The problem I was solving was cutting large loaves of thick-crusted bread, for which the Wusthof 8" serrated-edge bread knife I already had just wasn't quite large enough - it's best if the knife edge is at least 1.5 times longer than the loaf is wide. I wanted a knife with a full forged blade with bolster, the traditional pattern, as the stamped-sheet blades aren't quite as good, and I prefer to buy one good knife. Going to 9" was marginal and almost as expensive, so I opted for the full 10" blade. It works very well, and the 8" knife now gets little use.