Wusthof's Gourmet product line, with thinner stamped steel blades of high quality Solingen stainless alloy, yields versatile knives that are light weight and well balanced, as is this 7" Gourmet Santoku. Without the heft of the heavier forged products for which Wusthof is best known, this Santoku retains many of the best features.
Rather than having a solid forged bolster, the front section of the handle dips low enough to provide excellent finger protection without getting in the way of either slicing or sharpening. Multiple hollow grinds on both sides of the blade reduce friction during cutting and provide slight air pockets that let slices of food fall away from the steel.
This Santoku is flexible yet sturdy, and you should be able to use it for many of the lighter tasks a chef's knife would perform, with higher efficiency and less fatigue. The steel in this blade is tough, but tempered soft enough that it won't chip. That makes the knife serviceable for many tasks Western chefs will do by habit, but if honed too thin the edge will tend to roll. Wusthof knives are built to carry a less acute bevel than Japanese blades, so don't overdo it when you restore the edge.
Honing with a sharpening steel before use is as much as this knife should usually require, so long as it isn't used for heavy chopping. The triple riveted slab handle and the stain free blade are dishwasher safe, but should be washed and dried by hand to extend the lifetime of finish and edge.
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