Günther Wilhelm Cutlery & Cookware Company

Günter Wilhelm knives are some of the highest quality and most affordable knives on the market today. They are our favorites because they are wicked sharp, cut effortlessly, hold their edge, are properly balanced, feel great in your hand, last forever, and are drop dead gorgeous. The company has several lines and price ranges of knives, but our favorites are the affordable Lightning ProCut Series and the more expensive Premier ProCut Series. 

Here is video overview of the Premier ProCut Series knives.

We are not alone in our admiration, GW knives were used by France’s Chef of the Century Joel Robuchon before he died in 2018. GW knives are also used by Chef Guy Mitchell of the White House Chef Tour; Chef John Moeller, chef to three presidents; Chef Maneet Chauhan from the Food Network; Mark Lambert from the National Barbecue and Grilling Association; and many more.

Here is a video of French chef Bernard Guillas explaining the variety of GW Premier ProCut knives in his knife roll.

Knives in both the GW Lightning ProCut Series and the more expensive Premier ProCut Series are made with highly regarded X50CrMoV15 high-carbon rustproof stainless steel by the largest manufacturer in Germany, Thyssen Krupp. These knives are forged with a multi-stage heat and ice hardening process that takes them to a Rockwell hardness of 58, which is the norm for German-style knives, giving both lines of knives the same cutting capabilities and performance. Known in the USA as 440 Stainless Steel, X50CrMoV15 is made of 15% chromium, 0.7% molybdenum, 0.15% vanadium, and 0.50% carbon, with no nickel. According to the British Stainless Steel Association (BSSA is a standards organization), “the higher chromium plus small molybdenum addition gives a greater corrosion resistance than standard martensitic grades. Vanadium allows higher tempering temperatures to be used and gives greater toughness, and the moderately high carbon content of 0.50% creates a high hardness martensitic microstructure.” This steel can’t quite match the blistering turpitude of many Japanese knives, which are usually made of steels with higher carbon content. But these knives are more than sharp enough, and they won’t require the maintenance and vigilance demanded by many Japanese blades.

The Premier knives are drop forged while the Lightning line is laser cut. Forged knives like these are made from steel that has been heated and hammered and heated and hammered some more, so as to realign the metal’s molecular structure and make it stronger and more resilient. A stamped knife, on the other hand, is literally stamped out of a roll of steel and does not go through the strengthening process. Finally, both lines of GW knives are sharpened (with a few notable exceptions) to an angle of 14 to 15 degrees per side. This is much sharper than most German-style knives and shows the influence of the Japanese invasion. These knives have superior cutting ability and edge retention ratings, according to the CATARA 8442:5-2004 standard. 

Both Günther Wilhem lines have a full bolster. The bolster is a narrow wedge of steel that separates the handle from the blade. It protects your fingers from slipping on to the cutting edge. Many knives have minimal bolsters or none at all. The balance point should be at the bolster, but with most knives the blade is more heavy than the handle so you need to balance the blade with your own muscles. With GW knives, the whole thing is made from a single piece of steel, so they are full-tang (one piece of steel from the tip to the heel). A full tang gives the knife extra strength, which does make it feel a bit heavy at first blush, but it also helps the blade slice effortlessly, and the balance point negates any concerns when you start to actually work with them.

The metal in the handle extends all the way from the tip of the blade to the end of the handle. That’s classic single tang. The Lightning knives are single tang. On some knives, the tang extends from the top to the bottom of the handle, and that’s “double tang.” On the Premier knives, the tang also extends from side to side. If you cut the handle crosswise in the middle it looks like a plus (+) sign. That’s “triple tang.” Since the Premier knives have much more steel in the handle, the blade balances perfectly at the bolster, even the 10” chef knife. This is an important advantage for cooks who use a knife all day or prep big meals. A balanced blade is much easier to work with and can prevent carpal tunnel syndrome.

As for handles, the Lightning line’s ergonomic handles are made from textured acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) for extra grip, comfort, and durability. The Premier line handles feature a similar ABS material but in a beautiful wood grain sandwiching the triple tang handle.

GW also sells several honing tools. Their German Diamond steel will last the longest, but eventually this expensive tool will also need to be replaced when the diamond dust falls off. Günther Wilhem also offers professional sharpening services.

All GW knives come with a generous warranty.

To find out more about the GW Premier and Lightning ProCut series knives, read our knife reviews.