Customer Reviews

Shun Ken Onion 3-Piece Knife Set

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The first point I want to make is: these are some very sharp knives. The blade is incredible, so much so that I wanted to put that first, just so you'd know. I was looking for some knives to round out my collection, and wanted them mostly for fine cutting of veggies, and of fruit for garnishing, and for general kitchen prep that doesn't demand a giant chef's knife, fine detail work. I really wanted knives that were comfortable and perfectly balanced, and that were flexible enough for different types of tasks. After searching, I decided on these, because I liked the range of blades, and because I've been making a lot of veggie heavy Asian dishes--these seemed perfect. And, they've worked wonderfully, and have that balance and comfort level that makes chopping a whole bowl of carrots a pleasure, and not a chore. And the edges: so sharp, and they don't seem to be losing any of the sharpness yet. Overall, I'm very happy with this set.

Shun makes the best kitchen knives I have ever owned, bar none. The Ken Onion designs are uniquely ergonomic and very functional. They all come with a razor sharp edge right out of the box and are easy to re-hone with just a few strokes on a steel (a Shun steel is well worth purchasing to accompany this set). The weight and balance of all these knifes are perfect, even the smallest one, and the perfectly crafted profiles chop or slice through darn near anything (food-like anyway) with ease. I strongly recommend using a quality hardwood or bamboo chopping board to protect your investment. Courion or other hard substances are much harder on the blade edge; you'll have to resharpen it much more often.

Great set of knives for people who need to fill out their empty knife-blocks. We had been admiring Shun knives for the longest time, but we cannot afford to put down >$500 for a set of knives at one time. Therefore, we told advantage of the lightning deals and bought these immediately. Beautifully constructed. Will now start to fill out my own Shun Ken Onion series!

My first Shun knife was a Ken Onion by Shun 8-Inch Chef's Knife. I saw it at W&S but didn't handle it because it was in a case. If I actually held it, I would have bought it on the spot. These knives are ergonomically designed with a hefty handle the fits firmly in your hand. I have a bunch of kitchen knives including F. Dick, Wustoff, Globe and a few Shuns. (I used to be a chef but the hours killed me.) The Shuns are by far the best quality, sharpest and hold an edge the longest.

The Damascus-style steel is extremely sharp and holds its edge longer than my other knives and doesn't rust like true Damascus steel. When I do sharpen the knife, I use a Chef's Choice Professional Sharpener with excellent results. The purists out there contend that these knives need to be sharpened at an 18 degree angle and not the 20 degree angle of my sharpener. While a smaller angle produces a sharper edge, it doesn't last as long.

Although I primarily use a conventional curved blade 8"/10" chef's knives, I've been using the Santoku lately for smaller tasks. In my opinion, dicing vegetables is faster and easier with a Santoku. You need to be careful not to cut yourself because the Santoku handles a little differently.

Needless to say: These are strictly hand wash only. Don't even think about putting them in a dishwasher.

As these knives are heavier than other knives, you might want to see how they fit your hand before buying them.

I noticed another reviewer said the handles were loose on two knives and another said there were marks from the finishing grinder. I won't dispute their accuracy but that hasn't been my experience. I got these on the GB special so the two smaller knives were essentially free. The mid-sized knife is not that usefull so you should seriously consider Ken Onion by Shun 8-Inch Chef's Knife as a much better knife at a lower price.

Got these knives on deal of the day. It was very well worth it. It's basically buy the Santoku and get the other 2 knives for free. I mainly use the Santoku but the other 2 knives are good for minor things. The 4 inch chef isn't bad, good for small amout of cutting. It slices through things like a hot knife though butter. Just a word of caution, if you wanted to buy the shun bamboo block, the Santoku will not fit the block. You have to get the special Ken Onion block, they are made for wider knives.
I got Kyocera Damascus ceramic knives for Christmas last year and let me tell you, these knives are even better. Even tho this set only cost the same as 1 of the Kyocera. I like this set so much, I'm thinking of buying the 7 piece Ken Onion set.

I bought these as a gift for my boyfriend last year when they were a deal of the day. What a deal! Having used these almost a full year now, I'd seriously consider buying them at full price. Unfortunately the tip on the smallest knife did get bent by a friend, but it still works really well. We did end up buying the knife block for them since the blades are so wide, they wouldn't fit in one of our older blocks. The knives have slightly dulled (they get a lot of use), but they're still sharper than any of our other knives. Highly recommend them.

Bought these for my wife who is a serious home chef. She will not use her Henkel's anymore because the Shun's are far superior in both balance and sharpness. Also, Shun sharpens their products free of charge...all you do is pay for the postage to Shun. They sharpen and send them back free!

Love these knives; bought them for my husband because he's a collector, but both of us use them. They look very distinctive and seem to stay sharp!

very well design for use as well as for esthetically pleasing, I love to use them.

I managed to pick these up during the holiday season when they were on sale. I would consider them even at full price after using them. I have cut tomatoes just by resting the knife on the skin. You never quite realize how much extra work you put into cooking until you have a nice set of knives. Onions don't cause me to tear up any more. I can mince without any clever workings, the knife just cuts. I have trimmed meat with a thought, or so it seems.

After working with these for just two weeks, I took a bunch of my other knives to get sharpened. I couldn't stand the sawing, the work and effort that my other knives now required. The local knife store was even very appreciative of the Shun knives. These guys are professionals, who deal with blades every day, and they had very respectful words.

After just under 3 months of near constant use, my Shun knives are still as good as they day I took them in. If you're considering these, you won't be disappointed.