Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)As Wusthof official statements put it, the Ikon Blackwood is the jewel of Wusthof. It is the most expensive line of all Wusthof cutlery lines.
In short summary,
Pros: Decent stainless steel grade, excellent reduced bolster design, excellent ergonomic handle, good weight, beautiful wood handle, an overall attractive knife
Cons: High cost (when not on sale), the knife balance may shift too much to the handle for a paring knife.
The Classic Ikon series and the Ikon Blackwood series are essentially the same, except for the handle, where the Classic Ikon handles are made with hard plastic and Ikon Blackwood handles are made from African Blackwood (Grenadill wood). Currently, the Ikon Blackwood paring knife is being sold at $80 and the Classic paring knife is $60. Both are forged knives made with a good quality steel blade, an ergonomic handle, a full tang, a reduced (heel-less) front bolster and an additional bolster at the end of the handle butt. Despite the marketing statements claiming it is a high carbon stainless steel knife, it isn't. X50CrMoV15 is the stainless steel grade here, so it has 0.5% carbon and that is not considered high by today standard. In contrast, VG-10 (used in Shun Classic knives and Tojiro knives) has 0.95%-1.0% carbon and SG-2 (used in Shun Elite) has 1.25-1.45% carbon. Nevertheless, X50CrMoV15 makes a tough knife with good corrosion resistant. In other words, the edge rolls easily compared to most Japanese knives, but this steel has good resistance against chipping and rusting.
What I really appreciate about the Ikon line is its reduced bolster. The traditional full bolster which extends the entire knife heel makes sharpening difficult. Ikon solves this problem nicely by reducing the bolster. The knife edge is fairly sharp out-of-the-box compared to other knives, but it could have taken a much better edge. I sharpened it on diamond stone and then on Japanese water stones. I can vouch from my experience that the reduced bolster has made the knife much easier to sharpen. The ergonomic handle is truly ergonomic as it claims. It fits my hand nicely. The second bolster on the back of the handle shifts the center of gravity significantly toward the handle. It probably works better for larger knives, like a Chef's knife, but for a small blade paring knife, I feel it may have shifted the weight slightly much toward the handle. Still, it is not too bad and I can certainly adapt to. The African blackwood is indeed as nice Wusthof claims. It is very beautiful, smooth to touch and best of all: it really does not absorb much water. I bought this knife at $50 and am quiet happy with it. At $80-$125, which is the usual price range for this knife, I think it is high.
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Wusthof Ikon 3-1/2-Inch Paring Knife, BlackwoodThe paring knife is one of the most widely used tools in the kitchen.Its versatility of uses is a mainstay in any kitchen a quality parer like theIkon is a real pleasure for your small cutting needs. The WusthofIkon is culmination of all the best features of each of the Wusthof knife lines. The combined riveted handle design is combined with a contoured shape to add comfort and control.The handles are made of African Grenadill wood.African Grenadill wood is the worlds densest wood and expands and contract less than most traditional woods.These handles are hand crafted and fitted to each knife. The Ikon adds a rear bolster that acts as a counter balance when using the knife.This second bolster adds significant blade control. Ikon has a unique forward bolster as well.The forward partial bolster is designed so you can sharpen the complete length of the blade.This bolster is also curved inwards to allow your fingers greater control while holding the knife by the blade.Wusthof uses a special blend of German steel through out the whole length of the knife. The ingredients of this steel are proudly etched on each blade. Wusthof not only uses the best materials to make a fine knife,but it is also crucial that each blade is precisely tempered.This tempering allows the knife to hold its edge for an extremelylong time, yet still be able to be maintained in your home kitchen with out the need to be sent away for maintenance. Our unique compound angle is not seen in many knives.This angle tapers from the spine of the knife to the edge to allow for a sturdy, yet extremely sharp edge while it also tapers from the bolster to the tip to give the knife strength as well as flexibility. Located in "The Cutlery Capital of the World", Solingen Germany, the Wusthof factoryhistory goes back as far as 1814 when the company was listed with the Duchy of Berg. To this day, the company remains family owned.
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