Cuts Steak Like Butter, December 26, 2007

These are the first quality steak knives I have ever owned and what a huge difference between these and standard cutlery. Since they do not have a serrated edge, they work as well for fish as for steaks. Of course they are sharp....they are made by Shun! Guests who have used one have all commented what a great knife it is. I also much prefer storing them in the custom case provided as opposed to a knife block. They are great.

Primary kitchen knife, December 26, 2007

The Shun Santoku is my primary knife in the kitchen, although sometimes I switch to my standard chef's knife. I appreciate the curved blade of the Shun which makes dicing easier than the traditional santoku blade, which is flat. I'm left-handed and have both the left-handed and right-handed Shuns. The knife handle orientation isn't a noticeable difference but maybe it's just me. The knife is sharp as heck...be careful! I use the Shun more than my Aritsugu's (Japanese hand-forged knives); one thing, the Shun doesn't rust which is an advantage over the Japanese blades…I'm very happy with it.

Put A Leash On This Knife! Fantastic!, November 25, 2007

I thought I was going to have at least 2 guests at a party try to steal this knife! After getting a gift certificate at a kitchen store I wasn't sure what to get...but knives always grab me. The young lady who helped me kept pointing me to this Shun knife. One slice with this knife and I was hooked. Then a friend helped prep a party and she immediately picked it up and used it...and started raving about it without any input from me. Then a second friend arrived to help and grabbed the knife and couldn't believe how good it was. I haven't found anything it doesn't slice well. I'd love a longer version for those bigger bread jobs...though it did 4 loaves of crusty French without a sore hand. Tomatoes don't stand a chance and never lose their shape in the cutting. This knife is worth every penny and I'll buy another Shun knife when I'm ready....the Chicago cutlery is on its way out for sure now...I'm in my 50's and buying my lifetime knives.

As a professional..., November 17, 2007

I'll state this quickly and simply: This is, by far, the best knife in the kitchen where I work. The executive chef abandons his Globals and borrows my Shuns when I'm in the kitchen. The sous chef stares balefully at his Wusthofs when we work together. The Shun 10" chef is the go-to knife for meats, for produce, even for bread. The angle of the blade allows for precision work, while the handle seats the knife securely in your hand for prolonged prep. It's the best knife I've ever owned.

Bird's Beak Bravo, November 12, 2007

Great for radishes and small items where the accuracy and control of the reverse curve blade are required. "Sharp as a Shun" should be part of the vernacular. I love this bird's beak and use it more than I had imagined I would.

Best knives ever!, October 10, 2007

Shun makes the best knives I have ever used. I use mine for 10 hours a day, at work all day slicing and dicing as well as at home. Out of the box it is very sharp and with a little love every so often with a honing steel you are good to go. I would never even think about purchasing another knife in this lifetime!

I'm a convert, October 2, 2007

I love this knife. As a long-time user of German knives who has typically shied away from Japanese blades due to weight and balance issues, this one has converted me. The handle is indeed differently shaped. While it takes a bit of getting used to, I greatly prefer the hand feel (in a pinch grip) to other popular Japanese knives like the Tojiro and Global. The balance, too, is different than what I was accustomed to; it's slightly heavier in the nose than most high-end knives I've used, but this ends up working for me with the handle. The blade shape is excellent, and I like the quality of the metal. I had had some concerns that it might be a bit too hard compared to what I was used to, but it holds its sharpness well and still hones easily. The thin spine and light blade make prep a breeze compared to a heavier German knife, particularly for vegetables and other lighter work. Fatigue is noticeably less, and precision work seems a bit easier. That said, the Shun 10" has become my staple for basic prep. I still use other knives for a few things, but as an everyday knife, I can't imagine going back.

The ONLY knife!, September 13, 2007

I own several Shun knives and have put all my other knives to bed. I have a small hand and the size and weight of these knives is perfect for me. It is amazing how efficient this product allows you to be in the kitchen, and once you use one you will like nothing else. I even had to buy one when I was on vacation, I missed mine so much!

