Ken Onion Shuns

I

ichor

Joined
Aug 27, 2002
Messages
1,988
Yeah, I know, they're ugly, but has anyone actually given them a try/fair chance , as users? They are on closeout/clearance all over the internet, some at startlingly reasonable markdowns. Anyone who isn't a confirmed Shun hater have anything to say about this? LOL
 
I own some, they are fine. I like them better than my henckels but that may just be a result of the more shallow angle. I do like my MAC Mighty chef's knife better and use that one the most.
 
I own a couple of the Ken Onion knives, (Santoku and 8" Slicer) as well as a couple other Shun knives (sandwich knife and paring set). My wife and I had some Henckle Pro S knives in our block, but started adding the Shuns 1 by 1. I spend 5 nights a week in the kitchen cooking for the family, so they see a lot of use. The ergos on the Onion knives are very comfortable. I have large hands so they fit me well. I taught my wife how to choke up on large kitchen knives and with this type of hold, they work very well for her too. I'm not sure what the discounted prices are, but I would recommend them wholeheartedly.
 
My dad has a set. They're good slicers but I would never buy them. I like to scrape off the cutting board with the back of the chef's knife and you can't really do that with these as they have a curved spine. Personal preference. They cut well though.
 
I sharpen quite a few Shun/Onion chef knives in my biz and I think Ken's model is a well thought out design with the bolster that allows a comfortable pinch grip.

As far as Shun knives go, in general they are a good product. I do notice that they seem to be more chipped up that any other brand of Japanese knife with the cladding of the Damascus and VG-10 cutting edge.
Why? I am not sure? I think they may leave the steel two hard? I sell other brands and you can find them on the net that i think are a better value than Shun.

Look at Kasumi & Tamahagane Ne San Tsubame wood. for starters.
 
I've got a set of the classic steak knives and also a double hollow grind sumo santuko - they see far more use than the Henckels as they are more comfortable for cutting.

Can't go wrong picking up a Shun for kitchen duty!
 
I bought some Shun's (Classic & Alton's Angle) for my wife and she loves them and they are nice looking. I have had to perform some minor chipping repair from misuse (bones, contact with metal/ceramic) over the years but nothing out of the ordinary for someone not accustomed to Japanese style knives or care of same. I view them as intro level Japanese style knives They show up on ebay all the time with edge dings as well as chips so that appears to support my misuse theory. I don't have any of the Ken Onion variations but have handled them and they feel pretty good in the hand but aren't for me although I do like the angled parer. I too prefer a flat spine for scraping and don't really care for the metal bolster or the looks in general. Even at the closeout price range I feel there are much better performers and better values out there such as MAC and Tojiro DP to choose from.
 
Thanks. I was primarily interested in the use with that strange handle. I have 10" Shun classic chef, 6" utility and a couple parers. I'm not a Shun hater. Mine work just fine. I have gyutos in Tojiro DP, Yoshikane, Tanaka, Kagayaki, Misono, so I guess I should have been a bit more clear as to what I was asking.

So, It's not that I'm unfamiliar with Shun or Japanese knives in general, it's that inexplicably, I find myself without an 8" gyuto. I have always thought that the Onion knives/handles are really ugly. However, coincidentally, I came across a couple youtube vids of guys using the Ken Onion gyutos and it occurred to me that the cutting action being used seemed very applicable to my forward slicing method, notwithstanding what I would normally think of as way too much belly.

The belly seems to fit/flow in nicely with the odd pinch grip handle and forward rocking action. And, of course, I'm always looking for something different. I mean, I need another knife like the proverbial hole in the head. lol Oh and don't forget the Onion knives are showing up all the time for even less than the classic line
 
I love my Shuns. I keep the 8" Ken Onion Chef knife in the kitchen at home for all my kitchen needs. My wife was complaining about not having a bread knife to cut some crusty bread last night, and I took out the Shun and just sliced right through, no problem. It also makes quick work out of veggies and meats.

