Wüsthof Crafter series.

[HappyamateurDK]

Hi.

Anyone familiar with the wüsthof Crafter knives. And knows how durable the smoked oak wood handles are when it comes to washing.

Also a general opinion on the knives would be great..

Have a great weekend.
Søren

 

[Blerghle]

The handles look nice enough, but people here don't tend to think much of Wusthof blades, especially for their price. Even among the softer European-style blades, most people here would recommend Sabatier over Wusthof/Henckels due to a more useful, flatter profile on the chef's knives. What are you looking for with knives more generally?

 

[HappyamateurDK]

The handles look nice enough, but people here don't tend to think much of Wusthof blades, especially for their price. Even among the softer European-style blades, most people here would recommend Sabatier over Wusthof/Henckels due to a more useful, flatter profile on the chef's knives. What are you looking for with knives more generally?

Well.
The knife is a gift for my father. He isn't a cook. But likes to cook, and nice tools. I am pretty sure he will like the look of the Crafter. That is also the reason I already bought it for him. What I would like to know is how much care the handles will need.

I wasn't impressed with the factory edge or sharpness. So I had it sharpened by a pro.

Yes German soft steel kitchen knives certainly ain't crowd pleasers on this forum. I also like JPN knives a lot. But also have a few Germans I like a lot. Mostly a Fdick premier, and a Burgvogel Juglans( slightly different Messermeister. Burgvogel makes Messermeister)

I am also giving him a Dickoron sharpening steel with the new knife.

 

[Blerghle]

As long as he doesn't throw them in the dishwasher or start digging in with steel wool, he'll be fine. I'm sure he will enjoy them immensely, and the steel is a nice touch. Soap and water, dry and put away. Probably wouldn't hurt to occasionally apply a bit of mineral oil.

 

[HappyamateurDK]

As long as he doesn't throw them in the dishwasher or start digging in with steel wool, he'll be fine. I'm sure he will enjoy them immensely, and the steel is a nice touch. Soap and water, dry and put away. Probably wouldn't hurt to occasionally apply a bit of mineral oil.

i think the mineral oil is a good choice.
Yeah I am certain he will like it. He never had anything but cheap knives. And he never learnt to use a steel correct. So a bit of instruction will be required. And the Dickoron is a very nice steel.

 

[Midsummer]

Well.
The knife is a gift for my father. He isn't a cook. But likes to cook, and nice tools. I am pretty sure he will like the look of the Crafter. That is also the reason I already bought it for him. What I would like to know is how much care the handles will need.

I wasn't impressed with the factory edge or sharpness. So I had it sharpened by a pro.

Yes German soft steel kitchen knives certainly ain't crowd pleasers on this forum. I also like JPN knives a lot. But also have a few Germans I like a lot. Mostly a Fdick premier, and a Burgvogel Juglans( slightly different Messermeister. Burgvogel makes Messermeister)

I am also giving him a Dickoron sharpening steel with the new knife.

One of the nicest gifts to give someone!

I have not owned any of the knives in this series; but I have had a number of wood handled knives. I would suspect they would hold up very well if properly cared for. 1- Only hand wash!! the dishwasher will, not so slowly, destroy the handle and damage the blade. 2- Do not leave the wood moist or in water. Towel dry as soon as possible. 3- Maintain the wood. Regular applications of mineral oil or camillia oil (both food safe) is appropriate.

If he cares for it properly then he may be able to leave it for the next generation.

A note on the sharpening steel. There was a recent article about whether or not steels sharpened or if the only honed. Traditionally the steel is thought to hone; though the recent paper mad it clear that they do remove some steel and therefore sharpen. After some time using this steel he is going to find that the knife will not cut as easily. The knife will then need to be thined. It would be good if you learned about when and how to thin knives if you want to help him maintain his gift.

 

[HappyamateurDK]

One of the nicest gifts to give someone!

I have not owned any of the knives in this series; but I have had a number of wood handled knives. I would suspect they would hold up very well if properly cared for. 1- Only hand wash!! the dishwasher will, not so slowly, destroy the handle and damage the blade. 2- Do not leave the wood moist or in water. Towel dry as soon as possible. 3- Maintain the wood. Regular applications of mineral oil or camillia oil (both food safe) is appropriate.

If he cares for it properly then he may be able to leave it for the next generation.

A note on the sharpening steel. There was a recent article about whether or not steels sharpened or if the only honed. Traditionally the steel is thought to hone; though the recent paper mad it clear that they do remove some steel and therefore sharpen. After some time using this steel he is going to find that the knife will not cut as easily. The knife will then need to be thined. It would be good if you learned about when and how to thin knives if you want to help him maintain his gift.

Thanks a lot for your input

I've actually done a lot of research on sharpening steels recently. And have come across the same info as you.
I think that sharpening steels are very different. The types that usually comes with a knife set is often pretty coarse. Therefore I prefer the smoother steels like the Dickoron. I will give him the classic witch is pretty smooth compared to most others. At home I love my Dickoron Micro. It is very smooth and also polish the edge. Works wonders. But I also use it every time I grap a knife( only soft German knives )

I chose the classic for my dad because I doubt he will use it as often as me.

 

[Benuser]

Good you got rid of that horrible factory edge Wüsthof delivers these days. A pure V, much more acute than the steel takes or holds — have seen them sent out with huge burrs or even a continuous wire-edge. Good luck to the average consumer who has no sharpening skills. I hope your sharpener reduced the shoulders as well.
I use wax with untreated handles and wrap them in cling film for a few days.
With soft steel the Dickoron Micro is a remarkable tool. It postpones touching ups for a very long time and, remarkably, doesn't leave microbevels, as I could verify with soft carbon Sabs.

 

[HappyamateurDK]

Good you got rid of that horrible factory edge Wüsthof delivers these days. A pure V, much more acute than the steel takes or holds — have seen them sent out with huge burrs or even a continuous wire-edge. Good luck to the average consumer who has no sharpening skills. I hope your sharpener reduced the shoulders as well.
I use wax with untreated handles and wrap them in cling film for a few days.
With soft steel the Dickoron Micro is a remarkable tool. It postpones touching ups for a very long time and, remarkably, doesn't leave microbevels, as I could verify with soft carbon Sabs.

Yeah.. the factory edge was really disappointing, the Finnish is pretty good overall. not like my Burgvogel, but still okay. He did remove a bit of the shoulders, and changed the angle from the 15° factory angle to 20°

The Dickoron Micro really is a nice tool to maintain soft knives. 2-4 strokes every time you grab the knife. And it stays sharp for a very long time.