Cutlery Reviews

I love Shun and I love these kitchen shears. The whole thing is very heavy duty and feels of quality and durability. If you open it up all the way, it unhinges very easily for ease of cleaning. When you put it back together, it's solid again. It's very easy to do and does not sacrifice sturdiness. These are all purpose kitchen shears and I can't think of any improvements. The handle is made of some heavy duty plastic that's lines for non-slip. It's very rugged and utilitarian, but I'm not that hot about plastic. Luckily, it looks good and the quality and feel still can't be beat.

I think the title says it all. For a more detailed review see my posting under "Henckels International Eversharp Pro 7-Piece Stainless Steel Knife Set with Block". The micro serrations are a boon and a bane.

This knife is the best I've ever held and or used! It feels great in the hand esp. during prolonged use. For a smaller female with a weak wrist, this knife is the perfect weight (lighter than a German knife, BUT JUST AS POWERFUL!). I don't think I will ever switch brands again. The only thing is that I wish I had bought the version with the slots to help with the release of food from the blade. Reguardless I LOVE THIS 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 (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'm an electronics fanatic, and never thought that I'll get excited about a kitchen knife. I've been using the top-of-the-line Hinckels chef's knives for a long time, but never felt truly comfortable using them, which I suspect were originally designed for the beefy German hands. For those who have smaller hands and weaker wrists, the 8" chef's knife is often a wrestling partner rather than a surgical tool.

I recently received this Shun 7" knife from Amazon, and the entire package is the epitome of the Japanese design - the perfect union of elegance and function. As soon as you see it, you'll be struck that it looks like a work of art. The entire knife is so subtly and beautifully scuplted, that it almost seems a shame to soil it with something so unromantic as chopping onions. You fantasize about going to Alaska to catch a wild salmon and using this knife to immediately prepare the freshest sushi possible...

But I digress. You already know that this knife is unlike any other you've seen. It's more than legitimate to liken it to Rolex. Picking up the knife in your hand, the handle fits in your hand so naturally and smoothly that this miracle may not even register until you go back throttling the handle of a German chef's knife. The balance is perfect. The knife is narrow, and it's light. You twist the knife by rotating your wrist, and marvel at how the knife acts like an extension of your hand. You're beginning to understand the mythical power associated with exquisitely crafted knives like the Japanese sword Katana. You muse that only the privileged few can afford to buy such an expensive knife as this Shun, but now that you're holding it, you know it's worth every penny.

Now, go to your refrigerator and find some vegetables, be it celery, tomato, or potato. Clean the knife and the vegetable and very slowly make the first cut. You watch in awe as the knife makes a perfectly straight cut (there is no 'skew' that the previous reviewer mentioned) with barely any effort. It's almost a shame to call it a chef's knife. You feel like a surgeon making a precise incision with this high tech surgical tool.

Be warned that once you buy this knife, you likely will NOT be able to go back to the German chef's knives, which would begin to seem crude and unrefined. This is the eternal dilemma of a practical consumer who dares to upgrade to the top-of-line prosumer equipment. As you lovingly put this knife away, your mind begins to wander which Shun knives to buy next, and how many you can afford...

I received the knives,opened the box, wife used one of the knives, sliced her finger! These are very sharp knives and they hold an edge. Haven't found one problem with them yet. Look good, fit well in hand. Got them at a great price also. Best set of knives I have ever owned.

The saying, "You get what you pay for," is not always true but I have found that with kitchen items, it is usually right on, especially with knives. If you are not used to seeing the prices for higher end knives, they may shock you, especially when it is for an individual knife. With a set like this, not only do you save a lot of money over buying the pieces one at a time, but you also get a great starter set that will meet most all of your cutting needs in the kitchen.

We got our set of knives for our wedding and they have treated us well. The classic set feels great and well balanced in your hand. The handle is comfortable and I don't feel like anything is going to break as I put the knives to work.

I also use all the parts in this set. Every knife has a regular use, whether it is for cutting, chopping, slicing, paring, whatever. I use the sharpening iron regularly to keep the blades cutting well and the kitchen scissors are some of the best I've owned for a variety of tasks. The only drawback, and it is minor, is that the wooden block does not have slots for steak knives (probably since they don't come with the set).

They also are easy to clean and food doesn't seem to get too strong a hold on them.

And, probably best of all, the knives have a lifetime warranty. I know if anything happens to them, I can take them to just about any store that carries Wusthof and get a replacement without any problems.

So, without any hesitation, I really do recommend spending the extra money on a fantastic product that really will be used a lot and will last you a lifetime.

These knives are superb! I am absolutely thrilled with my purchase. I purchased this set during an Amazon "Friday Sale" combined with a kitchen items promotion and ended up paying approximately 165 dollars!

These knives are flawless (both handle and blade)in their construction and razor sharp right out of the box. They practically "sing" when you brush your thumb against the blade.

I have never used "good" knives before, so i was amazed at how effortlessly the chef's knife cut through a potato! I barely applied any pressure and the knife just did all the work. I understand that is how good knives are supposed to be, but it was still pretty awesome to experience.