I think I own five Wusthof 8" Chef's knives in various lines and configurations, but this one is my favorite. Whenever anyone asks my opinion on which knives to buy, I always say that an 8" chef's knife is the most versatile knife you can own. I own every size chef knife from about 2.5" up to 14", but this is the one that gets used most often.
The blackwood handle is a thing of beauty and feels great in hand. It is slightly less robust than the phenolic handle in the Classic line, so if you need a hard use knife that will be wet a lot I'd go for the Classic. But if you can commit to keeping this handle dry after you use it, the blackwood Ikon is by far the more sensuous knife.
Aside from the blackwood handle, my favorite feature that distinguishes this knife from the Classic line is the half bolster at the rear end of the blade. Back when I used to send my knives out for sharpening, the full bolster as on the Classic line sometimes proved difficult for sharpeners , resulting in a flattening of the edge geometry, which decreased the effectiveness of the radiused blade. That problem does not exist with this design. If you sharpen your own knives, this one will be easier to sharpen that a forged knife with a full bolster.
This is truly a desert island knife. You can do just about anything with it except slice fresh bread. This one might cost a little more, but the wonderful blackwood handle is worth it to me. It is perfectly balanced in hand, and comes razor sharp.
