Wusthof Avantgarde Santoku problems?
My Wusthof santoku came apart the other day. At first I noticed a little play/rocking in the blade - and then it came apart when my wife was using it to peel a pomelo. The handle is still in one piece ......the blade separated from the handle all in one piece. The three rivets in the handle are still in place - going all the way through the handle. The tang of the blade goes back to the second rivet and that is where it separated. If you look closely at the top of the handle you should be able to see the break in the tang. No major traumas happened to this knife - not sure what happened? Here's a picture - any similar incidents out there?
gordon wing
Feb 24, 2008 03:10PM
Looks like water damage and rust. Not sure if there was a structural defect as well in play there. Ever put it in the dishwasher? Not saying you abused the knife. Another reason knives should always be washed and dried directly after use.
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I always hand washed this knife and dried it after use. But yes, I see the rust on the blade....... used water to rinse it but never soaked it in water or put it in the dishwasher that we don't have. I'm pretty careful with my knives and have a blade guard for each one.
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So maybe a defect that allowed water to stay trapped in the handle. I'm not familiar with the Wusthof Avantgarde line. Was it an expensive knife?
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This knife is listed in the $70-80 range ..... but I know I got a better deal than that ..... seen some offered on the net for half of those prices. Not sure where these knives are made ...... the printing on the blade just mentions Solingen, Germany. Not aware that it's a secondary line.
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Send it back to Wusthof, They are a great company and I'm sure they will take care of you.
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Ken, thanks - that's just what I did. Called them and got the address and now it's in their hands ...... waiting to hear back from them. Sent it last week. Will post the results.
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Got my replacement knife back today (April 17) No charge. They sent me the 7 inch santoku from the Gourmet Line. The handle is wood (impregnated?) unlike the one I returned. But the blade is quite sharp - this knife may have a bit less heft? Glad to have it back and look forward to starting a new relationship with this knife.
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Unless your shot distorts perspective, that knife's got a radically under-sized tang for the blade/handle geometry. There was plainly too little metal in the tang relative to the rivet size to survive the obvious--but not excessive--corrosion. Switch brands after the freebie breaks!
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