Messermeister

Why r/BuyItForLife recommends Messermeister

8 mentions from real owners

• #1Dec 23, 2025

  Knive recommendations

  I've got a 25 year old Messermeister chef's knife (from what is now their Meridian Elite line: https://www.messermeister.com/products/meridian-elite-chefs-knife-10-2?variant=47661302284481) that I use daily. The only other knives I use with any frequency are a 30 year old fibrox boning knife for when I need a thin blade, and a shun paring knife of a similar vintage. The traditional versions of any quality knife will last forever and be sharpen-able, but you really can't put them in the diswasher. Only thing I'd watch out for: On the chef's knife, you don't want the bolster (the thick part between the blade and the handle that protects your fingers from sliding onto the blade) to go all the way to the end of the blade. It's harder to sharpen, and my mom has a 40+ year old set of knives with this design and after 4 decades of sharpening, the bolster is about a half inch longer than the blade, making them both awkward to sharpen AND use. If you want the best knives that you can put in a dishwasher, victorinox/fibrox has your back. They're relatively cheap and are in every professional kitchen for a reason. But you'll probably get decade out of them, not decades.

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• #2Dec 3, 2025

  BIFL Table Knives? Something that isn’t huge (looking at you Benchmade table knives) and holds an edge (good steel).

  I have a set of messermeister knives. Love them and they’ve held up great.

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• #3Oct 3, 2025

  What is the best kitchen gadget under $100 that you own?

  Microplane Rosle can opener Benriner mandoline Immersion blender Kunz spoon Messermeister bench scraper Ceramic honing rod Thermapen folder

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• #4Jul 5, 2025

  Need a set of kitchen knives that will last a lifetime? Any recommendations?

  Any decently made knife will do. Personally I like the polymer handled messermeister pro student knives for value. 8” chefs is like $40 from knifecenter. The series has pet much everything you could want and more than you need. I’ve had my set for 25 years and is still going despite me subjecting them to my wife. The couple Wustoff classics we got as a wedding gift have not held up as well despite being about six years younger and costing about four times as much.

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• #5Jul 3, 2025

  BIFL Quality Knives that Last

  The oldest knife i own is ~20 years and has been actively used, Chicago Cutlery Santoku style that cost about $15 from Walmart. It feels just right for my hands and style and it works well. My point is not that Chicago Cutlery are superior products but that I’ve used the same budget brand knife for so long because I sharpen my knives, I started with a Lansky kit and now use a diamond plate 1k. I also have Victoria, Global, Messermeister, and a $30 colored set from Costco. Trick number 2 for BIFL knives, have a set of cheap knives for guests and helpers to use that you really don’t care about so when your mother in law starts chopping directly onto a quartz countertop you don’t get upset and the knives you prefer don’t get damaged.

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• #6Jul 2, 2025

  Knives (home cooking)

  Slight bump in price to the 150-200 range will get you some Messermeister knives on sale. They’re the best I’ve owned, incredible knives.

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• #7Jan 2, 2025

  Looking for dishwasher safe steak knives

  Victorinox makes some serrated spear point (or round end) thinner stainless black plastic-handled ones we use for daily - they cut very well - then break out the Messermeisters for guests.

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• #8Dec 2, 2015

  Kitchen knife for personal use

  I think you've been jaded to japanese knives. There are plenty of phenomenal Japanese knives that are function over form and many japanese manufacturers make European style knives with Japanese steel. Its funny that you mention the pro chef and then obliterate japanese knives when almost every single pro chef I know uses Japanese knives. This is from line cooks to tsu chefs. I have actually found the opposite to be true on the price front as well. If you are buying a functional japanese knife and not a 'damascus' style one that is for show then I can usually find a similar quality knife to the german brands for much cheaper. Wusthof and Henkel are very well marketed and all of that marketing money increases the price. They are also good knives and I wouldn't discount them but they are far from the best in that price range. Hell, if you are going to go german then go Messermeister. They use a better alloy and a slightly better profile than either Wusthof or Henkel for the same money. Similarly with Japanese knives you shouldn't be going with Shun or Global if you want the best knife for the money because those are the household names with huge marketing machines. There are many other brands that offer better knives for better prices. While Japanese steel is harder and therefore more brittle than European steel you are over exaggerating how much extra care is necessary. You basically just can't throw the knife on the floor, put it in the dishwasher (also recommended for european knives), or bash it into things to avoid chipping or breaking the blade.

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