Wusthof Grand Prix II 7-Inch Hollow Ground Santoku Knife

Knife I value as a top 10 item I own - PERIOD.
I'm a young college student who works at a restaurant as a waiter. Like many young people, I one day got a fleeting aspiration that would probably go away within a couple of weeks. I wanted to be an awesome cook, so the first thing I did was ask the chef at my restaurant what tools I needed to start. He told me a good kitchen knife is THE essential tool of the chef. He recommended I go to Williams Sonoma and try out every knife possible but warned me that chef knives cost close to $100 dollars each. Whoa! He also said that Santoku blades are very popular these days because they're extremely versatile and feel good in your hands (something about balance).

Nonetheless, I went to Williams-Sonoma the next day and tried out the Henkels, Wustof Classic, Wustof Grand Prix, Wustof Grand Prix 2, Globals, and Shuns. I ultimately chose the Wustof Grand Prix 2 because of the perfect balance in the knife. The handle was much grippier than the others, extremely light, but not as...

Go ahead. Live a little.
When my Wusthof Grand Prix II 7" Hollow Ground Santoku knife arrived from Amazon as a mid-year birthday present to myself, I tore open the packaging and immediately bonded with the high carbon no-stain steel beauty inside. The knife *gleamed*, was obviously surgically sharp and, for an intermediate cook who had been using a 1980s-era Chicago Cutlery chef's knife all her life, it was a bit...intimidating.

After several days of regarding the knife (and it doubtless regarding me), of hefting it and testing its balance, I decided to put it to work on ingredients for guacamole, and within seconds had not only sliced an onion to delightfully transparent thinness (oh, to watch the sun set through a slice of Walla Walla Sweet) but also the top-most layer of my little finger. We were off to a good start.

I had researched and compared the Wusthof Grand Prix II to Wusthof's classic and the original Grand Prix, as well as to various Henkels knives. The Grand Prix II came out...

Quick action, cheap handle
I am lucky enough to own three very beautiful blades: a Shun Santoku 7", the Wusthof Grand Prix II 7", and the Henckel 8". Of these three the Wusthof is my least favorite. The blade is somewhat thinner than the Shun, which may be a positive point for those who prefer lighter blades. The black plastic handle also contributes to a lighter weight. However, I personally prefer the heavier better quality steel of the Shun as well as the beautiful wooden handle. Makes for very satisfactory action on the cutting board--solid thunks. Of those three knives, the Henckel is by far my favorite. It is so incredibly versatile, nice quality materials, and the weight and length are perfect for very fast action using both hands. If you have a choice, I would definitely research Shun and Henckel. That said, the Wusthof is a wonderful knife and you should be very pleased with it. As I said, some of the things that I find less attractive about it may very well be a draw for others. It's a good...

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