Shun DM0706 Classic 8-Inch Chef's Knife
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List Price: Our Price: $169.75 You Save: $43.25 (20%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $159.95 (click here) Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Shun DM0706 Classic 8-Inch Chef's Knife
Customer Review: Great Knife
Summary: 4 Stars
I have recently bought the 8 inch chef knife. So far I'm loving this knife. I also own the J.A. Henckels Twin Two Star II 8inch chef knife, I do love the weight and balance better. However the great thing about these Japanese knives are they have a much lower angle on the blade. They are more prone to bend on the tip of the blade, so make sure you take care of them. Because the blade is at an lower angle they slice thought most things like butter. This knife uses a special VG-10 steal on the inside of the blade and coated with stainless, which makes it as strong as a thicker blade that uses high carbon steal.
Pros: For the price that I paid for this knife it's the best so far.
The handle is very well balance with blade. The D shaped handle works really well (Shun makes a left handed one but I think you might need to order it directly thought Shun). Shun offer free knife sharping for the life of you or the knife, depends on which one comes last. They stay sharp for a very long time. (Most expert recommend sharping the knife once a year.)
Cons: The cost of these are more than what most people wants to spend on one knife. (I say spend more for a really good knife and never have to buy another knife) They use a different kind of steal and the angle is very different from most knife, so you can't really buy a knife sharpener or take it to most pro. knife sharpener, must be sent in to have it sharpen correctly. Have to be more careful with these knifes because, from the drop point of the knife to the blade it is very thin, so it could bend. (If you don't want to be careful, high carbon steal would be better. Like Henckels Twin series or Wusthof Classic.)
All in all, I would buy these if these where to get lost or something. In the cost around $100 to $200, these are the best in my opinion. I have tried many Chef knife before I came to these knifes but I do also use my Henckels also, because I love them both. I did received them very quick from Amazon, their time from payment to ship is like the same day which is why I love about Amazon. But remember one thing about buying knifes, it must and have to feel good when your holding it. No matter how sharp they are, if it doesn't feel right in your hand its pretty useless like a two knife. Make you go down to your local store and try them out before you buy them.
Customer Review: Pretty and wicked sharp, but not for everyone
Summary: 5 Stars
As the title says, this blade isn't for everyone. For anyone who's used to heavy knives, this knife might be disappointing. It's very light, but something not to be missed, very well balanced.
Now don't get me wrong. I love my Shun and use it quite often, paired with my hollow ground Viking chef. While I'm on that note, as many have said in the reviews here, it's a beautiful tool to use for cutting up delicate meats, fish and poultry, but as far as cutting through veggies, it leaves something to be desired. But on one hand, you do also have to realise that it IS an Asian style knife and not ment for brute work (which is where my Viking comes in at).
Asthetically, it's beautiful. Its very appealing and pleasing to the eye. Functionallity speaking, for what I use it for, it works wonders. HEAVY ISN'T ALWAYS BETTER. I'm seriously concidering getting a set of these to (again) pair with my Viking set. Between the two, I'd be ready for just about any culinary situation that may come my way.
One thing to note is that I work in a very high paced and demanding kitchen. Since I got my Shun a few months ago, it (like any quality knife) hasn't failed me. It hones and keeps an edge very well and I really only steel it once a day before I clock in. I've used it a lot within a 12 hour shift. Sometimes I use it more than my Viking, sometimes not. Sometimes I'll just use it all day and keep the other put away. Either way, it keeps its edge and ready for me to use.
Unlike most European blades that use a 20 degree sharpening angle, it's IMPORTANT to remember that with these knives, it takes a 16 degree angle and it does take some getting used to, along with actually useing the knife itself.
All in all, I love my Shun as much as I do my Viking. It takes some getting used to when transitioning to an Asian blade, but worth it. It's sharp and stays that way for a long while. The only thing that would make me move from this knife would probably be a different Shun all together. I'm extremely picky about what I use in the kitchen and I Shun has deffinitely impressed me with their most basic of knife line. It's very worth looking into for their more professional cutlery. But for now, the Shun Classic suits my needs and as I said, the only thing I may possibly trade it for would be something else from Shun's line up.
