Shun Classic 7-Inch Santoku Hollow Ground
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List Price: Our Price: $124.75 You Save: $32.25 (21%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Shun Classic 7-Inch Santoku Hollow Ground
Customer Review: Fabulous santoku - and great for women and those with small hands!
Summary: 5 Stars
The good reviews sum it up aptly, but I would like to add that after owning a set of Henckels I grew to loathe in the extreme (they never hold an edge and sharpening is not cheap!), and after testing every set at Williams-Sonoma, Shun D-shaped handles are the perfect fit for those with hands smaller than the average (seemingly German) male for whom almost all kitchen equipment is designed (nevermind that most people actually cooking in most homes on a daily basis are women). Rant aside, this knife is all that and a bag of chips. Tomatoes are a breeze with this knife - as is everything else I have thrown at it so far. They are insanely sharp, and they really hold an edge. My food prep time has been cut in half since owning this and the Ken Onion chef knife. They're just so much sharper and they don't slip around because they really fit my hand and have the perfect heft. If you can only afford one good knife, I'd probably pick the Shun chef knife although the handle of the santoku is better and it can do most everything the chef's knife can do. But if you can afford it, get them both - you won't need anything else.Customer Review: Don't get sold on the hype
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a great knife, everyone agrees. But is this knife that much better than its cheaper competitors? (MAC, Wustoff etc knives which cost over $40). After purchasing this knife, I am convinced it is not.
This knife is very sharp indeed and you won't complain about its sharpness. But some of the reviews in Amazon hype it to a point where it can cut through anything. No, this isn't a Ginsu (not the TV commercial version anyway) and it can't cut through nails.
The reviews on other high quality knives (especially MAC knives) are just as good. In fact, one consumer quality magazine rates the MAC knives over the Shun. My guess is that those knives are just as sharp and good since the sharpness of this knife isn't awe inspiring.
Customer Review: Shun vs MAC brand
Summary: 5 Stars
I've decided to go with MAC brand santoku after reading several reviews. Customer Review: If you want The Best
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm not a professional but treat cooking as a hobby. I've cooked with probably at least about 6 different brands of knives and recently did a lot of research on the quest for the final knife to last me a lifetime. My last set which I still use is the Wustof Culinar (handles are metal and ergonomic) - I liked them a lot but I never quite got used to the ergonomic handles. I also tried the top of the line Kyocera Kyotop Ceramic Santoku knife. Not cheap. I have average to even smallish size male hands. The Kyocerya 5-1/2" knife was too small, my knuckles barely touched the cutting board when I chopped.
As I see it, essentially everyone has two major decisions, the material of the blade and the angle of the blade edge. Most all agree that a high-carbon, forged steel blade is the way to go (with a full tang of course.) I'd venture to say that Kyocera's top of the line Ceramic is just as good a choice, especially if you want a lighter knife. The Kyotop model has a stronger blade than their other models so the whole thing about breaking and chipping almost becomes a non-issue.
Regarding the blade angle. European-made knives typically have a the edge honed to a angle of 18-20 degrees. Japanese knifes like this one typically are sharper with a edge honed to 16 to 18 degrees. This is possible in part because typically Japanese knives have a higher hardness (If I remember this knife has a Rockwell hardness of 61.)
This knife is SCARY sharp out of the box, like a Surgeon's instrument. BE CAREFUL. The handle is very comfortable (I went to Sur La Table and tried several knives and I liked the feel of this one.) The handle is pretty beefy so women with small hands may not like it. It also has a D shape which would not be suitable for left handed cooks.
Once you get to a certain level of knife, it is really all about which one you find the most comfortable. If you want what is probably one of the world's finest Santoku knives, check this one out. It will last a lifetime. It is well worth the money if you are into cooking. I'm very happy with it. Remember to have it professionally sharpened every couple years.
The fact there was only one other review here says that not a lot of people know about this knife (or are willing to fork out that kind of dough) which is why I decided to do the write-up. You get what you pay for. Better to buy one high-quality knife once in a life than 3 lower quality, one every 10 years or so?
Customer Review: Better Than Five Stars!!
Summary: 5 Stars
11/11/06 Update: I can say now that I have no regrets. This knife is actually my favorite knife and the one I reach for first. I have to force myself to use my chef's knife. My Shuns are still sharp!
I believe if you're serious about cooking, you should own great cookware and excellent knives. I finally stepped up and got excellent knives. For those who haven't heard the hype, Shun is one of the most respected knife brands in the world. [...]
Great features of the entire line include these cool "D" shaped handles that fit your hand better. Each knife is made in a right- and left-handed version [...]. The handles are made of wood and are specially treated. The steel used for the blades is harder than what you would find in most other knives. The knives are EXTREMELY sharp. One thing to note about Asian knives is that they must be sharpened at a different angle, 16-18 degrees vs. 20 degrees for German knives. The Shun steel takes the guesswork out of getting the angle correct because of the flat edge on one side of the metal disc below the handle.
About the 7" scalloped santoku ... this is my first Shun knife. It is honestly the sharpest knife I have ever used. I minced onion with relatively no effort. I didn't feel any resistance while cutting and the job went amazingly quickly.
I have small hands and this knife felt perfect. The weight was just right and it just fit well in my hand. I will have to make adjustments to my grip as I get used to the knife. (I used the traditional grip you would use on a German blade chef's knife my hand slipped toward the blade.) This knife will not replace my chef's knife, but it will see a lot of action.
This is an expensive, but lifetime investment. I encourage you to visit stores and feel the knives in your hand to make sure you are comfortable with them. For more info on Shun, check out Alton Brown's website. For ratings on various brands and types of knives[...]
This is probably the best kitchen purchase I've made and the one I'm most proud of. I can't wait until the rest of the set arrives.