Product Description
Feel the power of the first truly ergonomic chef's knife! This Shun Knife by Kershaw is designed by ken Onion, one of the worlds top knife designers. This patent pending design features a special angled curved bolster and specially shaped handle that fits perfectly in the hand, releasing all tension in your arm. The extra curve on the blade allows for an easier flowing motion across the cutting board, and the tip allows for easier scooping. Combine all of this with the sharpest Japanese edge available, and you have perfection. The design of this knife will make you an immediate chopomatic in the kitchen.
Read more Ken Onion by Shun 8-Inch Chef's Knife
I'll preface this review with my past experience with "good" knives.
If you're even looking at this knife, you're considering investing in the most important tool in any chef's arsenal. I've used Global (Japanese) Wustof and Henckels (German) and Chicago cutlery (US). A knife is a matter of feel. Before you spend money on ANY high end knife, hold it for a test drive, hold it as if you would when you cook. If you don't know how to use a pinch grip, learn it for this knife and you'll never go back. I'd suggest hitting up your local over priced kitchen supply store (WS) as they probably have a good selection of knives. Try your mall. I did prefer German knives as I liked the weight and the size fit my hand correctly. Until I held the Ken Onion Shun 8" knife.
I take care of my knives. I steel them before I use them, (contrary to popular belief, steeling does NOT sharpen a knife, it just hones an already sharp edge.) I have my knives professionally sharpened twice a year, as I used them daily. I hand wash and dry them when I'm done. Never put a good knife in the dishwasher.
On to the knife itself... I'm a technical, somewhat frugal person, so I delved into an absurd amount of research before I purchased this blade. So I hope I can help people make an educated buy.
The knife is made with VG-10 stainless steel core with 16 layers of SUS410 high carbon stainless steal on each side. This creates the "damascus" look that gives it's hot layered look. The problem with original damascus, it would rust. This combination is much more rust resistant. What does this mean? VG-10 is a very hard composite of steel. It's going to keep and hold an edge longer than our German cooking knives brothers.
This knife is also sharpened at a 16 degree angle, and German and American knives and sharpened at a 20 degree angle. 4 degrees doesn't sound like much, but microscopically to a knife, it's a big deal.
I've hesitated with using my honing steel as I normally would have, 20 degrees is a natural motion for me. I do steel this knife, but I make it a deliberate 15 or 16 degree angle. If you're used to steeling fast, get used to an adjustment. Do not steel this at 20 degrees, and at this price, make sure your knife sharpener knows it a 16 degree angle, as they're wheels are usually set default to 20 degrees. The company offers free knife sharpening at cost of one way shipping and a lifetime warranty.
Performance, this knife is unmatched. With a pinch grip, it literally feels like an extension of my hand. The designer Ken Onion, is not a chef. HE designed the knife for KAI shun with a fresh outlook and no preconceived notions. He's a knife maker. To design a chef knife he recorded food network chef's and measured the angle of cutting, then attended a culinary school and got exact measurements. End result is a perfect knife. I use it daily, I have medium sized man hands, my wife has tiny hands and she uses it, with a pinch grip, effortlessly. The weight of the blade pierces through vegetable skin without any effort. With a professionally sharpened German knife I have to saw for a split second after a couple months of use, not so with this blade, like butter every time. I have carpal tunnel from years of typing, gaming and cooking. I prepped for three hours one evening and realized I had no fatigue. I can butcher beef or chicken, fish, lamb. Best knife I've ever owned.
Lastly I'll say this on price. I'm not a wealthy person. I had a very hard time justifying $200 for a knife. My wife, have to love her, convinced me with this. "You've researched this knife like you do everything. You'll use it everyday. You'll take care of it. You'll have it for the rest of your life. Instead of spending $120 on a knife you want, why not spend $200 on the knife you REALLY want. If you don't like it, return it." I couldn't argue with that. I love my wife, and I love this knife.