Just fantastic, August 31, 2007

I'm somewhat of a knife snob. Let me tell you, if you're considering buying expensive knives, look no further. These are the best for the money you can buy. There's nothing else to say, buy these. These knives are so sharp you will find it hard to believe if you're not familiar with knives of this quality.

The best!, August 18, 2007

I'd spent my entire cooking career using nothing but good quality German knives and would not consider using anything else. Then I received this knife as a gift. OK, I've converted. This is the best knife I have ever used. The blade is extremely sharp. The feel in your hand is great. The design is beautiful. I've now given this knife as a gift and the comments that I receive about it are always rave reviews.

Best I've ever had, August 15, 2007

I've tried for 30 years to find just the right knives that handled well and did their jobs. These do it and then some. Too pretty and elegant to keep hidden, I look for excuses to use them. I have other knives, but I always return to the Shun. Better than five stars as far as I am concerned

fantastic, June 26, 2007

This knife is absolutely fantastic. Cooking has become so much easier, quicker and fun. Among all the knives I have owned, this brand is far superior to the others. Shun knives are not cheap, but every penny you spend will be worthwhile. Great knives, great workmanship!!!

The Sharpest Knife in the Block, June 25, 2007

This is my new favorite knife. I lived in Germany a while back and brought home a handful of kitchen knives from various manufacturers. Until now, a couple of those German knives were among my favorite kitchen tools. However, last week I sliced up some mangoes, bananas, and limes with this little Shun paring knife, and I have already given away some of my old German knives. This Shun knife cuts quickly and cleanly, and the rounded handle was very comfortable to hold in comparison to the rectangular handle on some other knives.

Wow, June 22, 2007

I believe if you're serious about cooking, you should own great cookware and excellent knives. I finally stepped up and got excellent knives. For those who haven't heard the hype, Shun is one of the most respected knife brands in the world. Great features of the entire line include these cool "D" shaped handles that fit your hand better. Each knife is made in a right- and left-handed version. The steel used for the blades is harder than what you would find in most other knives. The knives are EXTREMELY sharp.

Like a mini samurai sword, June 17, 2007

There's no getting around the price of this knife. At almost $125, it's expensive, yet out of all my kitchen purchases, this was the most worthwhile. At 10" long, this blade takes a little getting used to if you've never used such a long knife, but it handles BEAUTIFULLY! The D-shaped handle without a large bolster allows you to grip the knife at the perfect point to maneuver it as you wish. This thing is $@%&ing sharp!!! You don't need to press the knife down through the food (that actually makes cutting more difficult with this knife). Just slice back and forth and let the weight of the knife (which is lighter than some 8" chef's knives I've used) do the work for you. This is due to the more acute cutting angle of the Shun knives (16 degrees on each side) compared with that of western knives (22 degrees on each side). The pictures of this knife on the internet don't do it justice. The resin-impregnated Pakkawood handle (usually appearing as flat black in all the pictures) actually has a BEAUTIFUL grain pattern under light (especially sunlight). And then of course there's the Damascus-patterned blade... I've used Chef's knives made by Wusthof, Henckels, and Global, and none of them handle as well, cut as easily, or look as beautiful as this 10" Shun.

Sharp and Beautiful!, May 9, 2007

I purchased a set of these for my brother and sister-in-law last year for their wedding and almost kept them for myself. They raved about the quality of the set so I finally purchased my own and can say without a doubt that these are the finest made knives that I have ever owned. One word of warning, these are sharp! I was a little too eager when I was unpacking the knives and cut my hand wide open. Three stitches later, I was prepping my dinner. Great cuts, well balanced, and beautiful to look at.

