Do the German and non-German Wusthoffs use the same steel?
Probably not but German knife steel is almost universally pretty cheap shyt 440A or comparable. There are a few exceptions, like the higher grade Linder hunting knives that use 440C and ATS34 but they are few and I don't think any of the kitchen cutlery is anything but relatively soft, inexpensive steel. Look, 440A simply has it's metallurgical, edge holding limits and they are not high, even with the best heat treating and blade grind geometry. That's a fact that CANNOT be changed no matter how good Cutco's marketing hype may be. I have examined the Cutco knives in person and they are WAY overpriced for what they are.
