[RBoydstun]

I have been looking at various Henckel knives to give my daughter as a Christmas present. I noticed that there is a matrix of boxes at the base of the blade some blacked out some are not. Nobody has been able to tell me what this is. Different styles have different boxes blacked out. Within the same group or style different boxes are blacked out and sometimes within the set the matrix is completely the same. I know this probably is not important, but not knowing the answer makes me crazy. Does anyone here know the code or what this is?

[Mezzaluna]

Have you asked a knowledgeable person in the store? Sometimes they know. Could be a number of things, not all of them bad. Example: indication of the year of production; location of manufacture; or something totally meant for corporate purposes.

I looked at the boning knife in my Henckels set and I see what you mean. There are two lines of boxes forming a 2X6 grid. The fourth box from the left in the lower line is blacked in; the rest are "open". It also says the knife was made in Spain, right next to the grid.

My 7" Santoku has the same 12-box grid, but different boxes are blacked in: boxes 1 and 6 (from left to right) on the top line, and box 2 from the left on the lower line are blacked in. This knife was made in Germany, but that information is in a different location. The set is older than the Santoku, FWIW.

[KYHeirloomer]

I wonder if it's a German product coding thing? My Wustoff knives have the same 12-box matrix as the Henkels.

The Emeril santuko has the grid (makes sense, its a Wustoff product) but there's also a number (in this case 3) in the lower right hand box.

[adamm]

Originally Posted by RBoydstun

I have been looking at various Henckel knives to give my daughter as a Christmas present. I noticed that there is a matrix of boxes at the base of the blade some blacked out some are not. Nobody has been able to tell me what this is. Different styles have different boxes blacked out. Within the same group or style different boxes are blacked out and sometimes within the set the matrix is completely the same. I know this probably is not important, but not knowing the answer makes me crazy. Does anyone here know the code or what this is?

my guess is its like a serial number for the batch of metal or somthing of that sort, if there is somthing wrong with the metal and they recall all the knives from a certain batch that would be a way to id them.

[RBoydstun]

Thanks for the input

[adamm]

I emailed wusthof becasue i was intrested in what it ment, i was emailed back saying it was a "makers mark" and was used for factory purposes.