I find the handle very comfy, though I find I wish my counters were a tad bit shorter to maximize the angles I'm working with.
 
Daniel Dorn said:
My wife was complaining about not having a bread knife to cut some crusty bread last night, and I took out the Shun and just sliced right through, no problem.
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Yep, you don't need a block of specialty knives if you keep a couple of good knives sharp. :thumbup:
 
Daniel Dorn said:
I love my Shuns. I keep the 8" Ken Onion Chef knife in the kitchen at home for all my kitchen needs. My wife was complaining about not having a bread knife to cut some crusty bread last night, and I took out the Shun and just sliced right through, no problem. It also makes quick work out of veggies and meats.

I find the handle very comfy, though I find I wish my counters were a tad bit shorter to maximize the angles I'm working with.
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One quick comment here about bread knives in general.
I advise my customers to buy a inexpensive Cold steel or other similar cost serrated knife for bread, rolls and bagels etc.
Use the money saved for excellent plain edge culinary knives instead.
To me, a Shun or other expensive bread knife is a waste of money.
 
Daniel Dorn said:
My wife was complaining about not having a bread knife to cut some crusty bread last night, and I took out the Shun and just sliced right through, no problem. .
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All that's needed for bread is a good sharp chef or slicer. I haven't owned a "bread" knife in 20 years. Oh...wait....that's not entirely true. I have a Miracle Blade III, the one with the serrated edge and the fork like dealy-bob on the end. I literally found it on the side of the road while riding my bicycle. (I'm not making this up). I keep it around for frozen food and the occasional brick.
 
Shuns are ok, but are over priced for what you are getting. The faux-damascus cladding is going to wear; after a couple years its not going to be pretty. I have a Shun Classic Santoku that I've gotten several years of good service out of, but it chips (small ones) pretty much regardless of what type of edge I put on it. Other comparable brands that you might want to take a look at are Tojiro (which use VG-10 and are considerably cheaper and, by all reports, perform at a level equal to a Shun) or Al Mar (which also use VG-10 and faux-damascus, but are better ground, don't chip out, and I think use better handle materials and are made better--all for about $10-20 less).

I'd suggest getting a 240mm gyuto as your all around kitchen knife. There are a variety of makers that offer gyutos with all sorts of profiles and price points. What are you looking to spend?
 
Cynic2701 said:
Shuns are ok, but are over priced for what you are getting.
I'd suggest getting a 240mm gyuto as your all around kitchen knife. There are a variety of makers that offer gyutos with all sorts of profiles and price points. What are you looking to spend?
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Thx for the excellent advice Cynic, but I currently have four 240mm gyutos. Perhaps you missed my post less than and hour ago.

to wit: "Thanks. I was primarily interested in the use with that strange handle. I have 10" Shun classic chef, 6" utility and a couple parers. I'm not a Shun hater. Mine work just fine. I have gyutos in Tojiro DP, Yoshikane, Tanaka, Kagayaki, Misono, so I guess I should have been a bit more clear as to what I was asking.

So, It's not that I'm unfamiliar with Shun or Japanese knives in general, it's that inexplicably, I find myself without an 8" gyuto. I have always thought that the Onion knives/handles are really ugly. However, coincidentally, I came across a couple youtube vids of guys using the Ken Onion gyutos and it occurred to me that the cutting action being used seemed very applicable to my forward slicing method, notwithstanding what I would normally think of as way too much belly."

So, as you can see, my primary interest in not in the quality/characteristics/value of Shun, I already know what I require, but in picking up an 8" Ken Onion gyuto due to all the clearance sales on the Ken Onion line.
 
Ichor - First of all I apologize from wrongly inferring that you were new to Shun's or Japanese knives in general. There was a passaround awhile back on the 8" Chef and although there was not a great deal of feedback in this thread http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/447848-KAI-Shun-Ken-Onion-Chef%E2%80%99s-Knife you might find it helpful. My understanding is Ken Onion has a new collaberation deal with Chef Works, hence the Shun closeout of his line. I've seen some of the designs of his new series and find them very appealing although I don't know what steel they will be used.

