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Product Description
Amazon.com Review
A member of the stylish Shun Classic line, this multipurpose Santoku knife comfortably handles any kitchen cutting need from chopping to mincing, dicing, and slicing. Resembling something between a chef’s knife and a cleaver, this tool features a wide blade measuring 6-1/2 inches in length. The scalloped detailing along the knife’s cutting edge creates air pockets during use to prevent food from adhering its steel surface.
Leveraging a 90-year history of superior workmanship, Shun knives are precision-forged in Japan by renowned blade manufacturer KAI. Using technologically advanced processes, a VG-10 "super steel" core is clad with 16 layers of high-carbon stainless steel to produce a rust-free Damascus-look blade. The Damascus detailing not only enhances the knife’s aesthetic appeal, it also prevents morsels from sticking and avoids crushing or damaging foods. Forming a comfortable D-shaped hold, a fused blend of hardwood veneers and resin comprise the unique ebony Pakkawood handle. A traditionally offset stainless-steel bolster protects knuckles while a steel end-cap finishes the piece. Although dishwasher-safe, hand washing is recommended. This product includes a lifetime warranty. -- Amy Arnold
Amazon.com Product Description
From the Manufacturer
Shun Classic Cutlery
Why Buy Shun Classic:
Born of the ancient samurai-sword-making tradition and hand-finished for precision and beauty, Shun Classic is an ideal choice for anyone buying their first Japanese knife or 50th. The high-quality line of cutlery makes a worthwhile addition to any chef's arsenal of tools--it's used by professional chefs and home cooks alike. Produced in the widest variety of specialized styles, the Classic line features both traditional European blade shapes and innovative cutting-edge designs.
Shun Classic's amazingly sharp blade is famous for both edge retention and ease of sharpening. Each blade has a core of VG-10 "Super Steel" with a Pattern Damascus cladding of 32 layers of high-carbon stainless steel--16 layers on either side. While the wood grain pattern enhances the knife's beauty, it also adds durability and stain resistance, and reduces friction when cutting.
NSF certified for use in commercial kitchens.
Detailed Features
- Blade core consists of high-carbon VG-10, a Japanese super steel known for its edge retention, allowing the knives to hold their sharp edges for years.
- Blades boast a 16-degree angle, making these the sharpest knives out of the box. This is sharper than traditional European blades, which are usually sharpened to 20-22 degrees.
- Clad with 16 layers of SUS410/SUS431 Pattern Damascus stainless steel on each side for strength and flexibility. This metal is corrosion-resistant and easy to maintain.
- Damascus styling adds to the beauty of the knife while the microscopic air pockets created by the cladding process reduces friction during slicing.
- D-shaped handle fits in the palm and provides comfort and control, keeping the knife's handle secure in the hand during use.
- Available standard in D-shaped handle styles or by special order in reverse D-shaped handle styles.
- Pakkawood handles, made of resin-impregnated hardwood, are NSF Certified for use in commercial kitchens.
- Produced in Seki City, Japan, the capital of samurai sword manufacturing.
- Rockwell hardness rating of 60-61 ensures that it takes and holds its incredibly sharp edge longer.
- Hand wash and dry recommended; limited lifetime warranty.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Blade Material: | VG-10 hardened Japanese steel cutting core, clad with 16 layers of SUS410/SUS431 Pattern Damascus stainless steel on each side, for a total of 33 layers of metal. |
| Bevel: | Double-beveled |
| Cutting angle: | 16 degrees per side (comprehensive angle 32 degrees). This is sharper than European knives, ground to 20-22 degrees per side. |
| Handle Material: | PakkaWood (resin-impregnated hardwood); D-Shaped handle available in right and (by special order) left-handed versions. |
| Sharpening recommendations: | Weekly honing to maintain the blade, sharpening as needed with professional sharpener or Asian-style electric sharpener. |
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
171 of 174 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
I should start by saying this is not a true santoku. The reason I say this is because the edge has a considerable rocker to it (curve), unlike the traditional and much flater santoku blade. In fact, the rocker is much closer to the shape of a regular chef's knife. The good news is that this means people accustomed to western chef's knives can jump right into this knife. The bad news? If you're used to a flater santoku this knife will not chop as much (since less of the blade is in play) and it's a little harder to use this blade to scoop the things you've just cut. If you like to rock-and-chop, this knife will do it better than any other santoku. If you like to drop-chop, then this knife isn't going to get quite as long a chop. I like both, so I'm quite happy the knife can perform both jobs.
As advertised, this knife comes with one of the sharpest factory edges you could ever ask for. So far the edge holds up extremely well, a few stroke on the steel and knife edge remains razor sharp.
