Hi all, my first post in this vivid community!
I recently bought a few KAI Shun Premier knifes - these are my first japanese ones - yes, I went into a store and was hooked by the looks. In the meantime I learned a lot more about steels, claddings, sharpening, etc. So it was a good buy since it got me into the world of japanese knives.
The defect:
Upon closer inspection, I see that 3 of the KAI Shun Premier knives I bought, have a slight tsuchime hammering done on the VG-Max core, as opposed to the damascus cladding where it belongs.
Not only is the slight tsuchime done on the core, but it is also done very close to the edge.
Why I care:
The hammering behaves like a dent, it reduces the material depth where it was done. Over time, as the knifes are sharpened, the knife's edge will eventually move to this tsuchime created dent and make that part will be even more prone to chipping.
There are numerous reports of Shun knifes being prone to chipping. Actually, cutting an Apple caused a slight chip on one of the knifes that I needed to repair by sharpening (which worked and was a great experience...). But honestly, on a product that is already very delicate I believe that hammering on the core close to the edge is a defect.
I look forward to your thoughts.
Am I right with my reasoning? Am I being too picky?
Has tsuchime lost nothing dear a core, or is this not a black and white answer?
What Shun says
I contacted Shun in Germany, sent them a detailed description and many pictures. They decline to position themselves clearly. Even though I explained the problem very clearly in my POV, the lady on the phone told me that tsuchime on the damascus cladding does not represent damage to the knife.... gee... that's not what I am complaining. They seem to want to buy time and NOT give a clear reply if this is a defect or not. I am very disappointed.
Best,
Mark
PS: I will try to post pictures once I understand how to do so here.
Here a few pics shun defects
I recently bought a few KAI Shun Premier knifes - these are my first japanese ones - yes, I went into a store and was hooked by the looks. In the meantime I learned a lot more about steels, claddings, sharpening, etc. So it was a good buy since it got me into the world of japanese knives.
The defect:
Upon closer inspection, I see that 3 of the KAI Shun Premier knives I bought, have a slight tsuchime hammering done on the VG-Max core, as opposed to the damascus cladding where it belongs.
Not only is the slight tsuchime done on the core, but it is also done very close to the edge.
Why I care:
The hammering behaves like a dent, it reduces the material depth where it was done. Over time, as the knifes are sharpened, the knife's edge will eventually move to this tsuchime created dent and make that part will be even more prone to chipping.
There are numerous reports of Shun knifes being prone to chipping. Actually, cutting an Apple caused a slight chip on one of the knifes that I needed to repair by sharpening (which worked and was a great experience...). But honestly, on a product that is already very delicate I believe that hammering on the core close to the edge is a defect.
I look forward to your thoughts.
Am I right with my reasoning? Am I being too picky?
Has tsuchime lost nothing dear a core, or is this not a black and white answer?
What Shun says
I contacted Shun in Germany, sent them a detailed description and many pictures. They decline to position themselves clearly. Even though I explained the problem very clearly in my POV, the lady on the phone told me that tsuchime on the damascus cladding does not represent damage to the knife.... gee... that's not what I am complaining. They seem to want to buy time and NOT give a clear reply if this is a defect or not. I am very disappointed.
Best,
Mark
PS: I will try to post pictures once I understand how to do so here.
Here a few pics shun defects
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