer section store pen and pencil and other small odds and ends like notebooks and business cards. Access to that zippered compartment doesn't require opening the main bag. The dual zippers on the main compartments may be padlocked together for better security while in transport.

The bag will be carrying plenty of weight but is built to hold up to it, and the two carrying systems make hauling the knife case through airports as comfortable as possible. A canvas strap running around the case is the foundation for the wide suitcase-style naugahyde handle and puts very little stress on the bag's seams. Also connected to that foundation strap, the wide padded shoulder strap offers a restful second load support. The strap snaps on and off the bag quickly and stores in one of the outer pockets for check-in.

Although not quite so durable as genuine leather, naugahyde is long-lived and easily wiped clean. With ordinary care, the Wusthof Knife Suitcase should last for years.

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Many of the features of the four knives in the Classic set are not innovations -- these knives look like the fine dining knives of yesteryear but incorporate better materials. Black polymer handle slabs have replaced the traditional hardwood and resist moisture and heat without distorting or losing color. The stainless steel is the same alloy of high carbon molybdenum vanadium steel that goes into Wusthof prep knives and was developed both for stain resistance and the ability to hold a sharp edge.

Forged construction yields a 4-1/2-inch blade, solid steel bolster, and full tang handle from one seamless piece of high carbon stainless steel. The knives are light but strong and stiffer in the blade than equivalent knives of stamped or laser-cut steel. The forged bolster eliminates the weak spot where the blade joins the handle, which is often where cheaper and lightly built knives break.

Cleaning the Wusthof steak knives should be a simple hand wash in mild detergent solution after use. Although Wusthof does rate the knives dishwasher safe, ordinary dishwasher procedures will deteriorate even high quality blades. Rust from other utensils or from worn washer parts may migrate to the blades and give the impression of corrosion. Hand-wash the knives and store them dry in the aluminum presentation case for the best long term care.

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WUSTHOF GOURMET 4 PIECE STEAK KNIFE SET 9729 US $47.95   0 Bid Auction Ends: 1d 19h 53m

The set's 3-1/2-inch paring knife, 4-1/2-inch utility knife, 6-inch sandwich knife, and 8-inch chef's knife all feature easy-to-maintain, multi-purpose plain cutting edges which reset easily with the sharpening steel included in the block set. Two other tools -- the 8-inch pastry knife and the kitchen shears -- have long-lasting cutting edges but do require special sharpening equipment. The pastry knife's serrated edge should perform well for years of normal use, but keep the teeth away from ceramic plates and glass cutting boards.

Tempered to hold an edge well and still sharpen easily, the high carbon stainless steel blades in the set result from forging one piece of German alloy steel into a knife blade with full tang and double bolsters. Laser-tested for accurate grinding and ice-hardened to increase the steel's toughness, the knives are fitted with dark ebony-like synthetic handle slabs permanently fixed to the tang with stainless steel rivets.

Improvements in the Ikon design include comfortably shaped rounded handles in an Asian style and a reduced front bolster which allows full access to the edge of the blade. All knives in the set are dishwasher-safe but should be washed by hand. The steel is rated stain-free, not stain-less, and could blemish in acid solutions or as a result of food drying on the blades.

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WUSTHOF 9908 CLASSIC IKON 8 PIECE BLOCK SET US $384.99   Auction Ends: 3d 13h 8m