****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
First, I'm a huge fan of Wusthof cutlery. I've tried Henckles, Shun, Cutco, and numerous other brands of kitchen knives and I keep going back to Wusthof. They are well balanced, have a great sharpening angle, and the steel has a nice and high rockwell hardness to keep an edge.Realistically speaking, these two knives can handle just about any kitchen task you're going to have. There are times were a larger 10" knife may be better suited to the task, or times where a 6" knife may work better, but the 8" blade is very versatile and would be my choice if I only had a single chef's knife to utilize. Obviously, there are many uses for a paring knife, and it's appropriate that one is included in this set.I've had these knives for around 7 years now, and while there is some wear from use and sharpening, they function just as well as they did the day I bought them. Get a nice steel, get a nice block to keep them in, and they will treat you well forever.Biggest thing to keep in mind is that these are still knives, and over time will eventually dull. You can't prevent that. You can slow the process by learning to properly use a steel, cutting on proper surfaces (Wood, Bamboo, Plastic...Avoid things like Glass, Stainless Steel, Marble, etc.!). Either send them out to get sharpened once every year or two, or invest in a set of whetstones and learn to sharpen them yourself. I find taking a few hours every once in awhile to touch up the sharpening on my knives is relaxing, and you can use the same stones to sharpen pocket knives, scissors, etc.
