Wusthof Asian Knife Set, Granton Santoku & Paring

Classic Ikon Black w/ Solingen Stainless Steel

Wusthof Asian Knife Set, Granton In the Classic Ikon 2-Piece Asian Cook's Set, Wusthof pairs two knives which have a good chance of being nearly everyone's favorite blades. The paring knife -- often the first knife a chef picks up in the kitchen -- and the matching santoku bring Asian improvements to an already good brand of German cutlery. Technical changes include a new and genuinely improved handle design and lighter, more efficient blades.

Good features for which Wusthof has earned a solid reputation survived the redesign. Wusthof uses the same high carbon stainless steel in this set that has been the company standard for years. Tempered to hold an edge (not so hard the blades will chip) and soft enough to sharpen at home with ordinary honing tools, Solingen steel doesn't exactly match the qualities of high-tech alloys, but it's proven to work well. Cutting efficiency now increases because of the Asian-style granton grind -- multiple hollows in the blade's surface break contact with the food to reduce sticking and friction.

Forged bolsters are still a part of these knives, but the heavy front bolster has been slimmed down and no longer extends to the cutting edge. As in Asian knives, this allows complete access to the cutting edge for both slicing work and sharpening. To improve the balance of the knives, the full tang ends in a second forged bolster, putting more weight at the rear and making the riveted slab-handle build even stronger than before.

One of the best features of this two-knife set is the improved handle shape. Wusthof's usual handle has a blocky style with chamfered ninety-degree edges that don't match the comfort of the Classic Ikon's tapered and rounded handle grip.