Wusthof Legende Review: A Comparison vs the Classic Series
By Bobby B. | August 2, 2020 | Knife Comparisons
Wusthof has long been known as one of the top kitchen knife makers in the entire world. They’ve been successfully making top quality knives for over 200 years. They clearly know a thing or two about the subject. One thing we haven’t yet covered on Blade Advisor is anything about the Wusthof Legende series of knives, so a thorough review is warranted. And, the question everyone keeps asking is how the Wusthof Legende knives stack up vs the Classic series knives that everyone already knows and loves.
If you’d like to delve deeper into the rest of their knife lines, check out our complete Wusthof Knives Review. It’s a detailed and comprehensive assessment of who Wusthof is as a brand, what makes their knives great, and a brief comparison on many of their knives. However, it comes up short on the Legende series, and that’s because until recently, they’ve be exclusive to one specific retailer and they just weren’t readily available enough that much of the public didn’t even know they existed.
That was then, this is now. Fast-forward to today, and Wusthof Legende knives are now also available at Amazon!
Wusthof Legende Review
Just to make sure we’re all on the same page, Wusthof is a German knife maker that produces heavy-duty, Western-style knives. Most of them (all the good ones anyway, are fully forged from a single piece of German steel, X50CrMoV15 to be exact. You can expect the exact same quality from the Wusthof’s Legende series knives. They’re also made in Solingen, Germany, the “city of blades”, and come with the same Wusthof lifetime warranty.
As you can see in the example above, the Wusthof Legende chef knife uses a half bolster. This makes the knife lightweight and easy to balance in your hand. This is well-suited for chefs with smaller hands, or those that like to do a lot of finesse knife work in the kitchen. It also makes it easier to sharpen the blade with the time comes since the bolster won’t get int the way.
The handle in the Legende knives is made of a unique pebbled thermoplastic that’s ergonomically produced for optimal comfort in handling. It will also look great in your kitchen!
What you probably can’t see int he picture above is the 14-degree PEtec blade edge, crafted with laser-guided precision. PEtec stands for Precision Edge Technology, and it’s Wusthof’s state-of-the-art technology fro using lasers and computers to put the edge on their kitchen knives. This efficient tech makes them roughly 20% sharper than other blades, and they claim it increase the edge retention properties two-fold.
Wusthof Legende vs Classic
When you’re talking about Wusthof knives, everyone always wants to know how each stacks up to “the Classic”. It seems cliche’, but it’s true. The Classic has been around for so long and it’s a very popular and reliable kitchen knife, so everyone measures against it. When the Legende Series knives came along, it’s only natural that our readers ask for a comparison between the two. So, here’s our answer to the people…
Legende vs Classic Similarities
Although they might look very different to the average consumer, there really is more similarities than differences. both knives are forged with a single piece of forged German steel. They’re both full-tang, meaning the blade steel reaches all the way to the tip of the handle, making it stronger than most average knives.
The blades are actually pretty similar, with the only difference being a slightly different profile. Also, just like all of Wusthof’s forged knives, the blade edges are enhanced with their Precision Edge Technology that makes the blades sharper and gives them the ability to retain their edges up to twice as long as most other kitchen knife blades!
You’ll see below that you can also get them in the same 7-piece knife set, with the same knives, kitchen shears, and a similar block.
Legende vs Classic Differences
This is what most people want to know. What’s the difference between the Wusthof Legende and Classic Series knives???
Well, the first and most apparent difference lies in the handles, both the material and design. The Wusthof Legende knives have a very ergonomically designed handle made with pebbled thermoplastic. It makes a comfortable and slip-resistant handle. On the other hand, the Classics use a POM handle, which is a Polyoxymethylene synthetic material. It’s also slip-resistant, but comes in a more classic feel (sorry for the PUN). I know that sounds funny, but German and other Western-style knife makers have copied the handle of the Wusthof Classics for quite some time. It’s become kind of a staple in the industry.
Another feature that sets these two great kitchen knives from Wusthof apart is the bolster. The Classic has the standard full bolster that goes all the way from the spine to the edge of the blade. This makes the knife heavy and the weight makes the knife feel very substantial in your hands. It also helps guard your fingers from the blade itself. (Disclaimer: Wusthof actually does make a Cook’s knife with a half bolster in the Classic Series for those the prefer it) The Legende knives exclusively uses a half bolster. The benefits of this type of bolster two-fold. It makes the knife lighter weight due to less metal, and it makes the blade easier to sharpen due to the bolster not getting in the way.
Which bolster you prefer is up to you, but typically a good rule of thumb is this. Smaller hands prefer a half bolster and larger a full bolster. Likewise, someone that likes to cut with finesse likes a half bolster and someone that lights to let the knife do the cutting prefers the heavier, full bolster.
Wusthof Legende vs Classic Conclusion
Everybody always wants to know, “which ones better?”. The answer is simple… They’re both great! This is a case of two great knives facing off in a Blade Advisor battle where both come out victorious. They’re basically the same knife made by the same company with a few nuances that make them slightly different. Which is better depends on the person and their preferences between the handle, the appearance, and the bolster sizing. You pick. We personally like the traditional styling of the Classic Series knives, but there’s nothing at all wrong with the Legende knives. They’re awesome too!
Summary & Conclusion
What a fun exercise in comparing two great kitchen knives. It was like a face-off between “Old Faithful” and Old Faithful with a more modern makeover. This Wusthof Legende review showed us that old dogs do learn new tricks. Even after all these years, they continue to innovate and improve their product line, never becoming complacent in an industry that continues to grow every day.
We hope you agree, but we find the Legende knives to be a great twist on an old classic (there we go again with the PUNS). It’s a good way to buy the best knives, but have them look a little bit different than all the others. They’d certainly be a great discussion piece in your kitchen when talking with other like-minded chefs that know Wusthof, but don’t know about the elusive Legende Series knives. We say if you like them, go for it!