The Wusthof warranty is offered by WÜSTHOF USA, Inc. Ltd.
WÜSTHOF USA, Inc. Ltd. offers a Limited Lifetime warranty for their knives. However, just like most standard warranties, they are subject to conditions. This article tells you all about the Wusthof knife warranty, and a little bit about what makes for a valid warranty claim.
In the Wusthof warranty, Wusthof’s parent company, WÜSTHOF USA, Inc. warrants that all of Wusthof’s knives and products are free of any of the following defects:
- In material
- In the workmanship
Wusthof warranty coverage period:
The Wusthof warranty is valid from the date of original purchase. The period of warranty is for the lifetime of the original owner whether it is the purchaser or the person (the consumer) who recived the Wusthof knife as a gift.
To whom is the Wusthof warranty made?
The Wusthof warranty applies to the original owner of the Wusthof knife for as long as they own the purchase.
Conditions of the warranty - What does the Wusthof warranty cover?
The Wusthof warranty mentions that they cover the following:
- All parts of the Wusthof product (except what is mentioned under exclusions)
- Defects in the Wusthof product that are related to workmanship and material
- Normal use of Wusthof products
- Wusthof products purchased and used in the USA
Definition of ‘normal use’ under the Wusthof warranty
The Wusthof warranty defines ‘normal use’ as the following:
- Using the Wusthof products as intended by its design – for the suitable culinary purpose for each product.
- For culinary use as long as they are not mentioned in the ‘What is excluded from the Wusthof warranty?’ section of the post.
What is not covered under the Wusthof warranty?
According to the warranty, Wusthof professionally creates their product to be of excellent quality. However, Wusthof mentions that they are not indestructible. Here are the events and circumstances not covered under the Wusthof warranty:
- Normal wear and tear
- Injuries or damage or breakage due to misuse
- Injuries or damage or breakage due to abuse
- Injuries or damage or breakage due to neglect
- Injuries or damage or breakage due to force majeure – such as but not limited to acts of God
- Injuries or damage due to accidents
- Injuries or damage due to inappropriate use, such as using Wusthof products for the following (but is not limited to just these) –
– cutting frozen foods
– cutting bones
– Using the knife for opening jars or cans
– Using the knife for cutting on dense surfaces. E.g. cooling racks, glass, granite, and stainless steel - Any part of the product that is made of wood – since wood is a natural product, it cannot be guaranteed to last.
- Wusthof tools that are used to sharpen other products, due to their abrasive nature – butcher’s steel, honing steel, and other sharpening tools.
- Injuries that are a result of unauthorized modification of the Wusthof product such as such as melted handles, chips or breakage, or bent tip or blade.
- Damages that are a result of unauthorized modification of the Wusthof product such as melted handles, chips or breakage, or bent tip or blade.
- Wusthof products that are used outside of normal use and conditions such as commercial environments such as restaurants, cafes, food service settings, educational settings such as culinary schools, industrial applications, etc.
What if my Wusthof product is made of wood?
According to the Wusthof warranty, if your product is made completely or partially by wood, the portion that is made of wood is not covered by the Wusthof warranty because wood is a natural material, due to which it cannot be guaranteed to last.
However, Wusthof recommends that in case you own a Wushof product made fully or partly of wood, which is found to be defective, you should call Wusthof’s customer service so that they can assist you with the options that you may have.
“Dull knives are not a warranty claim.”- Wusthof’s friendly customer service member
What is normal wear and tear?
According to Wusthof warranty, normal wear and tear of Wusthof products with blades that are serrated or straight-edged that may have the following damages:
- products with blades that become corroded
- products with blades that are bent
- products with blades that dull and lose their sharpness
- products with blades that get scratched
- products with blades that are marked
While Wusthof uses the above damages that signify wear and tear, wear and tear damages are not limited to just the damages mentioned in the warranty.
Also, it is upto Wushof to determine if a damage on the product can be characterized as normal wear and tear damage.
Did you know?