Good for Stainless Steel. I had a High Carbon Japanese knife that cost me $80 that was sharper and stayed sharper but would instantly rust if you didn't wipe the blade. Really designed for vegetables only. The blade broke cutting the top off a baby coconut. The Shun Ken Onion blade is a work horse. Doesn't rust and probably whack away at baby coconuts all day (but not as sharp as I was lead to believe from the reviews) I'll put it to the sharpening stone and see what happens. But I have the feeling if you are used to high carbon Japanese steel this won't replace it. Different knifes for different purposes that have different advantages. I gave it three stars for this reason. For a high end $ work blade it would get 4 stars.
I just wanted to add a note that this knife is IDEAL for small hands. And for those of us used to adapting to a "big person's" world... it is a very big deal. Beautifully balanced, and not cumbersome.
This knife looks like a piece of art work, but still performs all tasks a chef needs a knife for. The blade continues to stay sharp, even with daily use. The handle fits comfortably in the user's hand, allowing full control at all times. Excellent value for the price.
I've had my knife for about 1 year, and it's essentially the only knife I use. I use it for everything from processing chickens (where its significant weight is an advantage) to mincing garlic (the thin edge making a cisseler fairly easy). Like any good chef's knife, it has enough versatility to handle virtually any job (when properly used). Its edge retention has been fantastic, and the sharpness from the factory was superior. Consequently, I haven't even considered having it resharpened.
In short, I love this knife. However, this knife isn't for everyone. The large bolster makes choking up for a pinch grip difficult (or just plain uncomfortable) for someone. Neither my mother nor my wife can comfortably hold this knife, due to their small hands. I, however, cannot comfortably hold a typical chef's knife in a pinch grip for extended periods (the spine of the knife tends to dig into my hand and wear it raw). I have no such problems with the Ken Onion.
Similarly, due to the design of the handle and bolster it forces the user to attempt to choke up. Gripping the knife purely by the handle (which is improper technique, yet finds favor with many) will result in the knife feeling unwieldy - even more than a typical chef's knife. The knife also features a 3/4 tang; I can't see any good justification for this (perhaps aesthetics?), although if you grip it properly (i.e. by a pinch) then you will never put much force on the un-supported base of the handle.
Furthermore, although the edge retention appears to be exceptional, eventually it will require sharpening. Due to the high curvature of the blade (which I rather like and find to be useful for slicing), I imagine that it would be difficult to sharpen with a whet stone. Kershaw (who makes and markets Shun knives) does offer a sharpening service via mail, although I have yet to try to use this service. I can't speak to whether or not it's worthwhile. My knife sharpening guy seems to think that an accurate double-bevel grind will work just fine (I'm not sure what grind the knife has in the new-from-factory condition - I know it's not a chisel or hollow grind, though). Again, I haven't had to have mine sharpened, so take that for what it's worth.
As I said before, I have only had my knife for around a year. I can't speak to the long-term durability of the knife or to Kershaw's customer support. I also tend to baby my knife (always steeling the knife prior to use and washing/drying immediately following use, always cutting on a proper cutting surface, etc), so I expect the knife to last a long time regardless of the quality of its construction.
All that being said, this is a very high quality knife. I love mine, and barring some catastrophic damage I foresee using it for many years to come. However, it's not for everyone. The grip and curvature of the blade will make it uncomfortable or unusable for some. I suggest that, if you have the opportunity, you try this knife before purchasing it. Given that it is an expensive item, you would certainly want to be sure that you can comfortably and enjoyably use it prior to plunking down $200 for a knife.
Were I to rate this knife based solely on my preferences, I would give it 5 stars - only because I can't give it 6. However, as previously stated this knife is simply not for everyone. All of its good qualities are without merit if the user cannot comfortably use the knife. Consequently, I have to give it 4 stars. Again, this is not a reflection of the knife's quality or lack thereof, but of the design compromises that limit its potential user base.
