Cutlery Reviews

I have 2 of these for different flatware sets and they are great for sets that aren't being stored in a drawer (extra sets, etc). This caddy is very roomy and easily holds flatware with bulky handles (which is why I got them), but doesn't take up much space. It's very sturdy. I've had mine for a couple of years and they look just like new. There's plenty of room for a 5 piece service for 10 or 12. It has a nice, un-obtrusive, contemporary design. I'm very pleased with mine, couldn't be happier!

I bought this as a replacement for a damaged Wusthoff slicer. It was a total waste of money. Even slicing poultry, it simply will not stay sharp. Other knives get honed on a monthly basis, but this one needs to be honed three times in a single turkey slicing job! It is "outa here"!!

I chose these knives because (1) they are forged, and (2) they appeared to be the right balance between quality and price. I suspect if I was a professional chef I would know the difference and buy the super expensive other brands, but for a recreational cook I find these knives to be supurb. The price is right, the balance and heft is great, and they hold a fine edge. I usually run them through a hand sharpener before I use them, and they are always razor sharp. To restore edges (I haven't had to do that yet with these knives) I use the "scary sharp" sandpaper on glass method.

As with several other Calphalon knives that I have reviewed, I purchased this knife as part of the 15 piece set. It is a beautifully constructed kitchen tool with the heft that can only be provided by a steel forging. The edge is very fine, and can be easily honed to a true razors edge. Using this knife on a turkey is a revelation. Although the blade is thin, and can slice with very little effort, it has a contour and stiffness that simply cannot be matched by a stamped steel knife. When you plan a particular slice, that is what you get. No self steering, no endless sawing motion, just clean slices every time. This knife looks so good, and works so well, that I ordered the 10" model for slicing the really big birds. I have a few Henckles knives, and this is at least as good by any standard. When you realize that you can buy two of these for the price of one of theirs, you either feel like a thief, or start to wonder why some people throw their money away. If you must have a famous name knife, go for it. Better to spend far too much for a good knife than to buy TV junk. On the other hand, the big German brands have been etching their name on offshore stamped steel "affordable" knives lately. This is in an effort to capitalize on their name yet maintain profit in the face of quality value brands like Calphalon. Don't be fooled. Stamped knives are junk no matter how much they cost. Buy this knife and understand.

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 have an 8 inch Global Chef's Knife and a Wusthuf 6 inch, but both especially the global has a small handle for my big hands. So I tried other knieves and for sure Shun was THE Knife. The "D" shaped handle is great. The blade is just amazing. It cuts through anything so easily and needless to mention you sharpen it by just a couple strokes. A sales person at William Sonoma told me that Shun uses more carbon in making the steel for the blade as the resukt a bit softer steel, and that is why you can sharpen it easier. I bought this knife with scallops cuz I wanted to avoid the sticking vegetables to it when I chop quickly, but I later heard, the blade's texture (without the scallops) would do the same job. So I am not sure if you really need it with scallops. In that case, if that is the case, Amazon has this package deal with Chef's, pairing and a couple other pieces for $200. I would have definitely bought that deal if I knew about it beforehand. So as Jacques Pepin says: "Happy Cooking."