Crafting Excellence Since 1814

Few other countries offer as varied a culinary tradition as China. Its scope and range, as well as the many different ethnic groups inside the country, mean that food is a central theme; eating is part of Chinese identity and culture. With knives Made in Solingen and design-focussed communication, we cater to food fans who have discovered cooking with local ingredients for themselves.

Forged in Germany, inspired by Italy we launch the knife series with the calabrian soul. A knife for life’s precious moments. Inspired by life in sun-kissed Calabria, our WÜSTHOF Amici knife series stands for a carefree zest for life. A life harmonious with nature, a passion for culinary pleasure and love. Amici combines a precisely forged blade with distinctively grained olive wood to create something truly unique as modern craftsmanship meets Italian flair. The knife series is ideal for sharing precious moments with family and friends. Benvenuti Amici.

The Performer series spotlights innovative knives designed for unmatched control. Precision forged from a single piece of WÜSTHOF steel, each Performer blade is enhanced by a black DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) coating. This coating increases the surface hardness of WÜSTHOF steel from 58 to a unique 104 Rockwell. What results is a stylish, premium-quality blade with exceptional durability under any kitchen conditions. Handles are fitted with our ergonomic Hexagon Power Grip, a non-slip honeycomb design that guarantees each slicing moment is safe, comfortable, and precise.

From now on, every food fan can experience the whole world of WÜSTHOF products in our own flagship store, situated onsite in Solingen. In around 70 square metres, every WÜSTHOF knife series can be tried and tested. Regular sharpening and knife skills courses also take place here. The WÜSTHOF store’s iconic architecture and color (green windows, black wood) reference the original building style of this area, the Bergisches Land – while representing sharpness, clarity and strength of character.

Launch of modern blades in old world style. As the name "Crafter" suggests, these are robust knives built for heavy use and hard work. With brass riveting, handles made from luxurious smoked oak, and blades forged from a single piece of WÜSTHOF steel, the Crafter series is what happens when over 200 years of knife production meets the modern home kitchen.

Inspired by the garden to table movement, Urban Farmer celebrates today's passions for farm-fresh food, home gardening, and cooking with wholesome, delicious ingredients. The series features distinctive wood handles that are sturdy, comfortable to hold, and made from sustainably-grown, roasted European Beechwood. Urban Farmer is a collection that celebrates using fresh, homegrown product with the intention of reconnecting us to our food.

There are few things that a company can claim as part of its original identity, but origins, tradition and history are definitely amongst them. Obsession with the perfect blade began with Harald Wüsthof and Viola Wüsthof’s great-great-great-great-grandparents. Every member of the Wüsthof family learns in childhood that our focus is primarily on the chef’s knife. From the skill of the knife grinder on the water-powered grinding stone in a damp, dark workshop on the Wupper River to the highly technological automation of today, knowledge and passion have passed down through seven generations. As one of the last large specialist knife firms, we have always stayed true to our roots in the ‘City of Blades’, Solingen, Germany. In this anniversary year of 2014, there are 300 employees in Solingen, and 65 across the USA and Canada.

In 2012, we introduce the precision double serrated edge. Whether it’s tackling hard crusts or soft loaves, this blade ensures clean, precise slices. Within the regular serrations along the blade are additional serrations – serrations within serrations. This double serrated edge helps to hold the blade steady, allowing for effortlessly straight slices.

Classic Ikon merges the sleek, sophisticated elegance of a high-performance knife with the precision and durability of an all-purpose kitchen companion. Classic Ikon knives feature sleek, contoured black handles fitted with a double bolster (the thicker junction between the handle and the knife blade) for exceptional balance, beauty, and safety.

The development and patenting of our ‘sacrificial anode’ – a little chemical trick which we adapted from the ship-building industry for our knife production. A small aluminium ring is fixed to the tang during the automatised assembly of the knife in order to prevent corrosion inside the handle. This is because, if the untreated steel under the handle comes into contact with water, it oxidises and corrodes. The aluminium ring ‘sacrifices’ itself to prevent this, as there is corrosion at the contact point between the two elements and the aluminium is destroyed first. The sacrificial anode makes every WÜSTHOF knife practically indestructible.

We establish our first subsidiary: WUSTHOF-TRIDENT OF AMERICA INC., originally based in New York, is now responsible for distribution in our largest and most important export market. Over the next few years, our agencies in San Francisco and Minneapolis, previously independent, are taken over by the New York business. Wolfgang Wüsthof thus turns our knife production in Solingen into a global business. A further subsidiary is established in 2012 in Ottawa, WUSTHOF-TRIDENT OF CANADA, INC.

