Mercer Knife Review | Does it Compare With a $170 Wüsthof?

Mercer Renaissance:
View on Amazon: geni.us/NI1m
My review of the Mercer Renaissance chef's knife. Is this $50 chef's knife really comparable with a high-quality $170 Wüsthof chef's knife?
▬ Contents of this video ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
00:18 - A background of Mercer
01:38 - The handle
02:16 - Knife profile
02:56 - Balance and weight
03:37 - Steel type, sharpness and edge
04:46 - Rust resistance test
06:27 - Which size should you buy?
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[@Sister_of_Indigo_Fontaineaux]

I’ve used a set of Mercer knives for years and they’ve kept their edge for an astonishingly long time. Affordable and amazing quality!

[@manxology]

As a professional FCI-trained Chef now working a bistro environment (where you don't want to take your best, personal, collectable knives)... my go-to is the Mercer Genesis Series. Forged. Great high-carbon steel. Practically full tang. Excellent grip-ability. 8" chef. 6.5" Utility. 10" Slicer. Bread. Boning. Fish filet. Yes, if necessary, "upgrade" to Mercer Renaissance Series... I also use a combo of Mercer Sharpening Steels... German, Ceramic, Diamond. And, don't overlook Mercer's other many quality cooking tools. In summary: for professional, mid-tier, Western cooking... you cannot beat Mercer Genesis & Renaissance Series knives for the price.

[@EricAjimine]

I too got the Mercer Genesis. Mainly because the handle. My Henkels pro (same 3 rivet handle) cracked even though it has never been in the dishwasher and babied most of its life. The Mercer Genesis is MUCH cheaper and in real world, cannot tell a meaningful difference compared to top line Henkels. Genesis is a forged blade with a nice handle. As my Henkels fade away (the handle cracking has happened on a number of knives), I will replace them with Mercer.

[@BrentonCarr]

The very best and highest end Spyderco knives are made in Taiwan . The good cold steel knives are too. Don’t let Taiwanese manufacturers scare you.

[@Assimilator702]

It’s a well known fact in the hand tool industry that Taiwan has a long history of very high quality manufacturing standards. 9 times out of 10 Taiwan will make a better product than China.

[@honedyt]

Yep it's been very intersing to learn that, I'll be looking out for taiwanese products in the future.

[@capolot]

Tbf most of the para 3s and 2s (spydercos most popular knives) are made in America. That being said, the sage 5 lw is one of my favorite knives and it is indeed made overseas.

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

@@honedyt ... interesting* ...

[@ryanvv9349]

They also weld the best bike frames on Earth.

[@ianburton9030]

Taiwan makes alot of good quality machinery. I think you should check your facts before you impune a 'nation' far more technologically advanced than your post-industrial homeland.

[@unknown-me6hu]

I’m a cook here in Las Vegas. I’ve been cooking for over 12 years in different casinos. And the only product I use is Mercer brand. It’s great quality and great price. I highly recommend this brand. I’ve put it thru the commercial dishwasher I’ve dropes it I’ve sharpened it I’ve used it all day for 9 hours a day/ 5 days a week. Very durable 🎉

[@unknown-me6hu]

Plus I would never use an expensive Japanese knife or a wüstof knife. Because any real cook understands thath other ppl will eventually use your knife and I don’t need them to ruin my knife. So the Mercer brand is perfect for commercial use since I won’t worry to much about ppl using it. AGAIN ANY COOK can back me up with this. Other ppl will use your knife. So why would I spend a bunch of money on a expensive knife that other ppl will not take care off. Plus I put my knife in water in a third pan with the rest of my tools. I don’t have time to wipe down my knife with every slice. Again I’m a cook at Las Vegas for casinos. So I use my knife a lot. It’s part of my career. DONT BUY A FANCY KNIFE FOR YOUR COOKING CAREER. Just buy a fancy knife for your house. For personal use.

[@BigDubby]

Both of these knives are in my toolkit. I was forced to buy the mercer for culinary school, and was gifted the wusthof. The wusthof is clearly superior in all aspects, but only by a very minor degree. The wusthof is a touch thinner, a touch sharper right out the box, keeps its edge for longer, has a nicer balance, weight and hand feel. I use them both on a daily basis. I reserve the wusthof for delicate work, filleting fish, slicing cooked meats, cutting herbs & fruit. I use the mercer for my normal slicing & dicing. The mercer is good enough to easily get through hard vegetables like radishes & hard autumn squashes, even pumpkins and melons. If you're looking for petty knives, my favorite is the $25 3 piece fruit carving set from wusthof as well. It comes with a bird beak knife, a straight edge petty, and a serrated petty. They're all wicked sharp, and again each have their own purpose. The bird beak for peeling onions, the serrated for cutting tomatoes, and the petty for small knifework

[@twatmunro]

I also own both. I'll take the Mercer over the Wusthof all day every day because of the lack of that stupid bolster.

