Shun Classic 8" Chef's Knife

This is my first Shun knife. It is hard to go back to other knives after using this one. Cuts are easy and clean. The knife is light and well balanced and feels good to hold. I have not experienced any chipping that other reviewers mentioned. But I can see the blade is thinner than my other knives and this knife probably cannot take abuse. Compared to the Wusthof that I own and re-sharpened, the Shun cuts easier. I did go back and sharpened my cheapo Calphalon Kantana knives from 20 years ago with a water stone just to compare. And the Shun is still easier to cut with but not by much. I guess the thinner blade and narrower angle gives the Shun a structural advantage regardless of sharpening on the Wusthof and Calphalon. The tradeoff is the Shun blade feels more delicate than the other knives. I was surprised that sharpening a cheapo knife came close to the Shun. I'm paying a huge premium to get incremental gains in sharpness. So it is a hard decision whether to upgrade my other knives to Shun given how expensive they are when I can spend 30 minutes really sharpening cheap knives on a $20 water stone getting almost the same performance. Then again, I don't cook that much. I can definitely see the premium being worth it for someone who loves to cooks or cooks a lot and is going to use the knife a lot.

My dad owns a broad assortment of knives: some German, some Japanese, some chinese. One of his santoku's is sharper (though more plain in appearance) than his Shun santoku, but it was a gift from a Japanese business partner and the guy who sharpens his knives was jealous and wanted to know where it originated. Ultimately, he has quite a hodgepodge collection of knives that have been accumulated over the years some nice some not, some even falling apart from wear. I'm a pretty young guy (22), but came into an absurd amount of money recently. When it came time to look at buying some knives I decided to buy something I'd be able to enjoy for a very long time (hopefully my lifetime) and to do it before I crowded my kitchen with knives I wished I hadn't purchased. Shuns aren't the nicest knives under the sun, but in the retail market, they're the best you'll find. Having used my dad's single Shun Classic 7in Hollow Ground Santoku for some time, when it came time to invest in a nice set of edges, I thought of Shun first. Then I went out and researched all the main competitors and tested their knives, Henckels, Wusthofs, and Calphalon. I only tested the high end knives from these respective companies, so I have nothing to say on their cheap counterpart editions. Compared to Henckels and Wusthofs which are still very fine knives I prefered the edge and construction of Shuns. Shuns are just that extra little bit sharper. When you go to slice into something with a mild skin you notice the difference. When you touch a tomato with a Shun it just slides right in, no sawing, no pressure. The same is true for things like sausage, the outer wrapping cuts before you apply any pressure. Other than that slight bit of cutting power, you probably won't notice the difference. I also tried out some Calphalons which I was actually quite impressed with. They're every bit as sharp as Shuns and quite a bit cheaper. If you're on a budget, but still looking for a great set of knives, seriously give them a look. The only reason I picked Shun over Calphalon was aesthetics. If this isn't important to you, by all means buy the Calphalons. The first thing I tested this knife out on was some green onions, and what a world of difference between it and my bargin bin Henckel. No effort perfect slices. This isn't the ideal knife for this purpose, but my Santoku has yet to arrive so I gave this blade a go at mincing garlic. With something as sticky as garlic, the blades steel didn't help at all with keeping things from sticking, so while the design is great, don't expect miracles. This still went very well and I appreciated that a 10" knife can still be so light weight and quick for this kind of work. Next I used it to score a flank steak to prepare it for a marinade. I actually had to be very careful not to put any pressure on the knife and pull very gently to keep from slicing too deep. During this process I must have accidentally knicked the ziplock I was using to marinate in because it kept leaking all over the counter and I thought I just hadn't shut it, turns out I put a half inch slit in it without even realizing by accident while the knife was just sitting on the cutting board. BE CAREFUL WITH THESE KNIVES THEY ARE SCAREY SHARP! Finally I used the knife to slice the cooked flank steak nice and thin on a bias. This is the perfect job for a knife like this. Flank steak can be quite tough, but this was done without excessive sawing. The blade made quick easy work of my steak (another first in my kitchen). These are expensive knives, and compared to Calphalons, overpriced. The blades are beautiful and among the sharpest you can find anywhere. If you have the means I recommend them, you won't be disappointed.

My friend who is very knowledgeable about knives recommended this knife to me. For a long time I hesitated to get it because I have some other knives that are pretty good, a year later I caved and got it. Now I wish I had gotten it earlier lol. I see many people deal with rust and I wonder if it’s from not handling properly (?). Personally after every use I hand wash and dry then put it away. I don’t let water sit on it for too long. The handle is a bit big for my hands but I’m getting used to it and actually like how it feels. The knife is SHARP, super easy to use. I got it when it was on sale so that’s a bonus! It’s becoming my everyday and everything knife in my kitchen. Strongly recommend to get this knife, it’s worth every penny!