For knife companies to honor your service and warranty requests, you must never use your knives for the following, because injuries or damages that could arise from these circumstances are excluded from most warranties:
- Using knives to cut frozen foods
- Using knives to cut bones
- Using knives for opening jars or cans
- Using knives for cutting on dense surfaces. E.g. cooling racks, glass, granite, and stainless steel
General outcome of the Wusthof warranty
According to the Wusthof warranty, during the warranty period if you find a defect in the knife or product, contact Wusthof about it. Once Wusthof determines that the product is defective, they will do the following solely under their discretion:
The defective Wusthof product will be replaced.
Process of replacement - Promotional code to be used on Wushof.com
Once a product has been determined to be defective, then Wusthof will email you a promotional code which you can use on any product that is in stock on wusthof.com.
Value of the promotional code:
The value of the promotional code that Wusthof will provide you to make a purchase of a replacement product, will be equivalent to the value of the your original product.
Additionally, the Wusthof warranty mentions that they cannot guarantee that your exact product will be available all the time. Which is why they give you a promotional code so that you have the choice to pick a replacement product of your preference at the time.
Disclaimers and limitations mentioned in the Wusthof warranty
The Wusthof warranty mentions additional disclaimers and limitations which you will be able to find in Wusthof’s official warranty page. To get a full understanding of Wusthof’s conditions for warranty, exclusions, limitations and disclaimers please visit Wusthof’s warranty page in the link below:
When I contacted the Wusthof customer service department, the customer service staff told me that that you cannot claim warranty on knives that have become dull. She told me that it is because knives can be sharpened.
Wusthof's knife sharpening service
I asked the customer service person how I could sharpen my Wusthof knives effectively. She told me that Wusthof knives can be sharpened regularly and annually.
Regular sharpening of Wusthof knives:
According to the Wusthof customer service staff, Wusthof knives should be honed regularly. Regular honing of Wusthof knives can be done in the following ways:
- use a honing steel also known as a butcher’s steel
- use a hand-held sharpener with a fine slot
She also told me that there are two reasons why it is important to regularly sharpen the knives well:
- To keep the blades of your Wusthof knives razor-sharp – this is because one of the most dangerous tools in the kitchen is a dull knife.
- Keeping your knives honed realigns the existing edge of the knife.
Annual sharpening of Wusthof knives:
The customer service staff also told me that apart from regularly sharpening Wusthof knives, they also need a proper annual sharpening treatment. Annual sharpening can be done using the following methods:
- Using a whetstone
- Sharpen with a handheld sharpener – using the coarse slot
- A diamond sharpening steel
- Wusthof’s Easy Edge electric sharpener
- Send the knife off for a professional sharpening treatment
Wusthof's in-house sharpening center
Wusthof’s customer service staff also told me that Wusthof usually offers in – house sharpening for all Wusthof knives. However, this is a ‘business-as-usual’ service.
This service has been paused due to Covid-19. But she told me that it is expected to open up again in 2023. She does not have an exact ETA for when this service will open up again. But hopefully, I can keep you updated on this.
In the meantime - you can approach Wusthof's trusted sharpening partner to keep all your knives sharpened
Wusthof’s really helpful customer service staff also told me that if I needed to get some urgent sharpening work done for my kitchen knives, then I could approach Wusthof’s trusted sharpening partner – Eversharp.
So if any of you are waiting for Wusthof’s sharpening center to open again, you can take your knives over to Eversharp for a the annual professional sharpening treatment.
Don't approach Wusthof for warranty just for dull knives
If you use your knives often, they will become dull. It’s only a question of when. This is why Wusthof’s customer service staff adviced me that dull knives are not a warranty claim.
Process to follow to claim Wusthof Warranty - For USA customers only
If you’ve observed any defects in your Wusthof product, and wish to claim Wusthof’s warranty,
you will need to send the knife to WÜSTHOF USA, Inc. Here are the steps to take:
- Pack the product well and place it in a strong cardboard box.