[@BigDubby]

@@twatmunro what is a bolster?

[@GREENneonDRIVER]

Just bought my girlfriend a bunch of Mercer knives. She wanted a second 9" chef knife, a utility 6" and a hand full of pairing knives. She used a Mercer set for culinary school.

[@captainnibby]

I have the Mercer Genesis 8" chef's knife and I love it- I've had it almost a year, and haven't sharpened it at all aside from a couple brushes on a steel here and there (which is honing, not sharpening for those out there that don't know), and it still cuts amazing. Tried it yesterday as a matter of fact on a grocery receipt and it cut clean with no problems. I can't afford Wusthoff so I'm glad Mercer exists, honestly.

[@UncleHoCM]

Taiwan makes the most advanced semiconductors in the world. Pretty sure they can knock out a simple knife.

[@joepangit6938]

I love the Mercers because I can buy 3 nice Mercer knives for the price of a Worstof. They are easy to sharpen, and I don't need to baby them because of the price. I bought my wife a couple of expensive knives and they became wall hangers because she is scared of scratching one. The Mercers she uses the crap out of, and they are easy to sharpen to a razor edge with just a ceramic rod. Victorinox Fibrox Pro is also a great bang for the buck knife. Mercers are so cheap I keep 3 in my tent camping gear. I'd never do that with a fancy pants knife ::)

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

... Wüsthof* ...

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

Wüsthof* is anything but fancy. Their knives are to be used in the same way as Mercer's. In Central Europe they don't sell any Mercer but you can get Wüsthof anywhere often at very reasonable prices comparable to those of Mercer in the US.

[@thomascatt5736]

Worstoff, not Worstof. :)

[@jefflyon2020]

I have owned over 30 years EVERY brand of professional knife out there-and Mercer are legit, and hold up-but any knife used in a busy kitchen HAS to be kept sharp,clean and maintained to stay useful, rotating a few favorite chef knives helps, and if only one person does the sharpening, the angle or bevel stays consistent, keeping it in action, and its shape wont change to much over time.Damascus steel is what many higher or shitty but sold as higher end knives are made from these days but are brittle and can be a pain in the ass to hone,stainless stays inert unreactive but hard as hell, and carbon steel i l,ove but reacts and stains food,knife and hands-use whatever gets you good results and cuts easily, and without much force.manmy times its a crappy cutting surface that kills knife edges, or poor knife skills.

[@DannyKaffee]

My home kitchen knife is a Wusthof Classic but I just bought a Mercer for my parents' place--where I usually spend a couple of weeks out of the year for the Holidays. Given that I'll only use it a couple of weeks out of the year I couldn't justify the high price of the Wusthof. But this should be a massive improvement over the $10 Farberware knife they had before. Thanks for the review as it pushed me toward Mercer for a quality mid-priced knife. I'm looking forward to using it.

[@余羿辰]

Taiwan is very known of making cleaver knives, all Japan, Korea, China use knives forged by Taiwan. They are all hand made and sturdy.

[@LXT43]

NO knife company needs to have 100 year old history behind it to make a good knife. Everyone mass produces knives anyway. Be it 100 year old company or one that started 10 years ago. It's all mass produced using machinery. That 10 year old knife company probably makes a higher value knife because they want to make name for themselves and stay in business.

[@danielbottner7700]

Is the forged steel in the cookie cutter knives at the cutting edge . . . different than the forged steel in the knives . . . marketed as forged steel knives ?

[@MS-gn4gl]

Taiwan is actually the best place for metal machinery and high quality mass production of metal parts and tools. You may not know it as a mecca of knife making - but if I were to pick a place in asia to mass produce something in metal while maintaining the highest standards of quality control - taiwan is the place with the most experienced manufacturers for this.

[@xx_resinent.sage_xx7373]

Slightly white supremacist undertones in this here knife comparison

[@charlesschmuckatelli7888]

Ive got a couple of beautiful Taiwanese blades that would compare to their american peer group and punches way above it's weight

[@MosesKaldor]

What is your thoughts on IKEA knives? I know some of them use the same X50 steel.

