Presumably you've been to the website so you know the chef's knives are more French than German profile; and indeed, the whole line is on the slender side.
No bolsters -- but you know that. Also no finger guards. I can't recall if the spines and backs are smooth from the factory or need rounding over.
Good steel -- I'm guessing D2. D2 is a "stain resistant" tool steel, with a suggested hardening profile that easily holds Warther's. To give "stain resistance" some context, the legal definition of "stainless" is at least 13% chromium, while D2 is right around 12%. So it, and Walthers for that matter, are very stain resistant.
Anyway, if it isn't D2, it's something made in the USA and a whole lot like D2. You could ask. FWIW, D2 is the western equivalent of SKD-11, which is the Japanese (and Korean) steel used in Yoshikane knives.
Whatever alloy they use is not quite as stainless as the big-deal Germans, but is in every other way a vastly better alloy. Certainly the top line Germans have much better F&F, more sophisticated handles and so on; but their steel can't compare. Warther's win.
Nice light weight on the knives -- part of that is the effect of how they're blocked and partly on the lack of a bolster.
Fairly comfortable handles, but not ergonomic marvels like Henckels, MAC, Masamoto, Misono, Sabatier, and Wusthof to name some standouts.
Made in the US, from US made steel.
Very distinctive "engine turned" finish. Looks like a Dusenberg dashboard. Nice looking handles, too. Visually, I find them stunning.
Where did you get convex edges from? The two or three I've handled and sharpened all had flat bevelled edges; and I can't find a reference to convexed Warthers anywhere. Anyway, I've taken the mythical two or three to a 15* edge angle with 50/50 symmetry on a good set of oilstones (no oil, though), no problemo. Waterstones would have been quicker, no doubt. I thought they sharpened pretty easily considering their nominal hardness -- which I have no reason to doubt.
You have to like their no-bolster design, and/or completely buy into their value.
Very fair pricing. I think they've always been fair, but the current weakness of the dollar makes them an especially good deal.
One of the few non-Japanese, "mass-produced" makers actually using decent steel.
I sharpened and used the already mentioned Warthers at a sharpening clinic/ cooking class I did for charity; and thought they were nice knifes. The owners (brothers) said they were easy to sharpen and maintain -- while neither was what you'd call a good sharpener I gathered the same impression about sharpening and am sure they're right about maintenance.
Warther suggests the usual sorts of sharpening strategies most good knife makers do; and also offer free "lifetime" sharpening for the new owner.
A quirky, interesting and good choice. You could call it "the eccentric's Aritsugu," but Aritsugu would be twice as eccentric.
BDL
No bolsters -- but you know that. Also no finger guards. I can't recall if the spines and backs are smooth from the factory or need rounding over.
Good steel -- I'm guessing D2. D2 is a "stain resistant" tool steel, with a suggested hardening profile that easily holds Warther's. To give "stain resistance" some context, the legal definition of "stainless" is at least 13% chromium, while D2 is right around 12%. So it, and Walthers for that matter, are very stain resistant.
Anyway, if it isn't D2, it's something made in the USA and a whole lot like D2. You could ask. FWIW, D2 is the western equivalent of SKD-11, which is the Japanese (and Korean) steel used in Yoshikane knives.
Whatever alloy they use is not quite as stainless as the big-deal Germans, but is in every other way a vastly better alloy. Certainly the top line Germans have much better F&F, more sophisticated handles and so on; but their steel can't compare. Warther's win.
Nice light weight on the knives -- part of that is the effect of how they're blocked and partly on the lack of a bolster.
Fairly comfortable handles, but not ergonomic marvels like Henckels, MAC, Masamoto, Misono, Sabatier, and Wusthof to name some standouts.
Made in the US, from US made steel.
Very distinctive "engine turned" finish. Looks like a Dusenberg dashboard. Nice looking handles, too. Visually, I find them stunning.
Where did you get convex edges from? The two or three I've handled and sharpened all had flat bevelled edges; and I can't find a reference to convexed Warthers anywhere. Anyway, I've taken the mythical two or three to a 15* edge angle with 50/50 symmetry on a good set of oilstones (no oil, though), no problemo. Waterstones would have been quicker, no doubt. I thought they sharpened pretty easily considering their nominal hardness -- which I have no reason to doubt.
You have to like their no-bolster design, and/or completely buy into their value.
Very fair pricing. I think they've always been fair, but the current weakness of the dollar makes them an especially good deal.
One of the few non-Japanese, "mass-produced" makers actually using decent steel.
I sharpened and used the already mentioned Warthers at a sharpening clinic/ cooking class I did for charity; and thought they were nice knifes. The owners (brothers) said they were easy to sharpen and maintain -- while neither was what you'd call a good sharpener I gathered the same impression about sharpening and am sure they're right about maintenance.
Warther suggests the usual sorts of sharpening strategies most good knife makers do; and also offer free "lifetime" sharpening for the new owner.
A quirky, interesting and good choice. You could call it "the eccentric's Aritsugu," but Aritsugu would be twice as eccentric.
BDL
D2 can be awkward for a number of reasons including the different ways it's hardened. 