Customer Review: Good but I've seen better
Summary: 3 Stars
I got into Japanese knives via Shun, and they are fine knives in general, but in the case of their chef's knives I think there are better alternatives. The Shun 6" Chef is lightweight, to my way of thinking, and the radical shear of the blade is not the most useful on the cutting board. The 8" doesn't suit me either, the handle too long and the edge of the blade too curved to provide a good chopping edge.
I've done better with the 7" Hattori HD, also of the "Damascus" type, though more discreetly banded. It's a less exotic-looking knife than the Shun, with a conventional Western handle, but makes for a more useful cutting tool and, for me, is better balanced and more comfortable in the hand. The blade is sharper too, but may be more fragile. Finer still are the somewhat more expensive Misono UX 10 chef's knives, among the best short of truly serious-money Japanese masterpieces. The Misono is still more Western-looking than the Hattori--no Damascus effect, not a single Japanese ideogram on it, and even the steel is Swedish, although the cutting edge is honed 80/20, nearly one-sided, rather than the Western 50/50--but it's as fine any reasonably affordable knife I've seen and it's sturdier than the Hattori. The edge differential shouldn't scare you off unless you're left-handed, in which case you need the appropriate model.
Shun makes good knives, but can be faulted for going for exotic looks above all--a marketing move that has worked well for them, but showy. On the other hand, the blades are good, and the D-handles have a special ergonomic appeal. I think their santokus and utility knives provide good value. With the chef's knives, though, I'd suggest investigating other possibilities, though it will cost you a few dollars more in the case of Hattori and nearly 50% more for the Misono UX 10s.
For less money and greater sharpness than anything I've mentioned, you can hunt up the Hiromoto AS series. Their downside is that their high-carbon edges require more care against corrosion, and as Japanese knives go, they look crude, even ugly; but you can split an atom with them, easy.
Customer Review: Better Than 5 Stars!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
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. Check them out on the Web at kershawknives.com.
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 (chefsresource.com for lefties). 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.
I have small hands and this knife felt perfect. The weight was just right and it just fit well in my hand. This knife makes quick work of everything because it is so sharp. It is also much lighter than my previous knife, so I feel like I'm using a lot less force to slice and chop. I have the 7" santoku as well, but this is the knife that I will use for the majority of the prep.
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, check out cooksillustrated.coms' equipment ratings.
This is probably the best kitchen purchase I've made and the one I'm most proud of.
Customer Review: They don't come any better!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my fourth Shun knife and it looks like I'm going for the complete set. Me, and the rest of my crew! You see, I work as a sous chef in a busy restaurant and over the years have amassed two (yes 2!) complete sets of german knives, great knives themselves. But when my exec. chef recently threw over his beloved forschner knives for these shuns, I had to found out why. So I bought my first one, a 7 in. santoku. It instantly became my favorite! I used it for the bulk of my chopping and dicing (and I do alot of that). The d-shaped handles are fabulous; they give you a good grip, comfortable for the long haul and slip-resistant when your fingers are wet or oily. My only complaint about the santoku is that it doesn't seem to keep it's sharp edge as long; it's a little thicker than the other blades and it takes more "steel" time to get it back to razor sharp. Pretty well impressed, I moved on to the big work horse - the 10 in. chef. Ok, it's now my favorite. It handles the bigger slicing jobs with such ease, it's a dream to use. And it was this knife that sold my crew on shuns. Now three out of five of them have at least one shun knife - the 8 in. chef - and looking to buy more. I still use my german knives; they continue to have their place in a restaurant kitchen with all the varied prep tasks that I have to do. But I find that the shuns come out more often than any other. And as we all stand around the prep tables furiously working, every one of us has a shun in our hand. These knives are definitely worth the investment.