[@jcnikoley]

I can’t stand full bolsters. For that alone, I’d consider the mercer. Do they sell a set? Edit: I found your link. Bought the set as it has the exact essentials I wanted. Most knife sets have knives I don’t want and leaves out the ones I do.

[@capolot]

Bolsters literally serve no purpose and make sharpening a knife a pain in the ass.

[@LXT43]

@@capolot the purpose of the bolster is not to have your fingers slide down onto the blade. If you can't sharpen a knife with the bolster then you're not good at sharpening.

[@capolot]

@@LXT43 imo its an unnecessary addition. Most of the best knives in the world don't have a bolster. So i agree to disagree

[@thomascatt5736]

A good find, analysis and recommendation. Though at HRC 56 it will need more frequent sharpening than Wüsthof at 58, the price difference is enormous. Moreover, it's a better choice than the Victorinox at about the same price and hardness, the latter not being forged, using less steel, only partial tongue and possibly inferior handle in fibrox, which has now been withdrawn from the maker's website.

[@davidward5225]

Mercer are great knives for the price, used at CIA

[@boc234]

I don't know about kitchen knives, but Taiwan has an excellent reputation for knives and knife steel. Just behind Japan and maybe Germany.

[@honedyt]

Yes it has certainly changed my opinion on Taiwanese manufacture 😃

[@theredbar-cross8515]

I wouldn't say they're behind anyone. I own $400 Japanese SG2 steel knives and they don't have the kind of fit and finish as the 6" Mercer Chef knife. For one thing, the Japanese makers never seem to round off their spines and choils, which makes some grip styles quite uncomfortable. I mean, if you use the "proper" Japanese grip, it's not a huge issue, but you shouldn't have to with a knife that expensive. There's no downside to rounding off the spine. The Mercers are have perfectly rounded spines and choils. Making them super comfortable to hold regardless of grip style.

[@proudbacteria1373]

@@theredbar-cross8515 I see that Mercer Genesis 6” is bolstered knife. Does bolster make it more difficult to sharpen a knife?

[@cdht942]

I have this knife with the granton edge, fantastic knife use it all day long in work

[@flux789]

Just got the Mercer and I love it. You're review helped me decide to try it. We have a good set of Zwilling but I wanted to try this half bolster style without spending a lot. It feels fantastic and was an amazing bargain in my opinion.

[@Amir-ns5yn]

How does the mercer knife compare to your zwilling knives?

[@kmeg7330]

Id love to know this as well

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

Of course the Mercer and the Wüsthof are comparable. There is even a bolster-less version of the Wüsthof, that would be almost indistinguishable from the Mercer if there weren't any logos. Not only are they made from almost identical materials, also the price difference between them is mainly due to marketing and politics (i.e. customs and taxes). And if you look around, the Wüsthof often sells for way less than 170 $.

[@proudbacteria1373]

Mercer Genesis chef line has a bolster.

[@svetoslavpetrov8602]

That price comparison is far from fair, 50$ vs 170$! Here in Europe I bought a three knives set from Wusthof for 215$ which brings the cost of the chef's knife for under 100$ which is almost the same as the price of the Mercer in Europe!!

[@beammeupscotty1955]

You would have been less surprised by the Mercer knife if you did not have so many preconceived notions about being made in Taiwan. The companies that want to go really cheap, go to China. Taiwan, on the other hand, after a bit of a rough start in the '60-'80s had developed into a major, quality manufacturing center. I discovered Mercer knives 4 or 5 years ago and I really cannot see any reason to buy anything more expensive. I do not use a European style chef's knife but I use Mercer's Nakiri style, their slicer, serrated bread and their paring knives. I like light in weight knives and the ones I listed are all very light and take a really good edge. The chemical composition of the knife steel is important but just as, if not more important is the heat treat and Mercer nails that too. My knife collection is pretty well established now but if I did feel the need for some other style of knife, Mercer is the FIRST place I would look.

[@petezereeeah]

This is an outstanding knife. Take advantage of a newer brand. Think of it as electronics. I remember when Samsung was a newer brand considered Korean garbage. They quickly ascended to the number one seller if big screen panels in America, and highly quality rated. Mercer may be the same way.

[@limkloosterboer]

I paid €1,50 for my Wüsthof at a thrift store. Sometimes you get lucky

[@bigfootnintendorazr]

Great video! Thank you for making this.