I'm curious which Tanaka you have and your thoughts on it but I don't want to hijack your thread so I am sending you a PM.
 
No worries, brisket. You aren't the one who misunderstood. I'll check my PMs but you will be disappointed, as it is a common Tanaka and not at all special or expensive. tho', saying that, I have to add that I like it and use it quite a lot
 
ichor said:
Thx for the excellent advice Cynic, but I currently have four 240mm gyutos. Perhaps you missed my post less than and hour ago.

to wit: "Thanks. I was primarily interested in the use with that strange handle. I have 10" Shun classic chef, 6" utility and a couple parers. I'm not a Shun hater. Mine work just fine. I have gyutos in Tojiro DP, Yoshikane, Tanaka, Kagayaki, Misono, so I guess I should have been a bit more clear as to what I was asking.

So, It's not that I'm unfamiliar with Shun or Japanese knives in general, it's that inexplicably, I find myself without an 8" gyuto. I have always thought that the Onion knives/handles are really ugly. However, coincidentally, I came across a couple youtube vids of guys using the Ken Onion gyutos and it occurred to me that the cutting action being used seemed very applicable to my forward slicing method, notwithstanding what I would normally think of as way too much belly."

So, as you can see, my primary interest in not in the quality/characteristics/value of Shun, I already know what I require, but in picking up an 8" Ken Onion gyuto due to all the clearance sales on the Ken Onion line.
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Thanks for pointing that out.

If you already have those other knives, then it seems to me that the only reason you'd want to buy one is due to the lower price. Let me put it this way: would you still want to buy one if it was at the usual price? What attributes about the knife draw you to it?

Since you already have a good number of j-knives, the only thing I can think of is that you think the knife itself is aesthetically pleasing or it has some other (non-functional) attribute that is desirable.

I've tried a few at Sur la Table (sp?) and they let me cut some carrots and celery with it. The handles seemed awkward and frankly pretty awful. With a proper sharpening they would probably perform just fine. Additionally, they have a pretty big sort-of-kind-of-bolster thing going that may make low angle sharpening difficult. Just one thing to keep in mind.
 
Hmm....I thought I made it pretty clear. I need an 8" knife, the Onions are on sale, everywhere, and I kinda want to give them a try. I don't know what else to say. ;-) Thx for your comments.
 
ichor said:
Hmm....I thought I made it pretty clear. I need an 8" knife, the Onions are on sale, everywhere, and I kinda want to give them a try. I don't know what else to say. ;-) Thx for your comments.
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You seem pretty dead set on buying one; I'm no longer sure what you are asking. Are you looking for someone to say that it is a good/well-made/superior knife?

Objectively, there are other knives that are going to perform better and for a comparable, if not lower cost. Although I'm not sure exactly what sale(s) you are looking at, I'm seeing them in the $140 - 170 range for what seems to be a low price, and in the $250-290 range at regular price. If saving $90-150 on a knife that is typically priced higher is something that will please you, then by all means, the purchase should fulfill that.

Another common blade measurement for gyutos is 210 mm. This is only ~7 mm greater in length than 8 inches: this is ~3.4% longer. Tojiro makes a 210 mm VG-10 wa-gyuto that I see priced around $80. A brief search shows a Murata 210 mm wa-gyuto in Blue #1 for about $120.

The Ken Onion Shun will be a heavier knife, and most non-knife people will equate that with being higher quality. If you are looking to impress a non-knife person, a Ken Onion Shun might not be a bad idea--just don't, however, expect that it is going to outperform your other knives. If you are looking for a beater knife, or a knife to let people borrow while they are in your kitchen, it would likely do well.

If you do decide to buy one, I'd be interested in knowing how often you use it compared to your other knives.
 
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