expired Wusthof Silverpoint II 10-Piece Knife Set with Block $88.83 Delivered
This was posted 1 year 4 months 12 days ago, and might be an out-dated deal
AffiliateI have seen them as cheap as $150 Delivered from other places, but this is without doubt the cheapest i can find. I have spent 2 full days researching different knives for my kitchen (yes i'm that bored). After much deliberation i finally settled on these "cheaper" Wusthof Silverpoint II knives. I was also looking at the Wusthof Grand Prix II & Victorinox (also briefly considered Mundial & Henckels). I have much information to share with people who are unfamiliar with these knives and the pros & cons of forged vs stamped blades which i have learned over these past two days. If you have any questions let me know.
I was very tempted to get my hands on the "Wusthof Grand Prix II" knives available here: http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/60878 ….which i think is a great deal by the way! But the price was a little out of reach for me.
I also considered getting 3 Victorinox knives which would have set me back about $60, see here: http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/61458 instead i think this "Wusthof Silverpoint II" middle of the road purchase was the best plan for me being that the "brand quality" & steel hardness is better than the Victorinox and as a bonus i get extra knives (which admittedly won't get used much lol).
You will immediately see a lot of negative reviews about these knives all over the internet and from the amazon page that i have linked to above, however you will find that these reviews are from people who expected the same "weight" and heavy feel of the "Wusthof Classic" knives which are of course forged. For most people these knives will be more than adequate and some will even appreciate the lighter feel more than the heavier forged knives.
The steel used in these knives is exactly the same of that which is found in the forged Wusthof range of knives including the ever popular "Wusthof Classic" knives. The hardness of the steel is also exactly the same @ 58 HRC.
All Wusthof knives are forged with the exception of "Wusthof Silverpoint II" & "Wusthof Gourmet". Both the Silverpoint & Gourmet are identical the only exception being the type of handle.
Here are some useful links which explain more about what i have written above:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HDamVvlfu8&feature=related
http://www.metrokitchen.com/wusthof-knife-comparison-guide
http://www.foodieforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?9626-Su...
http://www.yourcutleryhelper.com/cutlery-guide/132-forged-kn...
These are CHEAP! You get 7 knives (3 paring), a steel, scissors & nice block.
My Order Total: AUD 106.97, since then there has been a price drop and now you can pick them up for $88.83. Although expect the price to be a little different for you as the Aussie dollar fluctuates.
Product Features:
10-piece set includes 8-inch chef, 8-inch bread, 7-inch santoku, 4-1/2-inch utility, 3-inch paring, 3-inch clip-point paring, and 2-3/4-inch peeling knives; sharpening steel; kitchen shears; hardwood storage block.
Expertly crafted from high-carbon no-stain steel; laser cut instead of stamped for higher precision.
Compound-tapered blade laser tested for sharpness and correct cutting angle; tapers from bolster to tip for strength and flexibility.
Single-riveted, synthetic texture molded handle for a good grip (full-tang handle for all blades longer than 12cm).
Dishwasher safe, though hand washing recommended; backed by lifetime warranty; made in Germany.
Comments (Closed)
i've had the same knives and they became useless after a year or so.
Try the knives at Peters of Kensington or Victoria's basement. Recently a mate of mine got a set for under $80, German Steel (aparently good knives are made of em) and they felt very heavy and good in my hand and were very very sharp!
+2 votesThey became useless? How so, they lost their edge?
You know you can sharpen knives, right? In fact, i find most of the knives i buy end up better after i sharpen them, because they come with crappy ground edges with silly obtuse angles like 50 degrees inclusive. I've never bought any kitchen knives though, so that could be a different story.
Convex edges also fair better over V edges, especially for kitchen use.
The origin doesn't determine the quality of the steel. A well heat treated Chinese steel can perform better than poorly heat treated German steel. Heat treat is just as important (if not more in my opinion) as the steel's composition.
The sharpness of the factory edge has little to do with how good a knife is in my opinion. A knife will evidently end up dulling and require sharpening, so whatever they put on it to begin with means little to me. Although it can say something about their QC.