I purchased this knife a while back and absolutly love it. I am a Head Chef and have been in the biz for 15 years. I use the knife everyday and definately cut more than any home chef ever will. Notice the name...it is a 'Utility' chef knife. Meaning it can handle pretty much whatever you throw at it. I have deboned and entire lamb, ducks, chicken, and butchered hundreds of prime ribs, filets and even fileted/boned fish. Basically, a good chef knife is all you need once you get used to handling it. Paring, boning, filet, bread, etc...all great but it is more about the skill set of the handler than the size of the knife! The blade is long enough to use as a 'scoop' on the cutting board which is important to me and the reason I prefer (Santoku's and Kyotsu's over traditional chefs knives generally) So, for the couple of complainers on here and German knife purists...keep your Wustoffs, and cruddy Henkels and gimmie my Shun! I have more blisters, cuts, and scars from those two knife companies than I care to share! The non ergonomic handles on traditional chef knives give nothing more than wonderful calusses to the users. Shun has out done themselves with this handle and superior steel which I will put up against any Wustoff in the biz. Henkel...please, they are garbage even at the highest level. Great for home cooks but, why not use restaurant grade cutlery like Shun when the price is the same? My only complaint is that they dont make a sheath for this knife. The holder is 'cute' for home but, I carry my knives in a roll everyday to work and wish I had some other protection from this sharp blade than a little leather. In any case...I highly praise this knife only as the result of constant use and cannot give any competitor props anywhere close. Good luck with it if you choose to treat yourself!
I have a complete (over 20 piece) set of Wusthof Classics and I really thought that they were the best, until I received this knife as a Christmas gift. Absolutely great! It is very sharp, holds an edge well and is a dream to handle. The only problem that I've had with it is that the blade has stained slightly. I should be able to have a professional knife shop take the stains off, but I never had this problem with my other knives. Overall a fine knife and I plan to buy more, even though I have more chef knives that any one man should.
Love the knife super quick shipping with seller. no complaints if they had anything else I need I would not hesitate to buy.
This is a very nice looking and made knife. I have a nice selection of Damascus made kitchen knives. My wife wanted a knife with a curved cutting edge. Most knives with this type of edge are made much larger. My wife does not like really large knives. This fit the bill perfectly and looks a lot like our Damascus made knives. Our old knives are obviously hand made knives. This knife looks more machine made. The blade is very nice looking with the Damascus looking ripples in the blade. It has a 3/4 shank. The bolsters on my old knives are part of the blade. On these Ken Onion knifes it is a separate piece of machined stainless steal that makes the handle easy to square up and put on. The handle itself looks like the same wood on my old knives but it looks a little shinier on this knife. The feel of the contoured handle is very comfortable and the angle of the blade to the handle seems well thought out. Over all this is a very good knife. My wife likes it so well we are going to have to save up and get the pairing knife before too long.
I recently received this 10" Ken Onion chef knife as a gift, and it has completely renewed my interest preparing more meals for myself, at home. If you want to cut in the the Asian style (down and slightly forward), as with straighter blades, perhaps the 8.25" Ken Onion knife is a better choice, or other Shun knives. However, if you wish to cut more in the French Chef knife style, I can't imagine a better choice than the 10". Though, I'm still somewhat new at improving my cutlery skills, my understanding is that the 10" length will give you a bit more flat area at the rear of the blade for chopping requirements, while the extra length forward,(in comparison to the 8.25" blade), allows you to draw back and cut through without having to raise the knife quite as high. I have also found 10" blade to be handy for slicing through larger portions of meats, fruits and vegetables. Incredibly sharp, without food sticking to the blade, this is has all the quality of a finely made sword. I wish it wasn't true, but you get what you pay for. Enjoy!
Images ScreenShot
About Ken Onion by Shun 8-Inch Chef's Knife detail
Features
Related Product
Source From Best Price Shun Ken Onion Knife For Sale Best Buy Shun Ken Onion Knife Low Price Buy Cheap amp Review
I would be grateful if you would give me the Interview
Cheers !.
No comments:
Post a Comment