Outstanding, May 8, 2007

Shun makes the best kitchen knives I have ever owned, bar none. They all come with a razor sharp edge right out of the box and are easy to re-hone with just a few strokes on a steel (well worth purchasing). The Damascus pattern, scalloped edge, and perfectly crafted profile chop through darn near anything (food-like anyway) with ease. I strongly recommend using a quality hardwood or bamboo chopping board to protect your investment. Corian or other hard substances are much harder on the blade edge; you'll have to resharpen it much more often. The weight and balance of this santoku knife are perfect. It is designed for right-handed chefs with an ergonomic d-shaped handle that won't twist or slip in your hand. There is a leftie version available too. My favorite kitchen knife; very highly recommended!

Wow sharp, March 24, 2007

Using this knife has turned me into a snob. I have cooked at a few other people's houses since getting my Shun and with their knives it feels like I'm trying to saw through something with my finger. You can't explain how sharp this thing is. A friend of mine concurred and said she too is now annoyed when using a "regular" knife. A few weeks after getting the 8-incher I bought the paring one. With just these two I can do about everything I need a sharp knife for.

They don't come any better!, March 18, 2007

This is my fourth Shun knife and it looks like I'm going for the complete set. Me and the rest of my crew! You see, I work as a sous chef in a busy restaurant and over the years have amassed two (yes 2!) complete sets of German knives, great knives themselves. But when my exec. chef recently threw over his beloved forschner knives for these Shuns, I had to found out why. So I bought my first one, a 7 in. santoku. It instantly became my favorite! I used it for the bulk of my chopping and dicing (and I do a lot of that). The d-shaped handles are fabulous; they give you a good grip, comfortable for the long haul and slip-resistant when your fingers are wet or oily. Pretty well impressed, I moved on to the big work horse - the 10 in. chef. Ok, it's now my favorite. It handles the bigger slicing jobs with such ease, it's a dream to use. And it was this knife that sold my crew on Shuns. Now three out of five of them have at least one Shun knife - the 8 in. chef - and looking to buy more. I still use my German knives; they continue to have their place in a restaurant kitchen with all the varied prep tasks that I have to do. But I find that the Shuns come out more often than any other. And as we all stand around the prep tables furiously working, every one of us has a Shun in our hand. These knives are definitely worth the investment.

One of the best knives I've ever owned, February 19, 2007

I've been a long time J.A. Henckels user and love their knives, but my Shun Classic has quickly made its way to the most used knife in my bag. When I first got this knife I was afraid to use it in the day-to-day world of my job, because of its good looks, but unlike most knives that just rely on their good looks for the selling point, this knife is a true work horse. The handle did feel a little strange at first but once you get used to it, you understand why it was made that way. As a Chef, I recommend this knife to any santoku lover, it was well worth the price.

My 2nd favorite Chef's knife, January 14, 2007

My Favorite is the 10-inch model! This Shun knife (like all the others) is a terrific high quality blade. They are perfect! I hate to use the term "Balanced" in a knife review but it really feels great in the hand. The "D shaped grip" feels nice, and the knife really holds an edge!

Shun Quality, January 9, 2008

I collect quality stainless knives. This Shun, like all their knives, exudes quality. And yes, I use it to cut my steak. It feels like cutting with a scalpel, very sharp and nice to hold. Sits well on the dinner plate. Comes in a presentation case, w/ leather pouch. VG-10 is one of the super stainless steels, Keep it clean!

The Real Thing, January 7, 2008

The Shun is the real thing: Insanely sharp, well-balanced, good in the hand and beautiful to look at. My favorite TV food personality, Alton Brown, recommends Shuns and, as usual, I find his advice on the mark. The construction of the knife is such that it will retain its sharpness and great appearance for a long, long time. The shape of the Santoku is interesting and proves to assist in performing the various tasks to which we have put the knife. I am not so sure that the scallops on the blade do as much to shed slices as the manufacturer claims, but, so what? All other aspects of the knife are remarkable. One note of caution, sort of, is that we use flexible plastic cutting mats and, in the course of cutting meat, my son cut through the mat without any extra effort. Bamboo cutting board coming up!