Shun Classic - 7" Asian Cook's Knife

I have a few other good knives in the kitchen. However, when I want precision and guaranteed cutting to any thinness, I choose this knife. It's weird, but because of the price and the VERY sharp edge, I feel...different...in my food preparation when I use the knife. I think, "Whoa, you lucky onion!" I'm not kidding (weird, I know). But it's so precise; I know that whatever I set out to do to my vegetables, etc., it WILL be done the way I want, and with ease. It's like doing surgery or using Photoshop and zooming way in to do professional, detailed work.I have a dry rag nearby and I just quickly rise and wipe (since they don't recommend you put it in a dishwasher).The 7" is great for me since I already have a heavy, 8" chef knife, a santoku, etc.And the FIRST thing that I noticed upon picking it up was the LIGHT weight of it. Other people say the say thing. I don't miss the typical, heavy weight of most knives (that I do have). It's like a scalpel...and the sharpness, I guess, takes the place of the need for the heaviness of many other knives.I do love it. Buy it. And it's very pretty, too (the wavy pattern of the metal as well as the wooden handle).

I love, love, love this knife. My first Shun experience was at a neighbor's house - he burned his hand pretty badly cooking our Christmas dinner, so I popped over to help out. Grabbed his Shun and started slicing, dicing, and chopping. Felt like everything I prepped was made of butter! So naturally, I had to have a Shun of my own. This 7" knife is just about perfect for me - I am not a large person, and prefer knives in the 6" range. This fit the bill. So sharp, and easy to handle. Just be careful...sharp means SHARP!(And be mindful of your cutting surface. My husband used this knife on a glass cutting board at a ski condo we rented and completely mashed the blade. I was able to straighten it some with a honing steel, but ultimately needed to send it in for sharpening.)

I got this Classic 7" Asian Cook knife and after a year of use I love it even more. It's much lighter in the hand that the 8" Wüsthof chef knife I have but cuts like crazy as well. Please note that for only $5 more the Shun Classic 8" Chef knife has a more pronounced belly, better for rock-chopping, and for that reason, more versatile – remember the three basic cutting techniques in the kitchen: tap chop, rock chop, and cross chop. I decided for the Shun 7" for size variety, since the heft of the Wüsthof is better for chunkier pieces of meat, anyway. The manufacturer, KAI, is a reputable company and offers free lifetime sharpening. Yes, get yourself a Shun, but please follow the care instructions carefully. This is a delicate, precise, wonderful piece of cutlery. If you'd rather throw everything in the dishwasher, go ahead – but you'd be better off getting your kitchen knives at the dollar store.

I am a man of many knives, and this is the sharpest one I've ever owned. The blade is beautiful, extremely sharp and holds an edge very well. The handle is equally pleasing to look at and well suited to it's purpose.Overall the knife is lightweight, well balanced and the blade shape is excellent for a number of cutting and chopping tasks. I have a block full of German knives and I go straight to this one when I need to cut anything, it's that good.Do yourself a favor and buy one of these, you won't regret it.

Chips multiple times

This is truly a great knife. It is a five star knife. The only reason I have it four stars is I was hoping for something more then the similar high end Chinese knives (Dalstrong Shogun Series/Tuo Ring Series) since it was Japanese made. I have used it a lot and the edge retention, ease of sharpening are the same. The finish is close to the same (perhaps a little better). The two Chinese brands can be had for half (or less) the price when on sale (holiday, lighting deal, etc.). You can't go wrong buying this knife and will not be disappointed but if you want to save some doe and basically get the same thing, you might consider the competition. I am happy I got one anyway as now I know and also will use it a lot like my others.

Bought it for myself for Christmas. My first "good" kitchen knife. Came absolutely razor sharp. Looks like great quality. I've been using it for over a year now. I use a ceramic honing rod to keep it up. Wash by hand and dry immediately and keep it in a block. I anticipate it lasting my lifetime. Perfect size and weight for me for pretty much every kitchen task. I dont use it on bone or heavy stuff though.

True Japanese knife. Value for money. Extremely sharp and high quality. Very comfortable holding and using.