Güde Knives

Renowned Awards and Prizes

In recent years, numerous Güde knife series as well as individual knives have been awarded, among others, the Design Plus Award and the Red Dot Design Award. Selection criteria for awarding such prizes include the degree of innovation, aesthetic quality, feasibility, functionality and usefulness, economic efficiency, and the emotional content of the design concepts.

The Manufacture & Quality of Güde Knives

Since 1910, Güde knives have been forged from a single piece of steel in the worldwide knife capital of Solingen. The special mixture of the steel is crucial: chromium ensures rust resistance, molybdenum & vanadium ensure a good cut. Güde is a so-called drop forge. The heated blanks are shaped in dies, similar to molds, using a pressure of 2 tons. The subsequent steps involve alternating heating and cooling at temperatures of up to +1050 degrees and -80 degrees Celsius. During this elaborate process, the steel changes its structure, becoming more break-resistant and flexible without losing hardness. After these temperature baths, the knives are roughly ground into shape and then polished, meaning finely smoothed. Next comes the assembly of the handle. Each handle is finely polished just like the bolster, which ensures perfect balance in Güde knives. The final step is the actual crowning of the knife: sharpening. Each knife is hand-sharpened at an angle of about 35 degrees, giving it its famous notorious sharpness. Years of experience in manufacturing, an unwavering sense for the right treatment of the steel, and an unerring eye that misses no irregularity or notch are the qualities that make every smith at Güde a master of his craft.

Everything Under Control: The Handle Materials of Güde Knives

The individual knives from Güde differ depending on the series by the different handle materials. Güde uses only selected materials and high-quality wood types such as cherry wood or pear wood. A Güde chef's knife with an olive wood handle, for example, consists of up to 500-year-old and selected olive wood. Olive wood is very hard, weather-resistant, strongly grained, and therefore particularly elegant. However, the handle is not dishwasher safe. 

If you enjoy cooking in company, then the affordable Güde Sets are the ideal solution. Both Güde universal knives with dishwasher-safe handles made of POM and Güde steak knives with wooden handles are available in our Güde Sets section as practical 6-piece sets. 

If you want nothing but pure steel in your hand, then choose a knife from the Güde Serie Kappa. They are made entirely of steel from the blade to the handle. They guarantee reliable hygiene and offer a beautiful appearance in any modern kitchen.

An Overview of the Güde Knife Series

Güde Alpha

Each knife in the Güde Alpha series has a blade hand-forged from a single piece, made from chrome-vanadium-molybdenum knife steel. Additionally, the Alpha series offers 2 knives with flexible blades, which can function as boning knives, for example. The handle of the Alpha knife series is made of robust and easy-care Hostaform. The black-and-white color combination is classic and adapts optimally to any kitchen equipment. The Alpha series has the largest model variety within all Güde series.

Güde Alpha Birne

The knife blade of the Güde Alpha Birne knives is hand-forged from a single piece. The blade is processed by hand in over 40 steps. The handle scales of all knives in the Güde Alpha Birne series are made of finely structured pear wood. The color and grain may vary slightly from knife to knife. The company's trademark, the palm tree, is depicted on the middle rivet of each knife. The Güde Alpha Birne series was created in conjunction with the inclusion of the manufacturer Güde in the circle of preferred suppliers of the Jeunes Restaurateurs d'Europe. Jeunes Restaurateurs d’Europe (JRE) is an association of young restaurant owners.

Güde Alpha Fasseiche

The production of the Alpha Fasseiche knife series was carried out in cooperation with the star chef Harald Rüssel. Hardening the stainless knife blade at around -80 °C ensures extreme robustness. In another 40 steps, the blade is hand-sharpened. The handle is made of over 80-year-old oak wood. The old oak wood is obtained from the staves of old wine barrels and is almost indestructible due to the long maturation of the wood. The knives of the Güde Alpha Fasseiche series were awarded the RED DOT DESIGN AWARD in 2007.

Güde Alpha Olive

The Güde Alpha Olive knife series is completely handmade in Germany. All knives in the series feel very good and solid in the hand due to their own weight. The handle scales of the Güde Alpha Olive knife series are made from up to 500-year-old olive wood. The structure is strongly grained and therefore appears particularly noble and elegant. Each blade of the Güde Alpha Olive knives is stainless, ice-hardened, and hand-sharpened.

Güde Edition Franz Güde

In honor of the inventor of the "Güde serrated edge," the Franz Güde knife series was created. The world-famous Güde serrated edge is a serrated edge with pointed teeth. The knife series presents itself as classic Güde knives used to look. They are made of stainless knife steel and a handle made of noble cherry wood. Each knife in the Franz Güde edition is, of course, forged in several steps, ice-hardened, and hand-sharpened.

Güde Kappa

All Güde knives in the Kappa series are made from the tip to the end of the handle from a single piece of chrome-vanadium-molybdenum knife steel. This knife steel is hand-forged. The execution in a single piece of solid metal offers you a unique weight distribution and balance when cutting. The knife series combines the traditional method of production with an innovative and high-quality design. This combination was also the reason why the Güde Kappa series was awarded the Red Dot Design Award.

Güde Synchros

These innovative chef's knives first impress with their unusual appearance, and then with the »Aha« experience upon first use. They become one with the hand and in the hand – making cutting unusually easy and effortless. As the name »Synchros« suggests, this series synchronizes hand and knife. It doesn't matter how you hold the knife: thanks to the new line design, anyone working with a Synchros can choose their individual grip position when cutting – depending on the application and entirely according to personal preference.

Güde Messer Caminada

All knives in the Güde Caminada series feature a handle made of Grisons walnut wood. Individual knives such as the bread knife, ham knife, and Santoku knife are delivered in an elegant wooden sheath including gift packaging. Each piece is made from chrome-vanadium-molybdenum steel, ice-hardened, and of course, stainless. The handles made of Grisons walnut wood are not waterproof and therefore not suitable for the dishwasher. The knives of the special edition Güde Caminada are hand-sharpened and have a double-sided edge.

Storage of Güde Knives

To enjoy your Güde knives for years to come, we recommend storing your knives in a suitable knife block. This should be solidly made. The material of the knife block should match the knives. If you have a small kitchen or small kitchen countertop, magnetic strips are a good alternative to a knife block.