Wusthof 8526 Epicure Block Set, 6-Piece, Black

Wusthof 8526 Epicure Block Set, 6-Piece, Black

I find it a little odd that there isn’t a bread slicer in this set.

Yeah, I’d trade the santoku for an offset serrated in a heartbeat.
Not a Chinese cleaver, not a chefs knife, not as useful as either one (imo, of course, lol)

They appear to still be made in Germany so no worries about slave labor or poor manufacturing quality. A lot of older German knife companies are Germany based but sell much lower quality product made in Chinese factories. I had no luck finding affordable knives not made there when I was looking around Xmas. I may go for a set of these.

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I bought this set previously as they were mostly styles I didn’t own. They’re OK, but they honestly aren’t my favorite types of knives. Super sharp though.

The chefs knife is 9", which is a bit long. I did use it just the other day when processing a rib roast and it worked great, but I reach for my 8" far more often.

The utility knife is an odd middle ground. Too long to be ideal for paring, but not tall enough to chop. The tip isn’t very pointed, so it wouldn’t be good for trimming silverskin or the like.

I never was a huge fan of Santoku knives, as a chefs knife feels better in my hand. But that’s just my personal feeling.

The kitchen shears are awesome, but I already owned a set of those.

I had hoped more of my previously owned knives would fit in the block, but only my paring knives and a long serrated bread knife found a place there. But that’s just how wood knife blocks are designed.

These are true forged knives with a full tang, made in Germany. They were supposedly made for sale through Sur la Table. They have a ceramic coating on the blade that is supposed to increase hardness. (I found no claims this increased hardness comes without an increase in brittleness that can make a blade more susceptible to nicks or chips.) The blades are wider than other lines from Wusthof.

The Epicure line doesn’t appear to be for sale on the Wusthof or Sur la Table sites. This set is available for $418.26 from the mother ship. A 7 piece set with a 17 slot acacia block, 7" santoku, 8" chef’s (instead of 9" in this set), 4.5" utility, 9" slicer, brushed stainless come-apart shears and a honing steel with brushed stainless handle goes for $499.95 at Cutlery and More.

Info from Amazon on the Epicure knives from the 9" slicer page:

"About this item

  • Translucent ceramic coating on blade surface to incease hardness
  • Handle made of same wood composite found in Epicurean cutting boards
  • Precision forged
  • Made in Solingen, Germany"

While searching for info on the Epicure knife series, I found an article online that provides good information on Wusthof knives. He likes the Santoku, but is not a fan of the balance of the 9" chef’s knife.

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There doesn’t appear to be a bread knife available in this line. Other knives available include an 8" chef’s, 9" slicer, a 5" utility and a set of 4 steak knives for the bargain price of $380.00. :scream_cat:

I bought these a while back and I’ve been waiting to see if those steak knives ever end up on Woot.

Sinsemilla’s review is great, but they also seem to have a lot more experience with high quality knives than I do. So I’ll give my review as someone who is not experienced with knives.

They’re really pretty, and I like them. They’re very sharp and feel so much heavier than the shitty knives I’ve bought in the past.

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These are fine knives - I have a set myself - but if you’re looking for high quality knives and you care about their origin, look into Lamson knives. Lamson is one of the last companies still manufacturing kitchen cutlery in the US. They use German steel stock, but they forge the blade and fully manufacture the knife in their factory in Massachusetts. I bought a set for my mom for Christmas and they’re just as good as my Wusthof’s. Also, the handles look absolutely amazing.

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