Reviews for Mercer Culinary M23530 Renaissance, 10-Inch Chef's Knife
People say Mercer Culinary is really similar to Wusthof.
4.0
Impressed
I’m a true Wusthof fan. They are pricey but worth every penny. Wanted to add another knife to my collection but didn’t want to spend another $150. I’m just an at-home cook, professional by no means. I do enjoy cooking and a good knife makes a difference. Tired this Mercer and I must say I am impressed. It was very sharp out of the box and hasn’t needed sharpening since. There are just 2 things that I don’t care for. First, the blade doesn’t seem to terribly stable. Seems to bend slightly when cutting hard items like a butternut squash; however the Mercer makes quick work of onions, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes and etc. Second is personal. It simply doesn’t fit my hand as nicely as the Wusthof brand. So, I still prefer my Wusthof, but this is a very good knife for the money in my opinion.
5.0
Great value for the price point
I see a lot of reviews here complaining that the knife arrives dull — I can confirm this is true. I think the issue here is one of expectations: this is a ~$25 knife. The factory edge on my knife was poorly done and it required quite a bit of time on the stones to get a good sharp edge. The flat grind of the blade was also poorly done and resulted in a blade spine that was slightly wavy rather that straight (the edge, thankfully, was not wavy at all). There are sharp edges on the spine and a poorly ground bolster transition. It comes in crummy packaging that barely holds the knife safely. And you know what? It’s STILL well worth it at this price point. The scales are solid and comfortable, the blade shape is very useful, and after some work on the edge the knife works flawlessly. Yes this knife will need to be sharpened sooner than a 64HRC Japanese knife, but all knives will need to be sharpened sooner or later. Yes this knife isn’t as pretty as more expensive knives, but that should be the first thing to go out the window when you drop the price point — would you rather have a gorgeous knife that doesn’t actually work as a knife? If you’re not prepared to do some basic tuning on your brand new knife, pay the money to the manufacturer do it for you. Or, with the money you saved by not buying a Wusthof, invest in some decent Japanese water stones or Arkansas oil stones and a homing strop. Even with all the negatives this knife has fully met my reasonable expectations and I’m h... Read More
5.0
Outstanding Knife at a Palatable Price
I purchased this knife to fill a gap. Prior to the Mercer Nakiri knife, I used a six inch Wusthof Classic chef’s knife to cut vegetables. Fine for cutting smaller vegetables. I just don’t have the knife skill to cut those paper-thin onion slices I love on a sandwich. “Get a Santoku,” I thought. Almost did. I stumbled across Nikiri knives while researching Santokus. *groan* More diving into online reviews and knife forums. Mercer fit the bill. Established reputation, German steel, NSF, right look. I pulled the trigger and anxiously awaited the arrival of my new vegetable slayer. I put the knife to work right away. Right out of the package this knife is sharp. I had no problem cutting through root vegetables, peppers, tomatoes, and, yes, paper-thin onion slices. Yum. I like that the heel tapers off at the back of the blade, making it easier to sharpen. The rivets are level with the handle. I compared the shape of the handles on the Mercer and Wusthof. The Wusthof’s handle is rounder at the top and a little thinner. My wife, whose hands are smaller than mine, found the handle on the Wusthof more comfortable. For me, the Mercer feels perfect. I like the weight of the knife, my wife prefers something lighter. If I recall, the Wusthof was more than double the price of the Mercer. Whether or not the Nikiri blade keeps its edge will determine if I buy another. So far the only let down was the packaging. Blister packs are a nuisance.
5.0
Wusthof quality steel, at a fraction...just use a good whetstone first
UPDATE Jan 6, 2019: it’s been almost a year since I sharpened these by hand on my whetstone. I expected to have to have done that again way sooner, and even over my holiday break (I probably just wanted to, there is something therapeutic about the rhythm of a whetstone). After 9 months of almost daily use, as I enjoy cooking and do it often, these are still razor sharp. All I do it swipe it gingerly in my honing steel a few times every few days and it’s been all they have needed. What a quality product. Ps. One of my knives is a 6” Wustof chef knife (more like a petty knife) which I also use often. The Mercer and the Wusthof is comparable in quality in every way. While these don't come from the factory with a fantastic edge (trust me, it is plenty sharp off the line though), these are some high quality knives. Even though I'm not a trained chef, I'd say I'm on the higher end of the amateur culinary enthusiast and can chiffonade and brunoise with the lot. I purchased the 8" short bolstered chef knife, 7" santoku (wife's preferred style), 6" stiff boning knife, and 3.5" paring knives. Once I took these to the whetstone and got a shaving-sharp edge on it, it's been music since. It's been about 9 months since I've done that, and the edges are still ridiculously sharp. I use a Mercer genesis honing steel in between uses and it's done the job beautifully. These knives hold their edges very well assuming you're not abusing the knives or keeping them knocking around in a drawer. ... Read More
5.0
Mercer? Can't go wrong.
I've been a chef for 34 years I have thousands of dollars of Wusthof, Hinkel and Solingen knives. But you can never go wrong with Mercer Cutlery. They are high quality, durable, and my new favorites. Recommend this 100% to beginers and professionals.
5.0
Surprisingly Good! Mercer vs Wusthof Tomato Knife
After many, many years of being a devoted Wusthof CLASSIC Tomato Knife fan, I just cannot afford its price tag right now but needed a new knife. I've worked for 18 years as a private chef, so I know what works for me. No, the Mercer Culinary Renaissance Forged Tomato Knife, 5 Inch is not the same as the Wustof classic handle tomato knife but it's very close in weight & feel. The Mercer is holding it's sharpness well with daily use and I plan on trying some of the other knives in this line too.
5.0
Awesome knife
Older reviews complained of a dull factory edge but I'm happy to report my knife arrived extremely sharp. I don't know yet if I'll like the thinner blade width. Everything else seems perfect. Update January 2022: bought a second shortly after initial review. Knives are phenomenal. I haven’t touched the Wusthof version in 6 months.
5.0
This Will Not be the Last
This is a fantastic Knife! I own a handful of Wusthof knives and I would say that this Mercer knife is easily as good as my Wusthof. I'm new to Mercer, I was looking for some new knives to add to my collection and at first I was going to buy more Wusthof's but after researching and reading reviews of these Mercer knives I thought what the heck I'll give it a shot! It's made out of the same steel as Wusthof and I figured even if they were close to the same quality it would be a win for me at half if not a quarter of the price. Mercer did not disappoint. It is incredibly sharp and feel amazing in my hand. The blade is a little more curved then my Wusthof and the steel is slightly thinner. It's still fantastic and has a great weight to it. The handle itself is made of a nice material (I'm not sure what it is but it's not like a hard plastic) and has a nice shape that doesn't ware my hand out. Five stars from me! I will be buying more
5.0
What a deal.
I am a bit of a knife collector and have more than anyone needs. This is one of my newest and one of my best. Don't buy a Wusthof or a Henckels. This is as good or better at less than 1/2 the price. Fantastic fit and finish. I have knives with more expensive steel but this holds up really well.
5.0
Excellent knife
Have to say I love my Mercers I have purchased recently. Have high end Wusthof and Henckels and I am just as happy with these if not more actually. These are a true value without having to feel like you skimped in the slightest. If I had to do over....these would be all I would purchase. Save yourself money.....give these a try. Highly recommend!