[@kriengsakwangdulyakiti8349]

I have both. In paper, they are same steel but have difference hardness due to heat treatment. In paper, Wusthof hardness is 58 HRC and Mercer is 56. So sharpness and sharp retention would be better with Wusthof but not much , price is very much difference. LOL

[@gwine9087]

I have a Henckel chef's knife so did not need another one, but I have 5 Mercer knives and love them all.

[@johnlocke3481]

the wusthoff classics are terrible.

[@federicobalboa9145]

Mercer is quite good, very decent knife for the price.

[@johncrable2275]

Let me chine in on Mercer knives,because after almost 40 years of being a retail meatcutter,butcher,and skilled knife handler I decided to try the Mercer BPX series 10 inch round tip with the granton edge,and what I put this knife through in three days time was brutal 45 cases of inside rounds,top rounds ,whole London Broils thats roughly 3 thousand pounds of meat thousands of cuts it performed flawlessly and with that said it continued to cut for almost a year while not always as much as that that three day weekend it has been a great knife,its weakness is that after it does lose its edge it does require frequent sharpening and care. But saying that most people will never put it through a week of what I put it through.. Ive noticed after having 2 of them and abusing them daily its roughly about 8-12 months or more before I need to take this knife to the stone , because a honing steel is not enough. And lastly I went to this knife because Forschner knives which have been the champion for decades in the meatcutting world at least in the U.S. they were losing their edge quality after only a month or two , which makes me question if they recently cut corners on their quality of steel in hopes to cut cost . Not sure but Mercer BPX has brought a game changer to American Butchers and I love it. It doesn't rust ,submerged in water each day. It will continue to hold a strong edge if used properly not raked across metal or cutting bands, or opening boxes. Great Knife.... John Crable Phoenix,Az

[@Jay-ql4gp]

Thank you, that was very helpful!

[@mr_frankblack]

Great video, I'm so tempted to get the Mercer now. I'm looking for a premium knife and was considering a Japanese Chef's knife too, how does this compare?

[@honedyt]

Thanks! Japanese knives tend to be more expensive (and if they aren't then they probably aren't really Japanese). Typically the steel is harder due to its higher carbon content, which allows for a sharper edge which holds its sharpness for longer, but they can also chip and rust more easily. There are some brands which merge the durability of western knives with some of the hardness and style of a Japanese knife. I reckon a pretty good one which strikes the balance between the two would be a Shun Classic Chef's Knife, although you're looking at closer to $170 for that

[@mr_frankblack]

@@honedyt Thanks for the advice. I think I’ll work my way up to the Japanese knife.

[@hunter-tm2kl]

I recommend a Tojiro, same steel as the Shuns. In my opinion Shun's are slightly overpriced for what they are.

[@Assimilator702]

Look at a brand like Zwilling or even Wushof for their versions of a Japanese style Chef knife. I just bought a few Zwilling Pro Santoku knives and I’m amazed at the performance and build quality. Now is the perfect the time as the sales are VERY good. 7” Rocking Santoku for $70. 5.5” Hollow Edge Santoku for $80. Hard to pass up those types of deals.

[@mr_frankblack]

@@Assimilator702 Thanks, I’ll have a look at these.

[@theredbar-cross8515]

I have both knives, but in 6". I actually prefer the Mercer over the Wustoff for the simple reason that the Mercer has a fully rounded spine and choil. This makes it much more comfortable to choke up on the grip. The Wustoff's spine is not rounded at all, neither is the bolster. The Wustoff is also needlessly thick in the spine, over 3mm. You really don't need anything more than 1.8mm or so for a 6" chef knife, maybe 2mm for a 8". As for hardness, the two are within the margin of error. 58 HRC and 56 HRC are both estimates, and individual knives can be within 2 HRC of that number. So it's possible you have Mercer knives that are harder than a Wustoff. The two companies use the same heat treatment and the same steel after all.

[@RumbleFish69]

That's what she said.

[@jcnikoley]

Can you do a review of Kamikoto? I think I know how it will go, but I’d like to see an honest review.

[@honedyt]

I'll take a look into it for sure 😀

[@williammack3018]

excellent job and an excellent knife.

[@norbert4787]

I recently bought a few Mercer Renaissance knives. I used one of the knives to carve quite salty roasted chicken and accidentally forgot to wash the knife for 10-15 minutes. As a result, it rusted, and even after cleaning off the rust, I noticed small but quite deep pits on the blade. Has anyone else experienced this? Is it normal for X50CrMoV15?"

