Shun Classic 8" Chef's Knife

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.

Best chef knife I have ever owned. Razor sharp, looks and feels beautiful, perfectly balanced. You will definitely know the difference when you start cutting and chopping.

This knight is gorgeous. Perfect length for a chef knife. You get better durability from a German knife but Japanese knives are a close second. Most functional knife in my kitchen. Great value, quality of a $300 knife for half the cost, best part is you only need one, stop buying knife sets and get yourself a quality chef knife

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.

This Shun is a must have in the kitchen. It is balanced, retains edge and is a workhorse.

As of this review, you can find this knife for around $160 USD and I consider this an absolute bargain (compared to the $300+ you can spend on similar knives). I love the D-shaped, Pakkawood handle where it feels comfortable in either hand, so this knife will work well for righties and lefties. It weighs in at 240.4 grams (.53 lbs) and feel "just right" in my hand, not too heavy, not too light. The handle is scalloped near the tang, and feels good in your hand when you use the "chef's pinch grip" technique at the base of the blade. Note that I have slightly larger than average hands, but the blade's vertical height is such that your knuckles won't hit the cutting surface when chopping (whether doing a "rocking" cut or "push" cut). Out of the box, this knife is literally razer sharp and comes with a factory default 16 degree angle. I've cut a wide variety of vegetables and meats with this knife, and it's a joy to use. 10/10 would recommend highly! Edit: Here we are a year later, and I stand by every word of my review above. This knife rocks!

De lo mejorcico que encuentras en Amazon. Buena marca, buen acero, damasco precioso y acabados excepcionales. No compréis cuchillos de esos chinos con damascos falsos, aunque este valga el doble o el triple, es un cuchillo para toda la vida, a no ser que seáis tan cenutrios como para salir con él a la calle y que la policía os lo confisque.

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.

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

Recibi el cuchillo el miercoles de 8 de septiembre , 3 dias antes de lo previsto, eso si el empaque llego un poco maltratado , pero el cuchillo llego bien , primera impresion , tiene un filo de cuidado , y al leer las instrucciones tambien tienes sus cuidados a seguir , la calidad se siente bien y ya lo veremos en practica actualización 29/Nov/2021 le he dado un poco de uso y de verdad si te importa su imagen lo debes de cuidar muy bien , se raya el acabado relativametne facil, NOTA el filo persiste (poco uso)

Kurz und knapp: Das Messer ist nicht ausbalanciert wie das 20 cm Modell (8"), das ist dann auch schon der einzige Kritikpunkt. Wer sich ein extra großes Messer wünscht, wird hier nicht enttäuscht. Unverschämte Schärfe trifft auf ansprechendes Design und hohe Qualität. Das Messer wird NICHT in einer Klingenschutzhülle geliefert, aber es ist mit Leichtigkeit möglich, das Messer wieder in der Verpackung zu verstauen und daher ist eine Klingenschutzhülle nicht zwingend erforderlich. GEHEIMTIPP: Das 25 cm Messer (10") von Kai Shun Classic wird alle paar Wochen/Monate zu einem unverschämt günstigen Preis angeboten. (140 - 160 € anstatt 190 - 210 €) Also gilt: Stets ein Auge auf das Messer halten!