Others say...

"Comfortable, sharp, nice Quality."
I first tried the Shun chefs knife and loved it. This paring knife is great. Everything I want from a paring knife; Sharp, Comfortable, just flexible enough and a great grip.

"Good for the price."
We have several Shuns, and they are a cheaper alternative to Hattori. They are worth what you pay, but not the best out there, as some have declared. They, like other top Japanese knives, need to be sharpened at 12 to 15 degrees to get the best performance. This negates their use for heavier use, so a traditional 20 degree knife needs to be kept as well. The Spanish Henckels or Forschners do this well.

They are available for lefties, too, but you have to ask or special order them.

"Great overlooked tool. Buy It."
Before I started doing any serious cooking, I never quite saw the point of the 'big' knives and ended up doing practically everything with a cheap stamped paring knife. Then, I discovered the beauty of the mid-sized chef's knife and the rocking action you can use to make short work of veggie prep. Finally, I discovered the sheer bliss of very sharp large knives starting with the great German brands and graduating to these new Shun knives after my hero, Alton Brown started shilling for Shun and Khershaw. It was easy to forget the utility of a great little paring knife, especially if it was just as sharp as its big brothers.

Now that I've gotten one of these little beauties, I have come back to admiring its qualities. Without a very sharp paring knife, jobs like cleaning and butterflying shrimp can be a real drag in that the flesh of the shrimp is so soft, a dull knife won't even cut into it without really dangerous pressure or shear. Here's a poster case for the dangers of dull knives, as you are typically not pressing down on a nice firm cutting board, you are usually cutting toward your thumb or index finger.

All lecturing aside, if you do a wide range of cooking, you may not use a paring knife often, but when you do,you will really appreciate having this little sharpie on hand!

"Great knives, but watch out lefties!"
I agree with all of the accolades given to this paring knife by other reviewers. It's razor sharp and a work of art. However, it is designed for a right handed person, which shouldn't be surprising given that it's designed and made in Japan. As you may have guessed, I'm left-handed. Most people don't realize how many products are designed for righties and the challenges this presents for lefties. The asymmetry on this isn't so severe that I won't be able to use it, largely because it is so small. The "D" shape described in the product info isn't quite accurate, there is a ridge running down the right side of the handle, designed to fit in the crease of your hand. That ridge hits the middle of my thumb when I hold the knife in my left hand.

This knife is great, but I won't be able to get a larger version unless they do away with the "D-shaped Pakkawood handle; comfortable offset steel bolster" or make a left-handed version.

"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 absolutely love this knife and it's my second most used knife. My first most used is my work horse, the Shun Ken Onion 8" Chef's Knife. There are many small tasks that the Paring Knife is a must for though, and that's when I grab this one. When you want to trim a nice piece of meat, rib a green pepper, etc...you don't want a big knife, you need this little one. It's little, but so sharp that it slices through anything like butter, making prep work so easy and enjoyable.

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.