Why allow frustration to ruin a delicious meal? You've taken the time to marinate, rub, or otherwise season your steaks or chops, and to cook them properly. Now don't ruin all that by having to saw through the meat with a table knife! Instead cut clean, even slices to your exact specifications and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Viking knives are manufactured to the highest standards of excellence. The blades are made using a precise metal formulation to result in a blade that holds a better edge, is easy to sharpen, is rust and stain-resistant, as well as tough and durable. Viking knives are a sound investment in your culinary future.

Basic knife collection covers most cutting needs

Includes 8-inch cook's and pointed 3-1/2-inch paring knives

Forged high-carbon stainless steel blades, hand-honed for razor-like sharpness

Traditional-style composition handles are triple-riveted for strength and permanence

Dishwasher safe

Average Customer Review: ( 24 customer reviews )
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The Wusthof Classic line is the more conservative counterpart to the Grand Prix line. The only difference, however, is the handle style. I personally prefer the Grand Prix, but this is an issue of personal preference. The balance and grip of these knives are as close to perfect as I have found. For those wondering what benefits a higher priced knife provides, one benefit is that the blade (or tang) is one piece all the way through the handle. This makes the blade much stronger, and less likely to snap.

This set includes an 8 inch chef's knife, and a 3 ½ inch paring knife.

The 8 inch chef's knife, is a great knife. Wusthof offers three sizes of chef's knives, 6, 8 and 10 inch. For most home cooks, I think the 8 inch knife is the best choice. The 6 inch is a bit small for bigger jobs, but the 10 inch is too big for most jobs. While the 8 inch isn't perfect for all uses, if you are only buying one size chef's knife (and most people only buy one), this is the one I would recommend.

As for the 3 ½ inch paring knife, this knife falls into the category of overkill for me. Most cooks will get by just fine with the 4 ½ inch utility knife. There is really no notable difference in size for the vast majority of applications between the 3 ½ inch paring knife and the 4 ½ inch utility knife. I prefer the 4 ½ inch utility knife, but the 3 ½ inch paring knife will do the trick for most tasks.

This set is a good deal; however, if compiling a set myself, I would include the chef's knife and the 4 ½ inch utility knife. Judge for yourself.

49 of 52 found the following review helpful:

Buyer's remorse revisitedApr 21, 2004
By Arthur T. Szalkowski "arttszal"
In June of 2003, I wrote a blurb praising this starter set. My opinion from then hasn't changed, except the last part where I wrote that I couldn't justify Wusthof's price for those knive you don't use every day. Well, I lied. Since then I have replaced virtually every knife I had then with a Wusthof. Whether I was dicing veggies, carving a roast, or simply cutting up a chicken, I just got to the point where I could no longer tolerate using an inferior knife for the job; so I upgraded as I went along. All my old knives went into my camping box (you're supposed to be "roughing it" when camping, right?).

The knives in this set are superb. The problem is that after using them, you are liable to do as I did and spend lots of money later. Be warned.

24 of 25 found the following review helpful:

Perfect for new cooks...Apr 23, 2002
By AJ "hattergal"
I received as a gift a set of three Wusthof knives when I moved into my first apartment. At that point in my life, I knew NOTHING about cooking, and could barely boil water. The knives sat in their box for several months before I finally got around to opening them. These knives, however, are absolutely amazing. The difference between my Wusthof knives and a "regular" knife is really impressive. I have been using them for over three years now on a daily basis, and have not yet needed to sharpen them. They easily cut through tough, sinewy cuts of meat, while still being sharp enough to tackle delicate fruits and vegetables without ripping at them. I have since, for the sake of experimentation, tried other "quality brand" knives including Henckel, but nothing has come close. I am now working on completeing my set of Wusthof.

24 of 26 found the following review helpful:

Wusthof - a Coveted UtilityMar 29, 2003

I come from a family that lives in the kitchen. As a wedding gift - over 20 years - I received a full set of Chicago knives. I thought they were the cat's meow - and for a while that was true - but Chicago just doesn't hold it's blade.

I bought my first Wusthof about two years ago and have been adding to my set ever since. The Wusthof always has a sharp edge that I can depend upon not to tear my food, rather, always put a nice artful cut to my food.

Now, after reading all the "Chef's message bulletin boards" I think I made a great choice. With this addition of the Chef's 8" my set is complete: Chef Cook's 6", 8"; Carving 8"; Sandwich; Serrated Bread 8"; Boner 8"; Serrated Utility 5"; Sandwich 6"; and three 3.5" paring knives. I bought three of the 3.5" parer because when there is more than one cook in the kitchen, that one knive becomes a coveted utility.

25 of 28 found the following review helpful:

Buyer's remorseJun 07, 2003
By Arthur T. Szalkowski "arttszal"
I must tell you, I finally decided to pop for these knives as an indulgence; and then I had a bad case of buyer's remorse. You know, "How in hell could I justify paying 100 bucks for 2 lousy knives?". I like to cook, but I've been getting by with "decent", although relatively inexpensive knives. Anyway, that remorse lasted until I prepared my first meal. My God, what a difference. I can't justify popping for Wusthof for knives you don't use much, but for the ones you find yourself using every day, it's worth it.

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