Cutlery Reviews

Among my assorted bird's beak paring knives, this one has a special place. There's no hiding place for any transfer of salmonella bacteria from poultry to produce, for this knife is made of a single piece of steel, and the solid handle has good weight. (Not all knives in this line have a solid handle.) Furthermore, it stands up to use and abuse, unlike any other knife I've ever had.

I bought mine in a specialty knife store (which has since gone out of business) close to ten years ago. After a nameless family member helped out in the kitchen, it seemed to have disappeared, and I mourned for this little knife. Turns out said family member had accidentally dumped it in the composter, along with a small mountain of vegetable waste. I boiled it and it rejoined the household.

Comfortable to hold, it does a variety of paring tasks well in the kitchen. Slipperiness mentioned in reviews of other knives in this line has not been a problem. Weight and balance are excellent. I like the completeness with which it can be cleaned.

If you have a kitchen or flower garden, you'll find good uses for it outdoors as well. I grow edible ginger, as well as the kind with flowers. For cutting the rhizome from the plant, this can't be beat. I also use it when it's time to thin the heliconias and strip old leaves off lilies.

In perusing reviews about other knives in this line, there appears to be concern about sharpening the Japanese-made steel. I use a Chantry knife sharpener and find it brings this knife back to an acceptable edge.

BOTTOM LINE: If you like the bird's beak style of paring knife, you are likely to find a use for this one. Amazon's price is excellent. I paid about twice the amount and would recommend it even at that price. If you've never tried a bird's beak paring knife, this one is reasonably priced and especially versatile for the reasons mentioned.

Marvelous knife!!! Well worth the money. Extremely sharp and well balanced. If you have a larger hand this will fit your hand well. I had this in a different style handle, the classic grip and exchanged it for this handle style.

I cannot say enough about this knife! I use it far more than my classic chef's knife. It takes just a few minutes of getting used to how it handles. It can be 'rocked' like a chef's knife, just not quite the same way. Once you get used to this you'll love it. It cuts very cleanly and smoothly. Treat it properly and it will last a lifetime.

A well made knife is an essential cook's tool. And this in my book is one of the best made out there.

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 (or some kind of similar, large-ish 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.

I bought this knife for my mother who found my 8" chef's knife just a tad too big. I like the sleek and ergonomic looking handle. It's a very hefty knife, but maybe a bit too hefty. The blades are quite thick--not exactly what you want to produce thin slices. But for less than half the price of a Wusthof, you are getting a very decent knife--light years better than those flimsy Wal-Mart cheapos, but not quite as high-performance as some of the European knives.

This knife is by far the best I have owned. I received this knife as a gift and since then have gotten rid of most of my other knifes.

The 6" knife is the perfect size. It has a slightly heavy feel to it and a thick blade. As stated in another post - not the best knife for thin slicing. The blade is great for chopping vegetables and fruits though. It glides right through foods.

It is best to clean this knife immediately after each use, then dry it right away. I left mine sitting in the sink overnight when I first got it and had a problem with staining.

Paired with a just a few other calphalon knife, this chef's knife will add to a great set.

While looking at cutlery for a wedding present a couple months ago I stumbled on Calphalon's new line. Being cheap by nature I was intrigued by their prices on chef's knives. This led me to get myself one of their 8" models. It is a great knife with only one drawback - it's almost too big for my small handed wife. Although it almost killed me to pay more for a smaller knife I recently purchased a six inch version. This knife we both love. Fit, finish, and balance all would make you swear that this is a high grade tool. Although priced nearer the cheapened up versions of Chicago Cutlery found in the Marts this is a knife that feels like it is a high grade piece. On the downside the knife is not German or American made but is another Chinese product. Unlike a lot of stuff from over there this time they got it right.