I can't say with certainty when I made my first Wüsthof purchase but I can say that I haven't…read morepurchased cutlery without the Wüsthof logo since that time a few decades ago. Unlike many other manufacturers, these guys still do their manufacturing in the same place they did when they first started and have not succumbed to the temptation of manufacturing in Asia or other parts of the world which means they still control the process and the quality.
There's rarely a day that goes by that I don't use a knife in the kitchen that one of the reasons I am so particular about the tools I keep and use - I've always been told a sharp knife is a safe knife and these knives are easy to sharpen and stay sharp when used and stored properly. I am sure there are knives on the market that could perform equal to the Wüsthof products but I have no reason to change these knives have proven themselves day in and day out for decades as I mentioned before, these knives aren't inexpensive but over time you'll find they are worth ever penny.
I find a few passes across the sharpener prior to each use keeps the blades super sharp and storing them in a wooden knife rest protects the edges, you'll never find one of my knives in a drawer mixed in with other utensils - this is an investment so they should be treated as one and the return will be a high level of performance and service for multiple generations to come...