Received moments ago. Great looking knife. VERY light and insanely sharp. Ive worked in kitchen my entire life and all knives I have used have been german/western. The shun feels completely different to me. Due to the lightness and d shape handle (felt awkward in MY hand), I'm choosing to return for a knife style I'm more accustomed to. Again, absolutely beautiful knife, exceptionally sharp and well made. Just not for me

The knife dulled after cutting one water melon. I also found a chip in the blade and I know my teak cutting board did not cause it. Very disappointing for Shun. I had my Shun 6 inch utility knife for 2-years, it is still sharp and no chips. You can see two distinct chips in the edge.

This is the second of these knives I've owned. My previous one followed me through a few professional kitchens over 8 years and was donated to a new cook so it could stay in the kitchen when I moved on. The one I have now, this one, is still at home and still working great. This knife has the perfect balance between quality and cost. I'm a trained chef with almost 20 years in professional kitchens and this is the best knife for a professional kitchen that I've used. The grip is not round, but has a slight protrusion running lengthwise along the grip to fit the contours of the hand better and stops the knife from rolling (though you should always have a sharp knife so this is not an issue). The blade is done japanese style, so no finger guard, making the back a bit sharp for some. The blade is the right length for just about any job at home or professionally. The height of the blade is short enough that a rocking motion is easier on the arm as you don't have to pull it up so high, only limited by the length. The blade maintains a good sharpness for quite awhile. In a professional setting I would sharpen in every couple of weeks depending on use, at home it's more like every few months. Granted this is with daily honing. (look up the difference between sharpening a knife and honing a knife if you're confused). The knife itself is not the best knife you can buy, there are sharper, better blades made out of higher quality materials. But who wants to use a $300-500 knife in a setting where it will probably get stolen, dropped, misplaced, etc. On the other hand, I wont use a $25 stamped piece of garbage that isn't worth the packaging it came in. This knife is a perfect fit in between those two extremes and works great at home or in a professional kitchen. I would put the knife as slightly better than most wusthof/henkels and on par with the better globals. Due to the different feels of the various brands of knives, I strongly recommend going into a shop prior to buying this here and handle them all.

I love this knife. So much so that we purchased the matching 6" chef knife as well and have plans to buy more!! I researched a LOT before I bought this blade. And I chose it because it is light weight and has a thinner blade than the European-made competitors. It is SO EASY TO USE. It has *just enough* heft to get the job done without tiring your hands out. Being an average woman, my hands aren't huge (ladies' size 7 gloves). This knife fits my hand well, and ALSO fits my average-guy-sized hubby's hand despite that it's much larger than mine. These blades are works of art. They're each unique and beautiful. I enjoy using them more because I like looking at them! I know it is silly but it's true. Same reason my dish cloths are my favorite color and my cutting board is a thing a beauty... cooking is more fun when you enjoy looking at your tools! We purchased this knife in I think June 2019, it is now October 2019, it has been around 4 1/2 months of daily use (we cook almost every day), and it has lost the super keen edge and needs to be honed, but it's *still* sharper than any other knives I have ever owned! We are going to hone them soon, honestly we haven't yet because we are nervous about doing it, I'm paranoid I'll mess up and damage the blades. I don't actually expect it to give us any trouble, though, and a few moments of work will hone them back to a dangerously sharp edge. I kid you not, I have accidentally sliced through my fingernails several times, and had no idea until I either started bleeding or saw I was missing a slice of nail!! It was so sharp at first I could literally cut through a fingernail and not feel it. Let that sink in for a minute... like i said, dangerously sharp when brand spanking new. I have had to learn to be less sloppy with the knife!!! However, I am OK with the crazy sharpness, I have learned not to accidentally amputate my fingertips, and after 4 1/2 months I am still in love with my Shun knives.