[@honedyt]

Wow, I’ve not experienced this but it’s very useful to hear! I want to give the truest picture of any knife so if there are issue I want to find them! I’ll make sure to test with salted water next time, maybe that had an extra effect as well. Thanks for the comment

[@norbert4787]

@honedyt Yes, I do believe that it's the hot salty skin of the chicken that caused the reaction. I cooked the same salty chicken a second time and left the knife dirty for the test, and rust spots started forming again after not a long time. It does say High Carbon on them. I just thought they'd be more stainless than carbon knifes :) Or I just got one from some unlucky batch... I wonder how Wusthof would behave 🤔

[@jonasaras]

Most professional kitchens use $30 Dexter-Russell knives that they get at Restaurant Depot.

[@LXT43]

because they are cheap and easily obtained and they work just fine but I don't know if that's a good reason to buy them when you can get better ones like Mercer at similar price.

[@jonasaras]

@@LXT43 I LOVE my Mercer knives!

[@jowanmankel]

Which honing rod would you recommend for the Mercer knife? Is ceramic or steel better?

[@honedyt]

Hey, a honing steel is for frequent use, it’s used to realign the blade so you should use it after pretty much every time you use the knife to prep a proper meal. A ceramic rod has a different purpose as it will sharpen the knife, it needs to be used much less frequently as it will actually remove a small layer of the steel as part of the sharpening process. So if you’re just getting one then a honing steel is more important. Mercer do their own honing steel, although I haven’t tried it, I have a Wüsthof steel which doesn’t cost that much more than a Mercer steel to be fair

[@jowanmankel]

@@honedyt Brilliant, thanks so much for the help. I'm Christmas shopping for family and I think a Mercer Renaissance and a Honing rod would make a nice set :) Great tip!

[@Assimilator702]

The Zwilling Pro Kramer model which is made in Japan is very highly regarded. I have one and it’s brilliant.

[@grwold]

I've got the Mercer 10" Renaissance, and like it quite a bit. I am curious, though, that while you mentioned that the Mercer has a 56 Rockwell rating, you did not discuss how that compares to the Wusthof's 58 rating. A higher Rockwell rating typically implies the ability to both take a sharper edge and to hold it longer, at some risk of being more brittle.What's your experience in regular, daily use between these two knives' (let's take the Wusthof Classic 10" chef's knife as the comparison) edge-taking and -holding abilities?

[@apostasiaelegcho5612]

A lower Rockwell doesn't mean the blade is more brittle. Quite the opposite. A lower rating means the steel is more flexible. The less flexible, the more brittle.

[@grwold]

Yep. Thanks for re-emphasizing that point.

[@apostasiaelegcho5612]

@@grwold Could be that I'm old and my hearing has depreciated over the years, but I thought I heard the opposite expressed in the video. Was just trying to correct the incorrect information I heard. Forgive me if it had already been discussed. Good video nonetheless.

[@jowanmankel]

Love your videos, very helpful and to the point. Keep it up :)

[@honedyt]

Great to hear, thank you! 😃

[@tgmittler]

Likewise, keep it up

[@Somerandomguy2998]

Have you ever tried an ICEL knife?

[@honedyt]

No i've not, are they worth a go?

[@Somerandomguy2998]

@@honedyt Yes, they're around the same price as the Mercer knives and they use a better steel

[@kensmith2878]

I bought 5 all alike ten inch icel wide chef’s knives at a thrift store recently for $10 each. They are great knives one is now my daughters favorite knife. I think I got a great deal.

[@barbaraowens2299]

Let's see how they hold up for 30 + years like the Wusthof knives do.

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

Given both knives are made from identical materials (type of steel/composite), they will last equally long.

[@RumbleFish69]

Here's the thing, unless you're a chef, at any level, no person should be spending more than $30 bucks on a knife. Knives cut, that is all they do. Knives don't pick up your kids from school, and also don't massage your tired feet. It's just a f*cking knife, that's it. Now, I will admit that I have this knife, but I paid $2.99 for it second hand. Sure, it was second hand, but it was also brand new, which i why I purchased it. And, this is the only practical people should buy knives. Again, if you're a chef, by all means, go nuts on one of these pricey knives. But if you're Joe Jerk--off, a $2.99 knife will do just fine.