WÜSTHOF Classic 8" Bread Knife

WÜSTHOF Classic 8" Bread Knife

By WÜSTHOF · Kitchen Knives · Kitchen & Cooking · More from WÜSTHOF

  • 8.0 inch blade length
  • 4.3 inch handle length
  • Forged from single piece of high-carbon steel
  • 58 HRC Rockwell hardness
  • Made in Solingen Germany

Lowest price seen
$109.99
from $109.99 at Things are Cooking · Checked Oct 11, 2026

Prices are snapshots. Check the current price with the store.

Summary

A forged, full-tang bread knife from Solingen, Germany, with an 8-inch pointed-serrated blade, for home cooks who want one bread knife to keep for decades. Before you buy, know that a serrated edge cannot be sharpened at home with a whetstone, so factor in professional sharpening every few years.

Strengths

  • Forged from one piece of steel with a full tang and triple rivets, so it feels planted and balanced in the hand.
  • The pointed serrations bite through hard crust and hold up well over years of use.
  • An 8-inch blade handles most loaves without being unwieldy.
  • KitchenKnives.com’s 2026 guide calls it the bread knife other Western bread knives are measured against.
  • Serrated edges touch the cutting board only briefly at each tooth, so the knife goes years between sharpenings.
  • The fit and finish sit a clear step above budget picks.

Weaknesses

  • You cannot touch up a serrated edge with a standard whetstone; every few years it needs professional sharpening.
  • The pointed serrations are aggressive and can tear soft breads that a scalloped pattern would slice.
  • At about $135 it costs several times the price of budget knives, and the same guide says a Spyderco at about $74.25 cuts just as cleanly.
  • The Zytel synthetic handle feels less premium than wood or composite handles on other knives.
  • Dishwasher heat and detergent can pit the steel and loosen the handle over time; hand washing is recommended.
  • KnifeCenter carries no customer reviews for this exact item, so real-world owner feedback is thin.

Verified specifications

ModelWÜSTHOF Classic 8" Bread Knife; KnifeCenter part #WU1040101020, UPC 4002293104720; WÜSTHOF’s own model number is 4149/23.
Blade length8 inches (20 cm).
Blade steelforged from a single piece of especially tempered high-carbon stainless steel.
Edgepointed serrations (triangular teeth).
Handleblack Zytel synthetic, full tang, triple-riveted.
Dimensions8 in (20 cm) blade, roughly 4.3 in handle, about 12.3 inches end to end; the handle and total figures come from product data, not the catalog page.
Weightapproximately 0.6 lb per KnifeCenter structured product data.
Hardness58 HRC per product data.
Originmade in Solingen, Germany.
WarrantyKnifeCenter states the knife is guaranteed against material and manufacturing defects.
Full research notes and sources

Cutting performance

The blade is forged in Solingen from high-carbon stainless steel, with a full tang and a full bolster that gives a planted, balanced feel. The pointed serrations bite aggressively into hard crust, and at 8 inches the blade is long enough for most loaves without being unwieldy. The trade-off is soft bread: triangular teeth can tear where a scalloped edge would slice. Fit and finish are a clear step above the budget tier.

Sharpening and upkeep

Serrated knives hold an edge far longer than straight-edged knives because each tooth contacts the cutting board only briefly; a quality bread knife can go years between sharpenings. When it does dull, each serration must be honed individually with a tapered ceramic or diamond rod, or the knife goes to a professional. That professional service is the only real running cost of ownership, and it recurs every few years. Hand washing is recommended; dishwasher heat and detergent can pit the steel and loosen the handle over time.

Is it worth it?

KnifeCenter lists the knife at $135.00 with free US shipping, and KitchenKnives.com’s 2026 guide repeats about $135. The same guide prices a Spyderco bread knife at $74.25, on sale from $99, and says it cuts just as cleanly; a Mercer Millennia at $19.95 performs about 90 percent of what the Wüsthof does. Above the lineup sits WÜSTHOF’s own Ikon 8" at about $260 and, below, the stamped Gourmet 8" at about $75. The Classic’s case rests on forged construction, Solingen origin, fit and finish, and set consistency with the rest of the line. If you want one German-made forged bread knife for decades, it is a reasonable pick; if you only care about slicing bread, the Spyderco asks less and cuts the same.

Which model this is

This page covers the WÜSTHOF Classic 8" Bread Knife, KnifeCenter part #WU1040101020 (UPC 4002293104720); WÜSTHOF’s internal model number is 4149/23. The Classic line sits below WÜSTHOF’s Ikon and Grand Prix II lines and is the brand’s traditional forged series. The Amazon listing for this knife is ASIN B00005MEGZ.

Sources

Manufacturer:

  • No manufacturer page was retrievable during research, so this review rests on the retailer listing and one independent guide.

Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

  • No owner discussions or forum threads were retrievable during research.

Parts and stores:

Compare with

Related products