Why I buy this one ?
- 6-1/2-inch multipurpose Japanese knife; ideal for chopping, mincing, dicing and slicing
- Precision-forged high-carbon stainless-steel blade; holds a razor-sharp edge
- Clad with16 layers of stainless steel to produce a rust-free Damascus look
- Durable D-shaped Pakkawood handle; comfortable offset steel bolster
- lifetime warranty; manufactured in Seki City, Japan

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What our customer's say!

"Buy this knife", Alright. First read all the other reviews and see what they think. Chances are, they're right.

I've been looking for a knife like this all my life.

I like the thinness of American knives like Chicago Cutlery (the original Walnut, not the cheap ones they sell now), but am envious of the heft of the German knives (I had a full set of Henckels Professionals).

The problem? The thin knives are too light, the heavy ones are too thick.

Now, we have the best of both worlds with Shun.

Wait, I know what you're saying. They're too expensive. No. Listen: if you pick and choose, you can get a lifetime of cutlery pleasure out of just a few samples.

First, buy the 7-inch Santoku. You can get the Granton edge (the scalloped thingies) if you want, but it will just mess up the beauty of the Damascus steel finish. This is your workhorse; a little hotrod that will lightly and competently saw through most of your daily chores.

Then, you need a little parer--the 3-1/2 inch or 4 inch will do nicely.

Big, small.

But, we need bigger still, so get a ten-inch chef's. You'll like this knife. Owing to it's fairly small profile (height), it does double duty as a slicer. Chop up heads of cabbage and slice a turkey or ham, your choice.

Get one of the six-inch slicers (utility or tomato) and you're done.

That's all the expensive cutlery you will ever need.

Anything else: serrated, bread slicers, or other novelty knives, just by cheap stuff.

Now, you need accessories. Get the Shun sharpening steel for sure. It's got a cool magnetic angle on the hilt that supposedly gives you the correct angle for sharpening. You can do it the wussy way--blade down--or pick it up like I do and steel toward yourself in a grand, flourishing manner.

We're not done yet.

You've got a lifetime investment here (You think I'm kidding? Any time you want, send your knife to warranty service and they'll either fix it or send you a brand new one, and they'll always sharpen it. Don't tell them I said so, but that's a pretty sweet way to keep your knives sharpened. I don't think I'd trust any local shop to touch these blades).

But, let's talk wood.

Don't even think about slamming these things down on just any crappy surface. Use a poly board for yucky meat, but you must have a good end grain board for chopping. One word: Boos. Their best (and trust me, I've researched this) is a 12X18 reversible hard maple. Don't be put off by the flatness of this. What I did was buy some little stick-on nylon bumpers and put them on the bottom to prevent sliding and water damage underneath. After, say, ten years, flip it over for a brand new board. If you've got a bigger kitchen, I'm envious, and I recommend the Totally Bamboo 22X16.5 board. It's got feet on it and, hey, it's like a renewable resource to boot.

You know what you'll get for your trouble? The most beautiful ringing sound you've ever heard each and every time you put edge to board. I'm not kidding...it's melodic. And, it protects your knives.

Whichever one you pick, get some Boos Mystery Oil. I don't know what's in it (hey, it's a mystery) but it will keep your rock maple or bamboo boards seasoned and like new for years. Hey, you can use regular olive oil or some other cooking-safe wood protectant, but that's like, I don't know, just too weird. Not to mention not product-specific.

Finally, one small caveat.

While these Pakkawood handles are truly an exquisite thing (and, despite what they say, NEVER put them in the dishwasher), they have one drawback: they're slippery. There's virtually no ergonomics evident from the hilt to the butt, and, while sleek and sexy-looking--and very comfortable in your hand--they don't provide much traction. On more than one occasion, I've found one of the larger knives sliding right out of my hand. It was frightening to think what devastation these sharp blades could have done to my bare foot as it hit the deck. Maybe I'm just clumsy (or drunk), but as any cook knows, food prep requires a lot of water, and your hands get dried and slick. Be careful. And, I don't know, maybe wear shoes.

But, if you can keep them in your hands (and really, I know you can), you will never for one minute in the rest of your life regret this purchase.