Very interested in this set. Really don't see spending much more than $200 on a set of knives for my home level use.
+1 votegarratt torlesse on 12/01/2012 - 16:37 ¶Even if the base steel is the same, forging and machining will result in very different material properties.
phunkyfeelone on 12/01/2012 - 17:47 ¶Beware of rip-offs. The blade should have plenty of flex, if it doesn't it's a fake. There is no way genuine Wusthoff's will be useless after a year or so, i've had mine 2 years already and they are as sharp as the day I got them. My brother (chef) has had his for 10+ years, replaced them only because he wore them down after constant use.
If it's too cheap to be true, it probably is!- +2 votes
This is Wusthof's budget line of knives, they look very similar to the "Wusthof Grand Prix II" which sell for much more because they are "forged" where as these are "stamped". These are the genuine Wusthof product but expect the blades to be thinner, and the overall feel of the knife to be lighter and less balanced.
No problem with kitchen knives and aussie customs. They are mainly wanting to stop flick knives or knives that can be concealed and opened with one hand… See this: http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/Import_Bla...
Hi figarow,
do you know how these would compare to the mundial classic purchased here http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/44309 ?
- +2 votes
The Mundial would be able to handle much more abuse and is much heavier. It's forged so it is a very solid knife. It's only my personal opinion but I don't think it will hold an edge as well or for as long a time as the Wusthof. I know that the Mundial has 57 HRC vs 58 HRC on the Wusthof which means the steel in the Wusthof is harder.
I was considering the Mundial knives at one point. They are considered a "cheaper" brand then Wusthof but being as they are forged and these silverpoint's are not the Mundial's could be considered by some as better. Personally i don't think so because i feel the steel inside the Wusthof's is better than what Mundial uses, again this is my personal opinion, I can't remember where i read about the quality of Mundial vs Wusthof but you should read up and do your own research.
Many years ago i used a Mundial 10" chef knife a few times over a couple of weeks and from memory it was hard to keep an edge on it, but that could have been because the owner of the knife did not have it sharpened at the right angle.
If you are going to buy some Mundial's this block is the best value i believe: http://www.petersofkensington.com.au/Public/Mundial-Bonza-Bl...
Edit.. I just added this link above which might help you decide between a forged vs stamped knife: http://www.yourcutleryhelper.com/cutlery-guide/132-forged-kn...
Master Shifu on 12/01/2012 - 20:58 Comment score below threshold (-4).
+1 votedonkeykong on 12/01/2012 - 21:02 ¶What's the difference between forged and stamped cutlery?
Forged, fully forged and stamped are different construction and manufacturing processes used to make a knife.
FORGED: All Calphalon Cutlery is forged, with the exception of some steak knives that are stamped. Forged blades are the top of the line in quality. Forging is one of the oldest methods of construction using handcraftsmanship to produce the strongest and sharpest blade. Forged knives are produced when a steel bar is heated to a very high temperature, set into a die and hammered to form the blade. It is then tempered, sharpened, and finished, sometimes in up to 50 separate steps, mostly done by hand.
Forged knives will always include a bolster and a tang. A bolster is the center support piece between the blade and the handle. This adds weight and balance to the knife and protection for your fingers. The tang is the portion of the metal enclosed by the handle. A full tang is ideal, which means the metal runs the length of the handle.
STAMPED: Stamped blades are punched out from a thin ribbon of steel, much like dough cut by a cookie cutter. The blades are tempered, sharpened, and finished, but machines handle most of the process. The blade of a stamped knife is fitted into its handle and is not considered one continuous piece of metal. They are usually thinner, lighter and lack the balance of forged knives; therefore, requiring a firmer grip and more pressure when chopping, mincing, etc. They are usually priced lower than forged cutlery.
I'm no expert & maybe my comments add little to the excellent info above, but for my 2 cents worth it seems that with knives you get what you pay for. Having said that, a similar block with honing steel and sheers could set you back US$50 + shipping (http://www.cookdazzle.com/wusthof7010.html).
