Dalstrong vs Wusthof: Can David Topple Goliath in the Knife World?
By Bobby B. | February 17, 2020 | Kitchen Knife Comparisons
In this comparison, Dalstrong vs Wusthof, it may seem a bit like David vs. Goliath. Dalstrong is a relatively new brand of kitchen knives, making waves in the industry with their high-quality materials, modern look and feel, and somewhat a marketing genius. All of the their promotional materials are bold, flashy, and appeal to home chefs that are looking for more, but wanting to spend less. Sounds like a strong contender, right?
Sure, but when you compare them to Wusthof, a kitchen knife brand that’s family owned and has been around for over 200 years making some of the most popular high-end knives for chefs around the world, it can be a daunting task trying to take market share from such a giant.
Dalstrong vs Wusthof: Brand Comparison
When you consider just the “brand” of these two knife makers, you see that they, and their relative histories are quite different. But, as we know, different doesn’t necessarily mean one is bad and one is good. In order to compare and contrast, let’s look into more detail on each of these top kitchen knife brands separately.
Dalstrong
We already mentioned above that Dalstrong’s the newcomer. The company was founded in 2012 and has focused on innovation and pushing the boundaries in cutlery ever since. They’re committed to using modern tools and manufacturing practices in order to bring amazing kitchen knives to home cooks at a fraction of the price of traditional brands.
In a relatively short period of time, they started to make a name for themselves and are rocking the kitchen cutlery industry with their innovative designs and high-quality materials. And, they’re backing everything up with an industry-leading 100% satisfaction or your money back guarantee. With this promise, no one should be shy about giving Dalstrong products a try.
Wusthof
By contrast, Wusthof is far from a newcomer! They are one of the most stable, most experienced, family-owned business in the cutlery industry. Primarily a producer of Western-style knives, Wusthof has been head quartered in Solingen, Germany, the “city of blades”, producing world-class knives for over 200 years!
Wushtof is well-known for their high-end German steels, top-notch manufacturing, and up-to-date modern production facilities. Most of their knife collections (Pro, Gourmet, Grand Prix II, Classic, Classic Ikon, Ikon, and Epicure) have withstood the test of time and could stand up to any knife in the same price range. They are heavy duty, tough, and use only the best materials. With their lifetime warranty, it’s clear to see that their knives are the real deal.
Dalstrong Gladiator vs Wusthof Classic Knives
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Pictured: Dalstrong Gladiator 8″ Chef Knife
Dalstrong Gladiator
Blade Steel: X50CrMoV15
Hardness: 56+ HRC
Edge Angle: 14-16 degrees/side
Handle: Black Pakkawood
Gladiator Knife Sets
Pictured: Dalstrong Gladiator 18-pc Set
Pictured: Dalstrong Gladiator 8-pc Knife Block
Pictured: Wusthof Classic 8″ Chef Knife
Wusthof Classic Series
Blade Steel: X50CrMoV15
Hardness: 58 HRC
Edge Angle: 14 degrees/side
Handle: Polyoxymethylen
Warranty: Limited Lifetime
Manufactured: Solingen, Germany
Forged, Full-Tang, Full Bolster
Price: $$$
Classic Knife Sets
Pictured: Wusthof Classic 16-pc Set
Pictured: Wusthof Classic 7-pc Knife Block
Dalstrong Gladiator vs Wusthof Classic Review:
These are two of the most popular knife collections sold at Amazon.com. You’ll find that they have a fabulous reputation among those who purchase both product lines. While they have many similarities in looks, performance, and styling, you’ll also see that there are a couple main differences between these knives.
Similarities:
These knives are similar in many ways. They’re blades are made from the same steel, their hardness on the Rockwell scale is nearly the same, and they appear almost identical to the untrained eye. That is, they both are fully forged, have a full-tang, and a full bolster, making them both quality level knives.
Differences:
So, with so many similarlities, where do these knife collections differ? Well, first lets start with where they’re manufactured. While Wusthof has been around for literally hundreds of years, their skilled artisans have perfected the knife making process. They’ve been producing their knives in the same city since day one, Solingen, Germany. Solingen is the home to at least a couple world-class kitchen knife brands and known as the “city of blades“.
