24 Hours in Germany with WÜSTHOF

There’s something special about using a knife you trust — whether you’re finely slicing herbs in a cookery class or prepping dinner at home. That’s exactly why WÜSTHOF has long been the trusted knife partner of the Divertimenti Cookery School, with their knives used by both our chefs and guests in every single class.

Recently, members of our store and Cookery School teams had the exciting opportunity to visit the WÜSTHOF factory in Solingen, Germany — the historic home of blade-making — to see firsthand where and how these exceptional knives are created.

Stepping inside the factory offered a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the journey of a WÜSTHOF knife, from a simple sheet of premium German steel to the beautifully balanced finished product we know and love in store. Watching the process unfold was a real eye-opener: precision robotics play a huge role in ensuring consistency and perfection throughout production, while the final stages rely on the expertise of highly skilled craftspeople who carefully inspect, sharpen and quality-check every single blade by hand.

One of the most impressive things we learned was that it takes two full years of training to work in the quality control section of the factory — a true testament to the level of craftsmanship and attention to detail behind every knife.

After the factory tour, it was time to put our own skills to the test with a knife skills and sharpening session led by WÜSTHOF blacksmith and demonstrator Dietmar. It was a brilliant opportunity to refresh our technique, learn more about proper knife care, and gain valuable tips we can share with our customers and participants in our popular Knife Skills Masterclasses.

The visit gave us an even deeper appreciation for the craftsmanship behind the tools we use every day in the Cookery School. It reinforced exactly why WÜSTHOF remains such a trusted partner — combining innovation, heritage and precision to create knives that truly stand the test of time.

Here are our top product picks:

1. WÜSTHOF Ceramic Honing and Sharpening Steel : Use it to both maintain a sharp edge with regular use, and also put a new edge back onto a blunt knife. Due to being ceramic in material, you don't need to replace the steel, it will sharpen your knives for life. 
   
2. WÜSTHOF Classic Santoku Knife - 17cm : Hardy German steel in Japanese style with handy air pockets along the blade for ease breaking down larger fruit and veg such as watermelon, red cabbage, butternut. A straighter knife edge for up/down chopping motions and for dragging the tip back across the board to slice (not the classic rocking motion you might be familiar with...).
    
3. WÜSTHOF Classic Precision Double-Serrated Bread Knife - 23cm : Not just for bread! Teeth going in both directions means light work slicing sponge cakes, tarts, pastry and bread with minimal pressure and elbow grease needed.
   
   
4. WÜSTHOF Classic Serrated Utility Knife - 14cm : a dark horse, we love it for prepping fruit and veg with skin (peppers, tomatoes, aubergines), segmenting and slicing citrus fruits, as well as slicing cold cut meats and sausages. 

Find our upcoming Knife Skills masterclasses on the class calendar here.