The research I've done suggests that you're better off with 2 or 3 excellent knives over a dozen duds. If you're still keen on the silverpoints, then this (different set) might be worth a look:
http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/wusthof-cutlery-silverpoi...
Old School on 13/01/2012 - 07:56 ¶It's always German vs Japan blades. The German ones seem to be slightly more durable and always certainly much heavier. The Japan blades are lighter but much sharper because the edge is at a steeper angle. However, both knives are extremely sharp and will need proper maintenance to keep the edge. In the end, it all comes down to personal preference, i.e the style and feel of the knife in your hand. For entry, I think J.A Henckels (German) and Global (Japan) are pretty good bet. Moving into higher range would be Wusthof (German) and Shun (Japan). There are other brands which are more expensive but I think for home user, these knives are really sufficient. Personally, I'd go for forged blades with full tang, simply because they are studier and more balanced.
+2 votesThey dont get a good rating but still a bargin
Wusthof Classic:
The best selling line in Wusthof's stable of knives is the Classic which features a 3 rivet handle design. These knives are high quality and Wusthof has done very well over the years with it. If it ain't broke don't fix it should be the modo for this line since there have been no changes to it in decades. These are great knives but and are indeed classic in blade design and traditional handle fit and feel. The balance of the knife is good in the 8" Chef Knife that we tested. We wish they would sharpen these knives without a bevel and many professionals will have the bevel removed by a sharpening service as soon as they purchase them. Overall a solid choice but we do prefer the updated blade design of the Le Cordon Bleu as well as the updated handle design of the Culinar. We score this line 8.0
Wusthof Grand Prix II:
This line has struggled for an identity. When first introduced the line had a bulbous base that Wusthof subsequently changed a couple years ago which is why they renamed the line the Grand Prix II. The improved handle design was a good choice but we still think it is inferior to the other lines since the handle has a cheap plastic feel in your hand. We score this line 7.5
Wusthof Gourmet:
This is their only stamped line. Stamped knives differ from Forged knives in that the blades are literally stipend from a thin sheet of steel. They tend to be significantly less money than the forged knives and are ½ the weight. For those on a budget these knives perform reasonably well but not as good as those above. For this reason we do not recommend these knives. Score 6
Wusthof Silverpoint II:
This line needs to be filed under the term "what were they thinking"? Wusthof has made a truly terrible line of knives. The stamped blades are super thin and they chose cheap plastic handles all to apparently satisfy some marketing persons insistence that the knives be cheap to appeal to the largest number of people that watch Emeril's show. Well they succeeded in making them cheap. Stay away. Score 2.5
I too read that guy's review but didn't understand it. You see the "Gourmet" & "Silverpoint II" are both identical in blade thickness & blade type. The only difference between the two knives is one has riveted handle & the other has a plastic injection-mold type handle other than that both knives are same. The reason i personally prefer the Silverpoint II over the Gourmet is because of the stories i was reading about the riveted handles on the Gourmet's becoming brittle and cracking along the rivets. Likely these people were putting them in the dishwasher i would say. I also read how one guy dropped his Gourmet knife and it chipped the riveted handle.
You can find his review here: http://reviews.cookingcache.com/wusthof-knives-review.html
If you read carefully , they are sort of rated the same, however the plastic handle feel gives it such a poor rating. he says in both the blades are made a thin steel(stipend/stamped), but the gourmet handles are much better and balanced where the silverpoints cheap handles dont do it any favours. that said the handle alone is worth 3.5 of his rating, a bit much, I agree, however, which is why the Grand Prix also get a poor rating , plastic handles.
I have no idea about whether Wusthof makes good knives or not, but from this review, their knife sharpeners are crap….beaten even by a $4 sharpener LOL
http://www.choice.com.au/reviews-and-tests/household/kitchen...
+1 votesimulacrum on 13/01/2012 - 10:04 ¶If you're looking for quality knives, I wouldn't bother with stamped steel. I think it's better value to buy one decent, forged steel chefs knife for as much as you can afford. This is the knife you'll be using 95% of the time. It's balance, feel, edge etc will make the biggest difference to your overall food prep experience. The difference in feel/handling between a stamped steel knife and a forged steel knife is miles apart. I'd probably even by a slightly worse steel forged knife (say a mundial) over a better steel stamped knife (like the wusthoff). You may have to sharpen it slightly more often but it will handle much better.