- Print the Customer Return Form
- Fill up the Customer Return Form
- Place the filled-up Customer Return Form in the cardboard box along with the product.
- Seal the box well.
- Send the box off to the address mentioned in the warranty.
Extra safety tips when packing:
Since you will be packing a knife, there are some safety tips to remember:
- Wrap up your knife well with multiple layers of bubble wrapping or newspaper. Add additional packaging material if required to securely wrap the knife.
- WÜSTHOF USA, Inc. recommends NOT TO send any other item except the product that you need warranty service on. If you add any other items such as cloth, blade guards, or kitchen towels as part of the protective packaging, Wusthof advises that they will not be returned back.
- Place the knife or other products that are requested to be sent to them, in a cardboard box that is very sturdy and secure.
- Make sure to wrap up the knife well in packaging materials to prevent the sharp points and edges of the knife from cutting through the packaging material.
- When you pack your knife, keep others who handle the box in mind – people who handle the box during shipment and staff at WÜSTHOF USA, Inc.’s service center who will be opening the box containing the knife in mind.
- Avoid sticking adhesive materials on the steel blade or over any part of the knife.
- Once you wrap up the knife well in packaging material, you can add adhesive materials over the packaging materials.
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Printing and filling out the Customer Return Form
According to the warranty, you will need to first print out the Customer Return Form, fill it out to enclose it with the product that you are returning to Wusthof. Make sure to give the right email address in the form because the warranty can be processed only if they have the right email address.
Wusthof Customer return form:
You can find the customer return form in the link given here. This form needs to be filled up and enclosed with the Wusthof product:
Who pays for shipping and processing?
According to Wusthof’s warranty, they are not responsible for paying for shipping, handling or processing fees that you may incur to send your warranty shipment off to Wusthof. You will have to pay for it.
Loss or damage during shipment
Additionally, in the Wusthof warranty, Wusthof makes it clear that if the shipment gets damaged or lost at any point on the way to their facility, then Wusthof will not be responsible for the loss or damage. Here are some important tips to prevent your shipment from being lost or damaged:
- Use a shipping company you trust
- Make sure to insure your shipment
- Get a tracking number for your package
Address to send the warranty shipment:
Send the shipment containing the knife or product to the following address:
WÜSTHOF USA, Inc.
Attn: Returns
355 Wilson Ave.
Norwalk, CT 06854
Attn: Returns
355 Wilson Ave.
Norwalk, CT 06854
Time it takes to process Wusthof warranty claims
The Wusthof warranty mentions that their warranty service could take 1 to 2 weeks for inspection of the product and to respond appropriately.
Wusthof contact details:
If you need to contact for the following:
- Regarding the warranty
- If your Wusthof product is not covered by the
- Wusthof warranty
- Product support
Wusthof email address:
You can email the address given here:
info@wusthof.com
Wusthof customer service phone number
You can also contact Wusthof through the number: 800.289.9878
For Wusthoff warranty for international customers (outside USA):
Canada:
If you purchased and use your Wusthof products in Canada, then you can email the address here to request for warranty:
info@wusthof.ca
Other countries
If you purchased and use your Wusthof products at any other places, then you can email the address here to request for warranty:
info@wusthof.de
The main source for all the information that is given in this post is from WÜSTHOF USA, Inc.’s website. To read the Wusthof warranty in detail, please visit WÜSTHOF USA, Inc.’s website. For steps to follow for warranty, go to:
For details of the Wusthof warranty policy:
Since the warranty is created by WÜSTHOF USA, Inc., they can change the warranty at anytime at their discretion. Follow the link above to see the updated warranty.
My experience dealing with Wusthof's staff regarding the warranty
The lovely person that I dealt with at Wusthof was extremely helpful with my doubts. She was also clearly an expert with Wusthof knives, and its maintenance.
So if you have any doubts about the Wusthof warranty, don’t hesitate to reach out to Wusthof’s customer service team. I’m positive that they will be more than happy to assist you with your warranty questions, just like my experience with them.