The first robots are installed in our machine grindery. We increasingly automate individual processes and dovetail them with each other. Today, around 120 robots are in use – they perform, for example, various monotonous steps in the process, or those where absolute precision is required. The WÜSTHOF factory in Solingen, with its precision robots, is one of the most modern knife factories in the world. Yet, despite modern manufacturing technology, the human touch at important points in the production process remains essential. We still rely on the experience of our human specialists, which they develop over many years, as very little is as adaptable and sensitive as the human hand and eye combined with technology.

First launch of our Gourmet knife series. Every non-forged knife in the Gourmet series showcases typical WÜSTHOF high quality, with each blade laser-cut and toughened to a high degree of hardness at 56 Rockwell. The multi-step production process results in a nimble, lighter-weight version of its forged counterpart, making Gourmet knives an ideal entry point for new and seasoned cooks alike.

Wolfgang Wüsthof makes his significant, sixth generation impact on our destiny. He professionalises the American side of the business. His meeting with Chuck Williams – founder and CEO of Williams Sonoma, a specialist dealer in cooking utensils and household goods, with branches throughout North America – is decisive for business relations in the USA. While Chuck is at the International Ironmongery Trade Fair in Cologne in 1972, he has a medical emergency; Wolfgang performs first aid and saves the American businessman’s life. They become friends and Chuck is so impressed by the knives from Solingen that he immediately includes them in his range; America’s food fans love the ‘Made in Germany’ quality. And the connection between the two companies remains a success story; today almost every adult in the USA knows our WÜSTHOF brand.

In the 1930s, our blade material changes to stainless steel. Steel is long lasting, easy to sharpen and means reduced wear and tear on the blade thanks to its unrivalled hardness. Today, the formula for optimal sharpness is X50 Cr MoV 15. ‘X’ represents stainless steel, the basic component of all WÜSTHOF blades. ‘50’ is for the carbon content (0.5%), giving our blades both hardness and sharpness. ‘Cr’ is the element symbol (abbreviation) for chromium, an element in our alloy which ensures a particularly high resistance to rust in the finished knife. Molybdenum (‘Mo’) increases the knife’s stability and resistance to corrosion. ‘V’ signifies Vanadium, which also improves stability and hardness while considerably reducing wear. The last numbers in the formula represents the chromium content (15%).

Very few businesses can claim to have used their logo since the nineteenth century but our TRIDENT trademark was first registered at the Imperial Patent Office in Berlin on 9 May 1895 – Number 6258. Since then, it has been trademarked in almost every country in the world. The trident is the symbol of the Greek god Poseidon and his Roman equivalent, Neptune. Just as these gods used their tridents to command water, the WÜSTHOF trident represents absolute control of our own elements: preparation and plating in the kitchen. Thanks to a re-design in 2018, our trident symbol is now closer to its original form as it has been freed from the confines of its red rectangle. In addition, the sharpness of the symbol, without barbs or hooks, better exemplifies WÜSTHOF: impressive clarity reduced to the essentials.

Each generation shapes our company in its own way. The achievements of Eduard Wüsthof (1856–1936) have spanned generations and still resonate today. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, Eduard designed the WÜSTHOF Classic Knife – driven by the idea that every single knife should accompany its owner for the rest of their life. Its quality and style are so superior that this knife, with its black handle, is inextricably associated with the WÜSTHOF brand. To recognise Eduard Wüsthof’s particular achievement, we appreciatively call this knife ‘The Original’. It is a true icon, perfectly combining design and quality, and it has become synonymous with the European chef’s knife.

The visionary Johann Abraham Wüsthof (1779–1839) turns his father Wilhelm’s (1760–1829) simple grindery into an independent steel and iron hardware factory. In 1814, the Wüsthof Scheerenfabrik, Staal- und Eisenwaren (Wüsthof Shears Factory, Steel and Iron Works), operating in the Solingen Weinsberg valley, is mentioned in a local directory for the first time. At this point, the WÜSTHOF factory in the Weinsberg Valley is one of around 120 of its kind found along the Wupper river and its tributaries – machinery and grinding equipment are housed in the damp workshop. After 18 years in the Weinsberg Valley, Johann Abraham Wüsthof moves his company to larger premises in the Widdert area of Solingen. Father and son, the first and second generation, lay the foundations for our family firm, where we have produced exceptional knives with passion and precision for over 200 years.