The paring knife, scissors, block etc can be found cheaply at any cheap chinese store and will do the job just fine.
If you're spending over $50 on knives I'd say stamped steel is a waste of time, and all the extras are really only there to create the perception of value, while making you waste more money on things you rarely use.
tldr version: Spend 95%-100% of your knife budget on a quality, forged chef's knife. Pick up the others bits and pieces as you need them as cheaply as you can.
I agree. There is a reason every 'Home cooking' book from top chefs recommends 2 or three high quality knives as opposed to wasting money on full knife block while only using 3 knives.
I would say, see if you can go into a store and feel these knives in comparison to genuine quality chef's knives. Then, buy the quality chef's knife plus a cheap paring knife and bread knife and go home happy.
- +1 vote
If i handed you two of the same knives, one stamped and one forged, i bet you couldn't tell the difference by feel. It is down right absurd to say that a forged knife has better balance. Quality of the steel has nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with the balance of the knife. You can get the center of gravity to sit on the bolster on a stamped steel knife just as well as a forged knife. It's down to the design and quality control of a mass produced blade to get a good balance, not what is contained in the steel and how it was manufactured.
A forged steel knife may hold an edge longer than a stamped steel knife, but to the average user who doesn't have to use one for 10 hours a day, you wouldn't notice a difference. You would fair better by taking care of your knives and maintaining them properly over having a $500 handcrafted piece of art.
"The difference in feel/handling between a stamped steel knife and a forged steel knife is miles apart. "
It's like when i hear audiophile say
"The difference in sound/clarity between a tube amp and vinyl record and a electrolytic capacitor amp and lossless digital audio is miles apart."I think it's a false sense of whats good.
Does any company make a stamped and a forged option in the same model? Seems unlikely. Not sure it is actually possible to hand someone two hypothetical knives to see if they can tell the difference.
Cheap knives, which are almost always lighter and of poorer balance, tend to be stamped. More expensive (and often heavier and better balanced) knives tend to be forged. Therefore, stamped knives tend to be poorer balance and lighter weight than forged knives. These are differences that can easily be felt.
Personally, I wasn't referring to a using a $500 handcrafted piece of art for 10 hours per day (and I doubt anyone on OZB is recommending dropping that sort of cash) though your hyperbole is entertaining. It is possible to spend similar money to this set and get higher quality in fewer knives. That is the sort of recommendation of use to people in the market for knives.
- simulacrum on 14/01/2012 - 22:12 ¶
"If i handed you two of the same knives, one stamped and one forged, i bet you couldn't tell the difference by feel."
- They wouldn't be the same knife. The stamped knife (at least of the type that this deal refers to) would be thin across the whole length and would have no bolster to speak of. It would be a knife-shaped piece of metal cut out of a thin sheet of steel, sharpened on one edge and attached to an injection-moulded handle. It would be recognisable immediately by sight.. and very easily so by feel. The (lack of) weight of the blade alone would give it away. This obvious, basic difference in physical construction between most forged knives and most stamped knives is what I was referring to (not steel quality difference between stamped vs forged).
I am looking for an inexpensive Chinese cleaver, wanna buy "shibazi" from TAOBAO (chinese ebay like auction) but they dont mail knifes overseas. They do make knifes with 8CR13 Steel which I think worth every penny with their price, about 150 RMB which is less than $25 AUD…
Anyone know if they sell it in Sydney or any other way to get it? I tried fringe forwarding but they refuse to do it too.
The best online shop I find in aussie sell only shibazi with "4R13" steel…
- donkeykong on 13/01/2012 - 12:20 ¶
Ok but are they what they are claiming to be. How can you test the metal is 8CR13 steel?
- +1 vote
Same question applies to other brand. For normal people buying a knife you won't test it unless it obviously has a problem. And it is from China so the creditability may not be as good, I can only look at the customer feedback from there, there're a few hundreds of people buying it so I think the product may be ok~
Any idea why this is preferred over the Ginsu 8 Piece set of forged full-tang blades that has better reviews and is slightly cheaper?
http://www.amazon.com/Ginsu-7108-Chikara-8-Piece-Stainless-S...