"Great Knife", So, I've been in food for my entire life, and at 15 i started full time work in a kitchen. At first I used the typical industrial knives i.e. Dexter Ruseel and Forschner, that we had in the restaurant. I loved these knoves but knew I wanted my own. So being a dishwasher and prep guy, I did not have much to sprend on knies but made a hodge-podge set of knives. MY first santoku was a Wusthof Gourmet 7-in. hollow ground, which was terrific for forty dollars. But that knife has been blown away by this Shun. So when I recieved the knife, i had also ordered two more and a new knife case and began to put my knives in. In the second minute of having the knife, my finger recieved a nice nick. The knife was so sharp that when my finger moved as I put another knife in the case that cut happened. i was so impressed I had to use the knife. I grabbed a tomato, some scallions and a onion. The knife glided through all the products, and just did a tremendous job. If you do by this knife, don't use a steel made by a Western knife company, it won't hurt the knife, but i recognized a slight difference after honing.

So if you are willing to spend a hundred + dollars get this knife. Also people have aid that this knife is bad for big hands, it's a lie. I have huge hands and have not had a problem with my grip, a pinch.

"Truly an oustanding knife!", What a beautiful knife. The damascus layering and the highly polished edge gives it a cool and different look. But what is form without function - especially in kitchen tools? Well, for over two years, the knife has peformed fantastically! The edge is still quite sharp, the finish is still a beauty and have not sent it off to be sharpened. Grant it, it is not in a commercial kitchen setting, just a home where my wife and I like to cook. Also, it is well maintained: I hand wash and steel the knife after every use and it is stored properly in its own cell so that the general population of utensils don't come into contact with it. I have looked at the edge lately with a lupe and it still looks true, no nicks or missing pieces or rusting. It still cuts through vegies, meat, (cooked and raw), pineapples, ginger, etc effortlessly without the resistance and slippage like in a dull knife.

It will require getting use to if your experience is with a French style knife. I own a wusthoff classic 8" cooks knife and started with the french style but it is rarely used now. Also, my wife prefers the 4" wusthof for her work so you need to put your hands on it say at a Williams-Sonoma and see if you like the feel.

Lastly, the experience of using these high end knives is like getting a breath of fresh air after being in a stuffy room (or in an airplane delayed on the runway) for hours and hours. You ask your self why and where have you been? Get good tools for the tasks you use everyday.

"A Chef's Best Friend", Shun brand kitchen knives are some of the best products from a culinary stand point. I've worked in many kitches and held many knives but this by far is the best. Light weight, razor sharp edge even from the abuse of everyday proffesional kitchen stand. If you are just a casual home cook, I'd look for something a little cheaper but if you do a lot of cooking and cutting than by all means buy this knife.

"A great addition to your set", 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!

Read this reviews before You buy...

"The best and beautiful to look at too.", I researched santoku knives before I bought this one. I have a Wusthof Santoku with the dimples in the blade that is supposed keep items you're slicing from sticking to the blade, it doesn't. The Wusthof is light and just didn't perform like I expected it too. I checked a professional chef's site that rated Santoku knives from 1 to 10 and #1 was Shun. Wusthof and Henckels tied at number 7. The Wall Street Journal also recommended Shun highly. In fact, everything I read about Shun was positive. When I received my Shun, I liked the heft and the handle immediately, it is extremely sharp right out of the box. It slices cleanly, no problems with thin skinned or stringy fruits or veggies. Working with this knife doesn't require the effort that the Wusthof knife does. The only downside to owning this Shun, is that you want to replace all your other knives with Shun.

"Everything you've read, it's true", Shun knife's are unbelievably sharp and well made. I started my knife collection with Global, not bad but nothing like Shun. When I was in Sydney, I found a knife ship at the fish market that had a great selection and was introduced to Shun. I've wanted a Santoku and was going to go Global to go with the collection but when I was told about Shun (did some research on the web at my hotel that night), I went back the next day and purchased this knife. It's very, very sharp, keeps an edge much longer than my Global's ever did. If you're looking for the ultimate knife, this is it. Since then, I've picked up a Shun pairing knife which I love as well.

"I would give this one 10 stars if I could", Absolutely the best vegetable knife ever, I do have small hands, and while these are heavy, they are ergonomic and so comfortable to hold. The blade has stayed sharp with months of heavy duty vegetable cutting use and the dishwasher too... I've spent a lot more on german and french knives whose ergonomics don't work for me, and those knives did not hold their edge as long, I just freshen with a sharpening steel every few days so far.

The other reviewer was absolutely right, I am going to forgo a little LCD for my kitchen and will indulge in more of these Shun classic knives instead. Just gave away two knife blocks and their contents ! I can slice 4 lbs of beets to transclucent slices without my hands feeling fatigued -- this knife has made cooking a so much fun, I don't groan when I look at that huge pile of veg I picked up at the farm market since I know it will be a breeze to slice thro them. I don't feel compelled to turn to the mandoline as often. I can see how I would want to own and treasure these for a lifetime. Makes me feel silly in the kitchen -- can imagine myself in the kitchen stadium iron chefing away almost. I plan on getting the Alton angle set tho, can see how the angle would make this fabulous knife even better! Plus I bought this on Alton Brown's recommendation.

