For my Christmas present, I bought myself a Shun. This one, specifically. I’d been looking at these for some time and finally got to handle one at a kitchen supply place. They’re sold by Kershaw, made in, and imported from, Japan. Folded steel, beautifully finished, lightweight, hard as a diamond, and sharp as a razor due to the 16 degree bevel on the blade. I love this thing, and it has already replaced my Henckels as my go-to knife.
Of course the first thing I did was stab myself in the hand, because the blade glided through the potato I was cutting like it wasn’t even there. :rolleyes:
The only drawback to this knife (other than price) is that the handle on this particular model is made more for right-handers. Not a problem for me, but if you’re a lefty and thinking of getting one, you may want to physically check it out before buying.
How do you cut potatoes? The knives in my house are all rubbish (though I’m sniffing around for a good price on one of the Victorinox broad-blade chef’s knives), so I’ve always made an effort to hold knife and cutting object in such a way that if it suddenly slips, it won’t slam into anything but the chopping board.
The Japanese blades look nice, but I know I’d end up dropping one right on its tip or misusing it because I literally do not know any better.
I’ve been using Dexter-Russell knives for years ever since a chef recommended the brand to me. They won’t necessarily win any beauty pageants but that polypropylene handle is designed to be sanitary, slip resistant and ergonomic. You also don’t need a huge set of knives. A medium sized chef’s knife and a paring knife will handle the majority of kitchen chores.
I have the very same knife (8 inch chef’s), Chefguy. I got it about 5 years ago and absolutely love it and I know you will too. It effortlessly cuts through stuff that my other knives struggle and jam up on like tough pork shoulder and cartilage-y spare ribs. I’ve even checked it with luggage to take on vacations.
I went on to get a Shun 4" paring knife which I don’t really care for. For some reason, the handle doesn’t quite work for me. It also never seemed that sharp, even when it was new.
When our Christmas guest had to cancel, I cut up the prime rib into very thick steaks for freezing. The knife whizzed through the fat and meat like a dream. I didn’t like the feel of the paring knife, and I don’t need another santoku. What I really need to do is get the Henckels re-beveled and honed professionally.
I’ve seen a few comments about the Shun concerning pitting (because of the way the Japanese make their knives or some such), so I make sure that the blade gets cleaned and thoroughly dried after use. And of course avoid hard surfaces such as granite or ceramic, which one should do anyway. There was a complaint about the knife not being hefty enough to hack through bone, but the response was “that’s like buying a Ferrari and then complaining that there isn’t enough trunk space”.
Sutremaine: I had already halved the potato and was holding one half with my left hand while passing the blade under the arch made by my thumb and fingers. I must have rocked the blade or lowered my hand or maybe both, but the result was a nice, clean puncture wound. I felt like an idiot.
I have a Shun 7" Santoku and love it. If I was buying now, I’d probably go for the 8" chef instead, but I’m a sucker for the shape of santokus and was trying to do more Asian-style cooking when I got it.
Wonderful, wonderful knife. It’s been in use for about five years with regular honing, starting to come up on needing actual sharpening because it’s only “very sharp” not “incredibly sharp.”
My only complaint is that the etched logo on the side of the blade only lasted about a year before it started wearing away.
Also have a Shun 4" paring knife I like. Not AS in love, because, well, it’s just a paring knife.
I adore my Shun knives. I have five (chef’s, bread, slicer, 6" utility, and paring), and I really want a serrated utility knife to round out my collection.
I have a Shun utility knife which I have to use surreptitiously, wash immediately and then hide. I have a family member who thinks all kitchen utensils should be washed in the dishwasher.
How, physically, does the process of dishwashing ruin the edge of a knife? I’m not talking about a knife that’s in the little silverware holder, knocking around with a bunch of other metal utensils. Let’s say the knife is up on the top rack, right on the end, not making contact with any other items. How does the dishwasher make it dull?
I’m not arguing against it, just wondering how it physically happens.
It’s the long exposure to high heat and all the swirling around bits of grit that cause dishwashers to dull knives. There’s absolutely no need to run a cook’s knife through a dishwasher, anyway. Just give it a quick swab and you’re done.
If you ran amok with that knife the headline would be ‘MAN SHUNS LOCAL COMMUNITY’
Heat is not a factor. A dishwasher cannot generate enough heat to affect tempered steel. The banging around is a larger factor, although knives can be resharpened. Some dishwashers come with a knife holder that keeps them from being dinged up. The problem with a Shun, as I mentioned in passing, is that you can end up with pitting from the knife remaining wet for extended periods. The other problem is that the abrasive nature of dishwasher soap will cause the handle to dull, and the stainless to scratch. In the case of wooden handles, the wood will dry out and crack.
I have a Global. Also Japanese, but about $30 less. It’s one piece of steel handle to tip. No separate handle and tang configuration and it still has good grip from the dimpled steel. Globals are also lighter than Henckles.