Just goes to show 2 full days of research sometimes isn't enough! If i have known about these Ginsu knives i would likely have gone down that route. It seems from the outset that they are a better set for sure. I can't cancel my order now as my silverpoint's have shipped but i urge others to research these mentioned Ginsu knives.
Edit.. "I became aware of this product from a recommendation by Consumer Reports after their testing of various knife sets including Henkels and other much more expensive sets. They rated Ginsu Chikara the "best buy" for quality, price etc. and I agree. All knives cut very well and hold their edge."
The only negative i am reading about the Ginsu from Amazon reviews is that they rust, which to me isn't a big deal.
+2 votesGinsu uses 420J2 which is by far the worst steel used in anything claimed to be 'cutlery' - with a carbon content of next to nil they will lose their edge if you so much as look at them.
Kudos to them for specifying the steel though. Avoid anything made of 420 (although 420HC is decent if treated properly) and anything made of unspecified mystery steel because it's probably 420.
- +1 vote
+1 for making me feel better about my purchase :P
Some info to back up Tycn…
Ginsu "420J2 Steel"
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/534607-What...
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/422199-420J...
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/398380-420J...Wusthof "X50CrMoV15 Steel"
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/846007-X50C...
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/709286-Wust...
thanks for a great review figarow. just purchased a set for myself. i assume the 4 empty slots at the bottom are for the silverpoint II steak knives? amazon wouldnt let me purchase them, wont post to australia. any idea where we could get the steak knives from? (thats if they fit in there…???). would be good to complete the knife set
You can get them from here: http://www.cutleryandmore.com/wusthof-silverpoint-ii/steak-k... although a bit pricey if you ask me once shipping is added on.
Or get this set which includes the steak knives: http://www.cutleryandmore.com/wusthof-silverpoint-ii/knife-b... however be aware the knives are a little different in that block, it has a 5-inch Serrated Utility Knife instead of the 7-inch santoku
LOL.. did you manage to get one at the low price?
Edit, just checked the link and it is now sold by "Ships from and sold by Cooking.com". Meaning it can't be delivered to aussie "We're sorry. This item can't be shipped to your selected destination. You may either change the shipping address or delete the item from your order." Being as i can't see this listed as sold by Amazon on their site anymore i'm going to mark it as expired.
Got my knives today. The quality was as expected. Very light, thin blades and handles feel very "cheap". They come razor sharp and you can tell the steel is good quality. I was very pleased with the 8-inch Chef knife, it actually has some thickness to the blade and feels nice in the hand. Overall i'm happy with my purchase. Although not sure what i'm going to do with 3 paring knives + 1 larger looking paring knife (aka utility) lol.
One thing i didn't expect. I assumed the 7-inch santoku had dimples in the blade like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Wusthof-Silverpoint-7-Inch-Hollow-Grou...
Unfortunately it's this one however:
http://www.amazon.com/Wusthof-Silverpoint-7-Inch-Fine-Edge-S...
Received mine today. I wasn't expecting anything spectacular but I'm genuinely surprised Wusthof would put their name to this junk. It feels cheaper than the rubbish you get at 'Crazy Clarks'. The only decent thing is the block. Oh well, I guess I shouldn't have got carried away.
Hey folks,
I received my set y'day, been away on leave. they arrived earlier in the week.
I have to agree, the handles are not the best, but I don't think they're as bad as ones you'd find in a junkshop.
As a first set i've ever bought, more than happy with the upgrade. (i've made do with bits and pieces over the prev 12 months..lol)Knives are razor sharp. . so big thumbs up there - bought the wusthof 2 stage sharpener as well, to try and maintain the edge.
Either way, it's a bloody big block - takes up heaps of space on the kitchen bench , might need to park it in the pantry me thinks.
many thanks figarow once again.
40
Good find. You know your knives. Wusthof for ~$100 bucks can't go wrong.