Shun DM0718 Classic 7-Inch Santoku Hollow Ground Knife
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List Price: Our Price: $139.95 You Save: $73.05 (34%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $130.02 (click here) Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Shun DM0718 Classic 7-Inch Santoku Hollow Ground Knife
Customer Review: Shun Knives are Beautiful, Elegant, and the Sharpest around
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
This knife comes in a scalloped and regular edge. Although the scalloped edge 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.
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: Shun Santoku classic ~ compare to Kramer version
Summary: 5 Stars
UPDATE: 2009:
I now own the bob kramer version of shun santoku (returned the classic)..
The SG2 steel (instead of the SH10 steel) is superior.. I have mesquite cutting boards (3x as hard as hard maple), and the Kramer (SG2 steel) holds its edge better.. Although the SG10 in the regular shun was better than any knife I had used previously.. The kramer is ever so slightly larger, and the blade edge is ever so slightly rounded (instead of straight), compared to the classic version.. Both these things make the Kramer more difficult to use than the classic.. The rounded edge makes you do a lot of work to chop up herbs (etc) fine, because you have to rock the knife in a rolling motion (where the classic was more of a chop; a chop that worked really well).. Google the kramer; it looks fantastic..
END 2009 UPDATE:
I cant remember where I bought mine.. [...],
The design on the blade is subtle and nice.. It resembles Damascus steel (an art that has been lost.. probably too labor intensive to manufacture the exact same way anyway)..
I have the granton edge.. I compared it with mushrooms and tomatoes with the same shun without the granton edge.. The granton edge does make a difference (slicing thru without sticking), but neither knife is perfect in this respect (I suspect no knife is)..
I love the D shaped handle.. Fels very good and stable in my hand.. This is why I returned the elite, and got the classic..
I believe the edge on this knife is superior to cheaper knifes.. I literally shaved a patch of hair off my arm (testing it at the store).. It is tricky to get the same edge when I resharpen it.. I bought the gatco set (google it).. They reccommend medium diamond hone, followed by the ultra file 1200 hone.. This knife does hond a better edge than my old Henkles (using my skill set in sharpening)..
I may sell mine on ebay to buy the bob kramer (Shun) version of this knife.. Same thing only better.. Im not sure on this one, but I believe the kramer has ever so slight more curve of the blade (which I personally like).. But I mainly want the 65 rockwell hardness (I dont do bones)..
Customer Review: Better Than 5 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 see Cooks Illustrated.
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.
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.