The knife comes in a nice presentation box, which although pretty, does not present a good way to carry the knife. If you plan on using this outside your house, buy a blade guard or a carrying case. Also, if you're buying a knife this nice, let me recommend that you get a hardwood edge-grain cutting board (or plastic, for you germaphobes). Don't cut on glass or tile, and any other such silly new-tech board. If you're going to pay big bucks for an nice knife, do what it takes to keep it nice.
About actual use: The knife is extremely well-balanced, although I find that the location of the balance take a little getting used to. If you use a standard chef's pinch grip, you will find there are actually two places you could grip the knife. The first place is where the handle curves into the blade. If you look at the picture, you will see this is actually a half inch or so back from the full face of the blade. If you pinch the knife here, you will find the balance to be off slightly, and your index finger will probably fatigue from being wrapped where it is. Also, since you will not be pinching the full face of the knife, you won't get the fine control that the chef's pinch is designed to give.
So, why would you do this? If you're not used to this knifes design you might because of the short part of the tang that extends from the pakka handle. On most chef's knives, your middle finger would wrap around the very front of the handle. You need to break that habit with this knife, because your middle finger actually wraps around the protruding tang, and your ring finger is the first one to wrap around the pakka handle.
If you do this, and pinch the full portion of the blade, the balance of the knife is wonderful. It is lightweight, and chops and slices extremely well. Unfortunately, the knife was definitely made for right handers (good for me, since I'm right handed, but bad for you lefties out there). Not only does the "D" shape of the handle favour a right handed palm, but the blade of the knife is actually off-set from center to the left. That means if you look straight down at the spine of the blade, it is set slightly to the left. This is good for right-handers since it makes the pinch easier (more room to curl the index finger along the face of the blade, and less power needed from the thumb to hold the knife balanced). I tend to think this off set would probably adversely affect left handed use. But, if you're thinking about getting this knife and you're left handed, I'd say go ahead and order it from Amazon. If it doesn't work out, send it back (and post your comments for other left handers!).
As for the scallops, a lot of people ask me if they work. This is what I say: if you're looking for some magical solution that will keep *all* thin-sliced tomatos or mushrooms from sticking to your knife during quick chopping, no, they don't work. If you're looking for something that will help decrease the stickage factor, then yes, they work. Is it worth the $20 price difference? Well, it was for me, but then, I cut a lot of stuff that tends to stick to the blade, so even a little extra help is appreciated.
Overall, for ease of use, Kershaw/KAI has created a superlative product in their Shun line. The knives look great. They are well-balanced. The factory edges are razor sharp. The handles fit a right-handed person extremely well. The materials used are absolutely top notch, and should stand up to a lifetime's worth of residential kitchen use. And, since they are stainless steel, cleaning and maintaining them is a breeze.
I would recommend this knife to anyone who really wants to have a great knife in their kitchen.
As advertised, this knife comes with one of the sharpest factory edges you could ever ask for. So far the edge holds up extremely well, a few stroke on the steel and knife edge remains razor sharp.
The knife comes in a nice presentation box, which although pretty, does not present a good way to carry the knife. If you plan on using this outside your house, buy a blade guard or a carrying case. Also, if you're buying a knife this nice, let me recommend that you get a hardwood edge-grain cutting board (or plastic, for you germaphobes). Don't cut on glass or tile, and any other such silly new-tech board. If you're going to pay big bucks for an nice knife, do what it takes to keep it nice.
About actual use: The knife is extremely well-balanced, although I find that the location of the balance take a little getting used to. If you use a standard chef's pinch grip, you will find there are actually two places you could grip the knife. The first place is where the handle curves into the blade. If you look at the picture, you will see this is actually a half inch or so back from the full face of the blade. If you pinch the knife here, you will find the balance to be off slightly, and your index finger will probably fatigue from being wrapped where it is. Also, since you will not be pinching the full face of the knife, you won't get the fine control that the chef's pinch is designed to give.
So, why would you do this? If you're not used to this knifes design you might because of the short part of the tang that extends from the pakka handle. On most chef's knives, your middle finger would wrap around the very front of the handle. You need to break that habit with this knife, because your middle finger actually wraps around the protruding tang, and your ring finger is the first one to wrap around the pakka handle.
If you do this, and pinch the full portion of the blade, the balance of the knife is wonderful. It is lightweight, and chops and slices extremely well. Unfortunately, the knife was definitely made for right handers (good for me, since I'm right handed, but bad for you lefties out there). Not only does the "D" shape of the handle favour a right handed palm, but the blade of the knife is actually off-set from center to the left. That means if you look straight down at the spine of the blade, it is set slightly to the left. This is good for right-handers since it makes the pinch easier (more room to curl the index finger along the face of the blade, and less power needed from the thumb to hold the knife balanced). I tend to think this off set would probably adversely affect left handed use. But, if you're thinking about getting this knife and you're left handed, I'd say go ahead and order it from Amazon. If it doesn't work out, send it back (and post your comments for other left handers!).
