Wusthof vs Global Knife Comparison [2023 Review]

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You have narrowed down to the two kitchen knife brands but you are not sure which one to buy. This post compares the Wusthof vs Global to determine the better option for your daily use.

Both Wusthof and Global knives are high-end products that come with quality, well-balanced, well designed, durable and sharp blades.

The Wusthof brand has been manufacturing quality knives for two centuries while the Global has few decades in the industry.

Global knives are made in Japan and their knives have a unique lightweight handles, blade materials, and modern stainless steel sleek designs.

In this article, I will compare each brand with its product lines for your easy decision making. How the two brands differ and how are they similar to each other will help you choose the perfect knife.

Also Read: Wusthof Classic Knife Set Review [The Top 6]

Wusthof Knives Overview

This brand is one of the oldest companies founded in 1814 in Solingen, Germany. The city of Solingen is also known as “city of blades” because of other German knife companies like Zwilling J.A. Henckels are manufactured there.

Two centuries in the knife industry says a lot about the German knives. The knives come with high-quality materials and design which undergo at least 40 manufacturing processes.

Wusthof knives are the most you will see chefs using on their cooking tasks and shows. The kitchen knives have a European and traditional design with sharp edges, quality handles, bolster, and well-balanced.

The Wusthof knives are made from durable stainless steel material mixed with Molybdenum, chromium or Vanadium to strengthen the steel.

All the Wusthof knives have a hardness of 58 Rockwell scale which makes them very hard and corrosion-resistant. The blade edges are sharpened at 14 degrees per side.

In over 200 years, Wusthof has 7 knife lines. 2 lines are for stamped knives and 5 are forged knives. Every line has a different design but still, maintains the Wusthof quality.

To ensure safety when handling the knives, a bolster is available between the blade and the handle. It prevents your finger from slipping to the blade and also helps create balance.

A full tang design also makes the whole knife well balanced. Full tang construction has the steel blade extending to the end of the handle.

Choosing Wusthof knives is the best decision to make due to their proven performance, durability and balance.

Global Knives Overview

The Global knives come with a sleek modern design although they are made in Japan. You would expect the knives to have the traditional Japanese style but they are improvised.

Global company was founded in 1985 in Niigata, Japan. To break out in the kitchen industry dominated by top brands like Wusthof and Zwilling shows how their knives are great.

The design of Global knives combines both Japanese and European styles to create unique and quality knives.

Their handles are mostly made of stainless steel that makes them look great. The blades are slightly blending to allow efficient cutting.

Global knives are mostly stamped using modern stamping processes to make them better than any other stamped knife.

All the Global knives are made from proprietary steel called CROMOVA 18. This is a mixture of chrome, Molybdenum, and Vanadium. The 18 is the percentage of chrome in the steel.

The edges of Global knives are longer and thinner which makes them sharp but becomes dull after some time.

If you prefer lighter and thinner knives, Global knives come with great knife sets with the best knives you can ever imagine.

Wusthof Knives Vs Global Knives: The Differences

The Wusthof and Global knives differ in various features, designs, materials, and costs. It’s great to know the key differences to determine the best-suited kitchen knife for your daily kitchen tasks.

Cost

Both knives are premium quality and cost higher than the average kitchen knives. The Wusthof seems to be slightly expensive than Global knives. This also will depend on the product line you choose from.

Product Lines Options

Comparing Wusthof vs Global knives, you’ll notice both have several knife lines with a slight difference in designs and prices.

Wusthof has 7 knife lines (2 stamped lines & 5 forged knives) while Global has 4 product lines.

The following are the different types of Wusthof and Global knives product lines.

Wusthof Classic

The Classic line is the first product line and the most popular of Wusthof Knives. It has the primary features of Wusthof knives and the handles are made out of Polyoxymethylene.

This line has over 70 collections of different blades shapes and sizes to choose from. Classic knives are forged with a robust, sharp and well-balanced blade.

Ikon

Wusthof Ikon is also a forged knife that is designed with two bolsters for perfect balance. Handles of the knives are uniquely made out of Blackwood and 3 rivets for stronger and durable handles.

Wusthof Classic Ikon

This line brings variety to choose between Blackwood and Polyoxymethylene handles. The knives have the same features but differ only on the handle material type.

Grand Prix II

The Wusthof Grand Prix II is a forged knife from durable German steel. Among the forged knives, this line has the cheaper knives.

It has the features of classic knives but the handles are made of plastic to make them lighter. The synthetic handles are full tang and triple-riveted for strength.

Wusthof Pro

This collection is designed for professional chefs with lighter and slip-resistant handles. The handles are made of polysynthetic material ergonomically designed for comfortable heavy daily use.

It is a stamped knife rather than the forged knives that ensures the blades are laser cut easily sharpened.

Gourmet

This line offers stamped knives which makes them lighter, thinner and affordable. The blades are cut from stainless steel plates with a precision laser that has less weight.

Epicure

The Wusthof Epicure combines designs from German and Japanese lightness for good balance, elegance, and precision. The handles are made of natural paper composite material that has a perfect texture like wood.