I have recently bought the 8 inch chef knife. So far I'm loving this knife. I also own the J.A. Henckels Twin Two Star II 8inch chef knife, I do love the weight and balance better. However the great thing about these Japanese knives are they have a much lower angle on the blade. They are more prone to bend on the tip of the blade, so make sure you take care of them. Because the blade is at an lower angle they slice thought most things like butter. This knife uses a special VG-10 steal on the inside of the blade and coated with stainless, which makes it as strong as a thicker blade that uses high carbon steal. Pros: For the price that I paid for this knife it's the best so far. The handle is very well balance with blade. The D shaped handle works really well (Shun makes a left handed one but I think you might need to order it directly thought Shun). Shun offer free knife sharping for the life of you or the knife, depends on which one comes last. They stay sharp for a very long time. (Most expert recommend sharping the knife once a year.) Cons: The cost of these are more than what most people wants to spend on one knife. (I say spend more for a really good knife and never have to buy another knife) They use a different kind of steal and the angle is very different from most knife, so you can't really buy a knife sharpener or take it to most pro. knife sharpener, must be sent in to have it sharpen correctly. Have to be more careful with these knifes because, from the drop point of the knife to the blade it is very thin, so it could bend. (If you don't want to be careful, high carbon steal would be better. Like Henckels Twin series or Wusthof Classic.) All in all, I would buy these if these where to get lost or something. In the cost around $100 to $200, these are the best in my opinion. I have tried many Chef knife before I came to these knifes but I do also use my Henckels also, because I love them both. I did received them very quick from Amazon, their time from payment to ship is like the same day which is why I love about Amazon. But remember one thing about buying knifes, it must and have to feel good when your holding it. No matter how sharp they are, if it doesn't feel right in your hand its pretty useless like a two knife. Make you go down to your local store and try them out before you buy them.

Hervorragendes Messer - jederzeit wieder

Das KAI Shun Classic Kochmesser ist der perfekte Begleiter für Hobbyköche und Profis gleichermaßen. Mit einer beeindruckenden Klinge aus 32-lagigem Damaststahl bietet es außergewöhnliche Schärfe und Langlebigkeit. Die Klinge ist von Hand geschliffen und wird in Japan in höchster Präzision gefertigt, um eine hervorragende Schneidleistung zu garantieren. Die einzigartige Kombination aus Härte und Flexibilität ermöglicht präzise Schnitte, während der ergonomische Griff aus edlem Pakkaholz für eine komfortable Handhabung sorgt – auch bei längeren Einsätzen. Das Messer liegt perfekt in der Hand und reduziert Ermüdungserscheinungen, was das Schneiden zu einem angenehmen Erlebnis macht. Besonders hervorzuheben ist die exzellente Schnitthaltigkeit, die auch nach intensiver Nutzung beibehalten wird. Mit diesem Messer lassen sich nicht nur Gemüse und Obst mühelos schneiden, sondern auch Fleisch und Fisch präzise bearbeiten. Die KAI Shun Classic-Serie ist ein Meisterwerk der japanischen Handwerkskunst und eine Bereicherung für jede Küche. Egal, ob für den täglichen Gebrauch oder die Zubereitung von besonderen Gerichten – dieses Messer wird dich nie enttäuschen. Hauptmerkmale: Klinge aus 32-lagigem Damaststahl für außergewöhnliche Schärfe Ergonomischer Griff aus Pakkaholz für komfortable Handhabung Präzise handgefertigte Klinge Hohe Schnitthaltigkeit und Robustheit Ideal für präzise Schneidearbeiten bei Fleisch, Gemüse und Fisch Fazit: Mit dem KAI Shun Classic Japanischen Kochmesser erhältst du ein außergewöhnliches Werkzeug, das in jeder Küche glänzt. Es vereint Handwerkskunst, Funktionalität und Design auf höchstem Niveau.

牛刀、またの名をシェフズナイフともいうそうです。 まず、この見た目。かっこよすぎる。 切れ味も抜群。 刃の先端になるにつれて上に反りあがっているので、使い慣れるのに少しかかると思います。 どこぞのレストランのシェフにでもなったつもりで料理を楽しむのも良いのではないでしょうか。 いい道具を使うと苦手なこともだんだんとやりたくなってくるものですよ＾＾

Lo tenía en el punto de mira desde hace tiempo y he aprovechado una ocasión al encontrarlo a un precio muy ventajoso. Me ha llamado la atención el tamaño. Es grande y parece más grande. De hecho la hoja es algo mayor de 20cm. Como comparación, el que está a su izquierda en la foto en un Wüsthof Ikon. Por supuesto el peso, equilibrio, etc de ambos no tienen nada que ver. Son dos mundos absolutamente diferentes Aún no lo he probado pero estoy seguro de que no me va a defraudar. El patrón de damasco es sutil y muy elegante. La madera de Pakka tiene un tacto suave pero diría que sólido y firme en la mano. Y es muy bonita en este tono claro El VG10 aguanta bien el filo y se afila muy bien, no espero menos de éste Muy contento

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