As for the scallops, a lot of people ask me if they work. This is what I say: if you're looking for some magical solution that will keep *all* thin-sliced tomatos or mushrooms from sticking to your knife during quick chopping, no, they don't work. If you're looking for something that will help decrease the stickage factor, then yes, they work. Is it worth the $20 price difference? Well, it was for me, but then, I cut a lot of stuff that tends to stick to the blade, so even a little extra help is appreciated.
Overall, for ease of use, Kershaw/KAI has created a superlative product in their Shun line. The knives look great. They are well-balanced. The factory edges are razor sharp. The handles fit a right-handed person extremely well. The materials used are absolutely top notch, and should stand up to a lifetime's worth of residential kitchen use. And, since they are stainless steel, cleaning and maintaining them is a breeze.
I would recommend this knife to anyone who really wants to have a great knife in their kitchen.
49 of 51 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
This review is for the Santoku with scallops. This is the best kitchen knife that I have gotten. I have Kasumi, Kyocera ceramic, Henckles, plus some Japanese sashimi knives. This is the sharpest knife that I have gotten from the factory. It is far sharper than my ceramics.
I first saw the knife being used in a knife class in a cooking school.
The scallops work very nicely to prevent tomato slices from sticking to the blade. One of the ways that I know a knife is sharp is how it cuts into the skin of a tomato. It takes almost no force with the Shun. You can just pull it and the weight of the blade cuts into the tomato!
As mentioned before, the handle is for right handers and feels really good. I have never gotten used to the real chef way of grasping the blade between the thumb and index finger. If you do it this way, the handle shape doesn't make much of a difference.
This is the first santoku blade that I have gotten. I like the depth, but I haven't gotten used to the straighter edge. I am used to the more curved edge of conventional kitchen knives. It is easier to rock a curved edge in making a complete cut.
The damascus pattern is nice, but the Kasumi had a much denser pattern and looks like wood. The Shun looks like wide stripes.
I use a ceramic hone to keep the edge before I use the knife. It seems to really keep the sharpness. So far, I haven't had to really sharpen the blade yet.
I got it from amazon.com.
I first saw the knife being used in a knife class in a cooking school.
The scallops work very nicely to prevent tomato slices from sticking to the blade. One of the ways that I know a knife is sharp is how it cuts into the skin of a tomato. It takes almost no force with the Shun. You can just pull it and the weight of the blade cuts into the tomato!
As mentioned before, the handle is for right handers and feels really good. I have never gotten used to the real chef way of grasping the blade between the thumb and index finger. If you do it this way, the handle shape doesn't make much of a difference.
This is the first santoku blade that I have gotten. I like the depth, but I haven't gotten used to the straighter edge. I am used to the more curved edge of conventional kitchen knives. It is easier to rock a curved edge in making a complete cut.
The damascus pattern is nice, but the Kasumi had a much denser pattern and looks like wood. The Shun looks like wide stripes.
I use a ceramic hone to keep the edge before I use the knife. It seems to really keep the sharpness. So far, I haven't had to really sharpen the blade yet.
I got it from amazon.com.
33 of 33 people found the following review helpful
I've been reading a lot about Santoku granton edge knives lately and decided to get one. All my knives are from Kershaw Shun line and I'm very happy with them, so I bought this one to add to my collection. First impression on opening the box "WOW this thing is BIG." I didn't think I'd be able to use this knife because I have small hands and the balance felt off. So it sat in its nice presentation box for a while. I finally decided to use it and almost took couple of fingers off. It's an extremely sharp knife and my other Kershaws weren't this sharp. It did take some getting used to, but now I love this knife. I don't use it every day, but if I need to do a lot of slicing and chopping I take it out. It gets the job done much quicker than my other knives and is a pleasure to use. Almost no pressure is required to cut, just let the knife fall and it cuts all the way down to your board. This knife requires all of your attention on it, otherwise you'll seriously hurt yourself. I wash it as soon as I'm done with it and put away immediately. Overall, after initial fears about size, heft and self-mutulation subsided, I'm very happy with it.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Really Sharp....
Beautiful knife. Really sharp. Haven't used it too much yet, so I don't know how long it will hold the edge. Read more
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Published 8 months ago by Dan
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Published 10 months ago by Ronald D. Bell
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This was my first Shun knife that I got for my birthday a few years ago. Since then I've stopped using all the other knifes I owned and just use this one instead for anything it... Read more
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This is a beautiful knife. It was very sharp new and holds an edge well. It is my first Shun knife and I hope to purchase additional Shun knives in the future. Read more
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