This knife line has a new bolster that is half-bolster. The blades are slimmer that ensures easy gliding of items.

Global knife Product line

The four Global kitchen knives are the ones that make the brand worldwide known and favorite.

Classic

You still refer to Global Classic as the original Global knife as it is the first product line and the most popular. It consists of diverse knives with longer blades and weighted hollow handles.

The Classic knives are sharpened at a 15% angle that makes it a sharp knife preferred by many professional chefs.

Global NI

This is the second generation of Global knives. Ni means two and its designed to improve the original Global knives. The difference between the NI and Classic knives is the thicker blades and slightly longer handles.

Blades are sharpened to a 15-degree angle to create a superior edge. Also, the Global NI has a heavier weight than the Global Classic knives.

The handles retain the Globals dimples that provide grip and maintain the sleek design.

SAI

With the Global SAI collection of knives, the handles look a bit different than the other global lines. They possess an ergonomic thumb rest for efficient cutting motion and a smooth comfortable grip.

The blade’s edges are sharpened to a 12.5-degree angle and polished by hand to ensure long-lasting sharpness.

The 7 dots on the handle have a powerful message on the seven noble virtues of the Samurais code of honor.

Ukon

The Ukon collections come with a thicker blade for higher performance. The handle is unique due to the Ambidextrous thumb rest that creates comfortable handling of the knife.

Knife from this collection has 10% sharper edges out of the box and the handles are smooth/textured dual surface and ergonomic.

Sharpness

To determine the sharpness of knives, the angle of sharpening edges comes into place. The lower the angle, the sharper the knife.

Both Wusthof and Global have sharp knives but they differ with a few degrees. The Wusthof knives come with a 14 degree sharpened edge while the Global SAI and NI knives are sharpened at 12.5 degrees.

Other lines of Global like Classic and Ukon knives are sharpened at a 15-degree angle. This makes some lines of Global knives sharper than Wusthof and others less sharp.

The perfect sharpness should be between 15 and 20 degrees per side. Very sharp edges are likely to chip faster that’s why an average sharpness is ideal.

Despite the small difference, the Wusthof and Global knives are sharp knives.

Design

The designs are very different from each other. Wusthof is designed with a western-style blade that consists of a bolster, full tang and riveted handles.

The handles are large with a curve at the end to provide comfort and safety handling of the knife. The materials of handles may be synthetic or wooden.

On the other hand, Global knives are designed uniquely with a sleek modern design. The handles are rounder, straighter and smaller compared to Wusthof handles.

Global handles are made of stainless steel perfectly fitted to look like one piece.

Knife Construction

The main difference is the full tang that extends to the end of the handle in Wusthof knives. The tang increases the weight that why Wusthof knives are heavier.

Global knives have the handles fixed by welding to the blade. When you look at the Global knives, they seem like one piece of material. This approach makes the knives lighter than Wusthof knives.

Edges

Knife-edge matters for the durability of the knife. Wusthof knives are made with beveled edges on both sides.

Global knives utilize straight edges on both sides to make them sharper.

The Blades & Hardness

Like other German knives, Wusthof is made of X50 Cr MoV 15 steel. This a combination of chromium, Molybdenum, and Vanadium to make hard material.

The Global knives are made of proprietary steel known as CROMOVA 18. The combination consists of higher percentages of chromium elements than Wusthof.

In terms of hardness, Wusthof knives have a hardness of 58 Rockwell scale while Global knives range between 56-58 in different product lines.

Weight

The Wusthof knives are heavier than Global knives a difference brought by the full tang on Wusthof blades. The Wusthof is more solid and well-balanced due to the weight being evenly distributed.

Using a Global knife wont make your wrists tired because they are made to be lighter for comfort.

Wusthof Knives vs Global Knives: The Similarities

Comfortability

These knives are made to be convenient and easy to handle when cutting produce. The handles are designed to fit the hand. Wusthof knives have more curved handles that are comfortable on the hand and Global’s smaller/lighter also are comfortable using.

Durability

Both Wusthof and Global knives are made of quality steel that makes them extremely durable. This is why the price is higher than average knives because they guarantee long-lasting knives.

Despite the Global edges may dull after some time, they are still durable and reliable just as Wusthof knives.

Warranty

These brands trust their products to be strong and durable providing a lifetime warranty.

Maintenance & Cleaning

The process of maintenance of high-end knives is the same regardless of the brand. Both manufacturers recommend cleaning the knives by hand washing and avoid using the dishwasher.

Proper storage of the knives is also key to preventing the blades from banging with other metal utensils. Knife block for storing the knives after cleaning is a recommended routine.

Video Review

Verdict: Wusthof Knives vs Global Knives

Sincerely speaking, you wont regret buying either the kitchen knives. Both Wusthof vs Global are durable, quality, reputable brands, top performance for a variety of cutting purposes.

If you prefer the traditional European design, heavier well balanced, large handles, full tang and bolster, the Wusthof knives are the best.

Global knives offer sleek modern design, lightweight, smaller handles (for small hands), slightly affordable than Wusthof.

What you pay is what you get, the Wusthof are top-notch knives that are versatile to give you joy in your food prep.