On the other hand, Dalstrong is a relatively new company and they had/have lots of ground to make up. They are using technology and lower-cost labor in China to produce similar knives at a much lower price-point. When comparing Dalstrong Gladiator vs Wusthof Classic knives, you’ll find that the Classics will cost roughly 2-3 times as much for the same knife or knife set being compared. This is a big reason why.
Conclusion:
Ultimately if you’re trying to decide which to buy, there’s a good formula for that, and the answer’s not the same for everyone. Both knives will certainly get the job done in your home kitchen. Both have a limited lifetime warranty and each brand will stand behind their product to the bitter end. The real decision here is what your purpose for buying the knives is.
If you’re looking for the best performance vs. price comparison or the flashiest knives for the price, the Dalstrong Gladiator knives are perfect. You’ll spend less and get nearly the same performance as you would with the Wusthofs.
Conversely, if you’re die-hard who wants the best of the best, knives from a world-class manufacturer, or just can’t bring yourself to buy Chinese make kitchen knives, you should certainly stick with the Wusthof Classic series. They’ve been some of the most popular, well-built knives for many years, and this company isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Wusthof Classics make a great choice for any kitchen.
We hope that exercise in comparing two of the top knife collections from each brand (Dalstrong and Wusthof) was helpful. Keep in mind that these only comprise a small percentage of the knives that they each product. To get an idea of the full gamut of knives from these greats, please follow the links below.
Dalstrong Shogun vs Wusthof Classic Ikon
Clearly not everyone is interested in the most popular knife collections these brands bring to the table. The Dalstrong Shogun Series, and Wusthof with their Classic Ikon Series, are both a bit more regal than the comparison above. Both of these knives use premium materials.
Both the Dalstrong Shogun and the Wusthof Classic Ikon are beautiful knives that are easy and fun to use in your kitchen. They are quite different however. The Shogun Series is actually a Japanese-style knife vs the Western-style knife in the Wusthof Classic Ikon. This means the blade is thinner and harder in the Dalstrong knife so it can get sharper, but it’ll take more work to maintain the edge than the Wusthof. The Wusthof also wins the battle in ergonomics.
Besides these points, the Dalstrong Shogun wins in edge profile and for using a rocking motion. It also has a lower friction blade with the hammered finish. You really can’t beat the Dalstrong’s price and performance for day to day use.
Dalstrong vs Wusthof Steak Knives
In order to fully compare and contrast these two knife makers, one must certainly consider their steak knives. As two of our favorite steak knife producers, we just wouldn’t feel right not mentioning them. Steak knives can often be an after though in your kitchen. Not in the case of Dalstrong or Wusthof, but in some, you’ll find that the steak knives in their sets don’t even match the performance and quality of the other knives in order to keep costs down.
Our Favorite Dalstrong Steak Knives
We haven’t talked much as much about the Dalstrong Shogun series of knives, but they’re also very popular. They’re a Japanese-style knife with blades made from AUS-10V Japanese Super Steel. They’re ultra-sharp, thin blades, perfect for slicing through all sorts of meats. Not to mention, they’re beautiful to look at with the 66 Damascus layers of steel in Dalstrong’s “tsunami-rose” pattern. These are ultra-premium steak knives.
While these are our favorites, there are several other sets to chose from with Dalstrong. For more information on steak knives from other collections like the Gladiator Series, Shadow Black Series, Omega Series, and the Crusader Series, click on the link below.
Our Favorite Wusthof Steak Knives
We’ve already learned quite a bit about the Classic Series knives from Wusthof, so you should already know why we love these steak knives. They aren’t flashy, but they are elegant and perfect, and made to the exacting standards of all Wusthof Classic Series knives. No corners cut on these fantastic steak knives. To learn more about the other steak knife sets that Wusthof offers, check the link below.
More About Wusthof and Dalstrong Knives
We could go on and on all day about these two great knife brands and what makes them similar or different. We did our best to keep this page concise and to offer just the most important points of difference between these knife makers so that you can make a quick, educated decision as to which of them is a better fit for your particular kitchen.
If you’re still craving even more information or details about either Wusthof or Dalstrong knives, check out the links below. We’ve dedicated an entire page to each brand where we provide a full, comprehensive review and a comparison of all their respective knife collections. All the information you could ever want, all in a single page.