"God DAMN!!", over the years, i've moved up the knife ladder one rung at a time -- from the cheapest of all cheapies (the 'forever sharp' serrated knife), to the decent chef's knife (i believe it was a $30 calphalon), to the damn nice 8" chef's knife ($90 -henkels). they all had their moments in the spotlight, even the cheap serrated knife was a step above the paring knife i was using for all my chopping needs prior to it. for our 1st wedding anniversary, my parents gave us a gift certificate to williams-sonoma. we already have EVERYTHING we could possibly need or fit into our kitchen (grain mill, blenders, food processor, mandolin, spice/coffee grinders, ... you name it), and we had just gotten the henkels knife, so i didn't know what to do with the money. and then i saw it: the santoku. a salesman happened to walk by as i was staring/drooling at it in it's display case. it is beautiful -- a piece of art. the finest craftsmanship i've ever seen in a knife.

anyway: long story short, we bought it. i had no idea a knife could be so sharp. the edge is so fine, it's almost invisible to see when you hold it up. it has changed the way i cut my veggies. i feel as though i am a master chef on iron chef with a knife forged in the great fires of some himalyan mountain monastery by Hatori Hanzo ("Kill Bill" reference). do i like it? hells yes! do i recommend it? only if you want the finest knife money can buy (until i find something better).

"Shun Knives are Beautiful, Elegant, and the Sharpest around", I have a whole set of these blades, so I'm breaking down my review to two parts: Review of the Shun Classic Blades, and the portion as it pertains to this knife in particular.

I actually have this knife in the scalloped version. Although it looks kind of cool, I don't know if it really offers any additional advantage. I would have bought this straight version instead, except, I bought my knives as a set and the scalloped version came in my set.

The 6-1/2 inch knife is a utilitarian knife with many uses. It's definitely one of the steady work horse knives that you'll be reaching for all the time. It's a little on the small side, but perfectly in the middle between the real work horse (an 8" blade) and the smaller utility or paring knife.

Shun knives are beautiful creations period. Since I'm Asian, I love the tradition look and feel of this Japanese knife. I love the beauty of the blade and the dark, polished, Pakkawood handle. The unique "D"-shaped, Wood handles are preferable. The shape fits my hand perfectly, and the wood does not get slippery when wet - providing a very secure hold. The steel is of utmost quality and sharpness. Do not put this blade into any old electric knife sharpener! Electric knife sharpeners are made to put one angle on any blade. These blades come with a 16 degree angle and you don't want to be changing that angle. There are electric knife sharpeners that can sharpen these knives, but you'll have to do some research and find out which ones can be a fit with these knives. I prefer to hone with a sharpening steel and manually sharpen with a stone if necessary (and I don't see it being necessary to touch it to a stone any time soon). The blade is sharp straight off the factory and as Alton Brown says - it's the sharpest straight out of the factory edge as he's ever seen.

These knives are more expensive than most, but I think it's definitely worth it. To have the sharpest, most beautiful knife around - it's no contest. If you are on a budget, build your collection slowly. It's been said that there are only 3 knives that are the absolute basics for any kitchen: A 8" Chef's Knife, a Paring Knife, and a Long Serrated blade for cutting bread and larger items. I would add a thin utility knife and a boning knife to that list next. Then I would add those "in-between" sizes as I get more money flow in. =)

If you plan on spending any time in the kitchen, good kitchen knives are a definite must. Preparation is the bulk of cooking and when you have good knives, it cuts down on the danger of cutting yourself, it adds pleasure to the work, and it cuts down on prep time. Knives are also a very personal choice and it's best to at least go to a store and try it out for yourself first. Shun Knives are designed by the Japanese, so remember - it's designed for small hands. This makes it fit most women's hands perfectly, but I've heard of guys with larger hands not like it so much and going back to the German knives. So definitely try it out. It's a personal thing, it needs to fit you.

Why spend so much money on a knife? Well, if you spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and you almost always have to bust out a knife to prep a meal from scratch - why not use the best? Why spend that time with items that you love and brings you pleasure to use? Many times, it's the small things that brings us the most pleasure in life, and I consider my Shun knives as one of those things. Having something so beautiful and yet so sharp and perfect - it makes my time cooking just that much more enjoyable.

Another good thing to know is that although the Shun Knives are usually offered for right-handers, you can get these knives for left-handers. You just need to find the guys who stock and sell those ones as they are less known, and less common.

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