My Son wants Kershaw Shun's for Xmas

wolfmann601

wolfmann601

Gone, but not forgotton. RIP Ira.
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My 24 year old son has asked for a set of Shun's for Chrismakah [:p ] to use in his kitchen. Besides looking pretty I have no clue as to their 'worthiness'.

Can anyone enlighten me as to what they are all about
 
Sort of an East meets West Kitchen knife project - Very good quality laminate steel - A thin VG10 core hardened to 60-62 RC and 16 layers a side of a softer stainlesss. They look spectacular, are easy to sharpen, will keep a sharp edge for a long time but will chip if you treat your knife like a cleaver.
I mainly use the 10" chefs and a 6" utility knife, these 2 cover most of my requirements. Also own a 3" paring in this brand which also comes in handy.
They are very comfortable and light to use, but I am saying this as a domestic cook, not a proffesional chef - would be curious to hear a Pro's point of view.
 
I gave my wife a set for her birthday this past summer. Earned lots of credits. :D She loves them. They seem to hold an edge well and are easy to touch up.
 
I have a set of steak knives and I love them. I know that the Santoku was one of the 2 highest rated by Cooks Illustrated.

IMHO, one needs a pairing knife, a santoku, an 8" chef knife, and a bread knife, and that should cover 99% of the needs for cooking. Add to that steak knives, and you're set.

they're very expensive knives, but they're available regularly on eBay for much less.
 
wolfmann601 said:
My 24 year old son has asked for a set of Shun's for Chrismakah [:p ] to use in his kitchen. Besides looking pretty I have no clue as to their 'worthiness'.
Click to expand...

The Kershaw Shuns are certainly VERY good looking knives and are made from very good materials. (and there is NO substitute for their looks)

However, you might want to check out this article/survey of surveys on

Kitchen Knives
http://www.consumersearch.com/www/kitchen/kitchen_knives/fullstory.html

The short answer is if you want the "best" as judged by these reviews - then it's -

Wusthof-Trident Grand Prix or Classic
(*est. $170 for three)

Running second in some very vaulted company (read high priced)
Forschner Victorinox Fibrox
(*est. $80 for three)

It is interesting that despite being some of the most inexpensive kitchen and butchering knives on the market Victorinox/Forschner are very highly regarded - and not just because they are cheap and easily available -

Although it's a common thing to say that "you get what you pay for" -
sometimes price may not be an indication
as there are those rare bargains/great value for money that we all hunt for, and hopefully cherish -

QUOTE:
we found more prolific enthusiasm for the Forschner/Victorinox Fibrox series of stamped knives (*est. $80 for a set of three). In an interview with Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, chef Wayne Nish says the “Victorinox knives appear to be designed by chefs for chefs.” Other reviewers agree. Victorinox makes the best stamped knives, and you can get a set of three Victorinox knives for the price of one Cutco blade. We’ve included Victorinox knives in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers.
UNQUOTE

and

QUOTE:
It's commonly accepted that the best knives are forged—hammered into shape from a single piece of metal. An alternative method is to stamp them out of a sheet of metal; this process produces a lighter, thinner blade without a lip between the handle and blade (called a bolster on forged knives). Many cheaper knives are made this way, and reviewers say they can feel flimsy and hard to control. Forschner/Victorinox (*est. $80 for three) stamped knives are the exception. In side-by-side tests, experts are amazed at how well these perform next to forged knives that are three times as expensive. In a Cook's Illustrated review, Forschner/Victorinox tops three categories; chef's knives under $50, paring knives and bread knives.
UNQUOTE


The Victorinox/Forschner 3 1/4" paring knife is one of the very best kitchen knives regardless of price:
Vic_paring.jpg

very, very sharp due to its thin blade and great geometry -
the fact they can be found eaily for under $4 - doesn't hurt either :)

--
Vincent

http://UnknownVincent.cjb.net
http://UnknownVT.cjb.net
 
I have never seen a kitchen knife as sharp as the Shuns ever before! They are amazing!

The William Henry kitchen knives beat out the Shuns, but they are $3500 a set! :eek:
 
My wife who has been a working professional chef for 22 years, really, really likes her Globals. She used Wusthof's for years (20'ish) until I got her some Globals two years ago, she won't go back now.
 
I have a couple and I like them.

However...

If your son is careless (like my wife) and "scrub" cleans them with the coarse part of a scrubbing pad, the laminate will take a beating and not look so nice. Be warned!
 
To echo the previous responses:
The Shuns are worderful (I own the large Chef's and carving knives).

If he takes care of such things (hand washes immediately after use, etc) then they are a worthwhile gift. Many people that I know consider my knives high-maintenence.

They are made for right handers-- I dont know if there is a left-hand version. I carved the turkey on Thanksgiving with a Shun and was considerably more comfortable carving with my right than with my left hand. (Normally I do both.)

I think it's a wonderful gift---and I would make him carve all future turkeys.
 
try japanese gyutos, like those from tojiro or masumoto. they're don't have the jigane, but have received raves.

ditto the point about the victorinox. I use the paring knife a lot, but they don't hold an edge for long.
 
If your son can respect the blade and treat it well, I would recommend a hand-forged blade by Sinichi Watanabe.

I purchased the Santoku for about $90 shipped from Japan (arrived in three days).

http://watanabeblade.com/english/pro/kaibou.htm

Worth checking out. It arrived incredibly sharp and the blade is an amazing performer.

Nitin
 
Thanks guys!!!

My son is a master-in-training in the kitchen and is becoming quite the chef. This is why he is asking for some "nice" knives for his kitchen.

Knowing zippo about kitchen knives I know that by asking here I will get my answers.

Would else can you suggest, this will be his Xmas gift so I figure it's gonna cost me anyway. Japanese makers, German makers, custom made????

And granton edge, how is it?????
 
Granton edge will add mucho dinero for a (very) small increment in comfort.

Other top of the line knives are Schaff. They have integral bolsters and butt.

Having purchased a quasi full set of Schaff, I now wish I had the Shun, which I think are prettier.

One thing with knives is that quite often the various knives are not always ranked at the same level, so you have to decide if you want the best of each or a set.

It takes a bit of dedication to find which knives are trully best (as opposed to various rave reviews). Ideally, the best is to try them all.
 
I would love to try them all!!!

However it's gotta come down to one brand and I will go with the Shuns.

Now, what three knives will serve him best beyond a Chef's knife?
 
eBAY had some 3 knife packages - An 8" Chefs, 6" utility and a 3.5" Paring for around $160.00 - This would cator for most chefs.
 
I don't want to run any other knives down. But if you want a granton edge why not get a granton knife. IMO they are better then vicorinox and get a very sharpe edge. It's what My dad used as a butcher. I gather they are hard to get hold of so I may start a thread about that
 
Andy_L said:
I don't want to run any other knives down. But if you want a granton edge why not get a granton knife. IMO they are better then vicorinox and get a very sharpe edge. It's what My dad used as a butcher. I gather they are hard to get hold of so I may start a thread about that
Click to expand...
Excuse my ignorance but what is a "Granton knife"?. I thiught the term 'granton' depicted a scalloped blade and was a generic term.:confused:

Also, if you were going to buy Japanese made kitchen cutlery what company/maker would you chose? WHY:D

and hurry cuz it's gonna be Xmas soon...............:eek:
 
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