Elite Shun Knife Review

[jessthehorse]

These knives have a severe rust problem and the company does not stand behind the product

[sherwin3]

@jessthehorse That's absurd. Stainless steel with a 'severe rust problem'? I've got two chefs in my kitchen working with 20cm and 25cm shun elites respectively and they've had theirs for 2 years, problem-free my friend.

[jessthehorse]

@sherwin3 - I may owe an apology on this one. I was truthful in saying that when my wife allowed this knife to soak for a couple of hours it did rust and when we contacted the company at first they were rather short and rude about it. After pursuing it further however we reached a person at the company that explained that this type of steal will rust easily when soaked but that the benefits are that it stays sharp longer etc so I will meet you half way on this.

[sherwin3]

@jessthehorse My only question is why your wife soaked it in the first place...if you ask me, that wasn't a very smart thing to do

[jessthehorse]

@sherwin3 - she soaked in warm water for a short while thinking it would loosen up some of the dried whatever it was that she had been cutting so she would not have to scrub. We have done that with all of our Henkel knives and we have not had the slightest rust. My wife isn extraordinary chef and while nobody knows everything there is to know, I quite insist it was a reasonable presumption that could have been put right to bed if the first person we spoke to at Shun had not been a rude asshole!

[astro1218]

@jessthehorse tell your wife to soak knifes that she got from the 2$ shop. dont buy a nice knife if your not going to look after it and know a little about taking care of them

[sherwin3]

@jessthehorse Make that three chefs. One has a santoku and she works in the larder with me.

[jessthehorse]

@sherwin3 - there is no question that our's rusted. We have never had such a problem with our German knives

[xxboristhespyderxx]

@RebelWrestler45 Why would I even want a knife made by Shun or any manf using VG-10 steel? The steel is too brittle !!! The only redeming quality about Shun is --it does offer to replace or repair any chipped or damaged knives----but so does does every other major cutlery brand. My advice is and always will be buy a good second hand chef knife and have it sharpened by a professional.

[RebelWrestler45]

@xxboristhespyderxx VG-10 is fine for a medium use survival knife, not to mention kitchen cutlery which encounters far less wear and shock. VG-10 has plenty of ductility and toughness for kitchen use. There is no need to take my knife to a pro for sharpening; I can put just as good of an edge on my knife using my edge pro for v edges, or my station belt grinder for convex edges.

[xxboristhespyderxx]

@RebelWrestler45 VG 10 for survival knife.... now I know you have a problem!

[RebelWrestler45]

@xxboristhespyderxx Ever heard of Fallkniven? The F-1 and A-1 are performance standards for survival knives.

[xxboristhespyderxx]

@RebelWrestler45 I saw the ad , what a crock. !! If you believe that ad you will believe anything.

[RebelWrestler45]

@xxboristhespyderxx I have no idea what ad you are talking about, but the f-1 has been military issue pilot survival knife in several countries; heck I've even batoned with it, no edge chipping whatsoever. Though I'm an INFI nuthugger for bushcraft, and most certainly would never suggest chopping with any takefu VG series steel (I learned my lesson with the Cold Steel Gurkha Kukri in VG-1), VG-10 of the proper thickness will perform fine in most survival knife applications.

[xxboristhespyderxx]

@RebelWrestler45 Once again, a waste of money ! This VG-10 crap is spreading. There are 10 survival knifes made with  simple steels that will out last and do 99% of the cutting chores at a tenth of the price. The F1 and A1 are a great marketing ploys . Sucking the money out of our tech happy youth!

[RebelWrestler45]

@xxboristhespyderxx VG-10 is a great steel for its intended use; VG-10 has far better wear resistance and edge retention than many 'simple steels' out there. Is VG-10 the perfect steel for a do it all survival knife; absolutely not, it lacks ductility and impact resistance, but for game processing, light bushcraft, and any application where the blade will see high moisture exposure, it is a good steel. The F1 and A1 have enough stock thickness to survive most applications in the woods.

[xxboristhespyderxx]

@RebelWrestler45 ! Your observations on VG-10 are based on the propaganda that Fallkniven puts out but, Fallkniven knives are not creditable . Conseqently any claims by Fallkniven are not creditable. Plain and simple is good when it comes to a survival knife. Simple steels such as A2 and D2 have been used in industry for over 50 years and have survived. VG-10 has never really been put to the test.

[RebelWrestler45]

@xxboristhespyderxx I've never even read anything from Fallkniven, my observations come from actual use of the F1 ( I have never used their A series); at 59 HRC VG-10 is very tough for a stainless steel; you're thinking of it as the same Shun VG-10, just with greater stock thickness, which it is not. It has much greater toughness and ductility, with a bit less wear resistance. D2 and A2 are not simple steels, they are both modern tool steels.

[xxboristhespyderxx]

@RebelWrestler45 I made a comment on Enzo's D2 trapper . Your reply was "VG-10 has far better wear resistance and edge retention than many 'simple steels' " . I made no mention of any other steel. Your intitial inference of Enzo's D2 was that it is a simple steel. We both know it is not.

[RebelWrestler45]

@xxboristhespyderxx I specifically said that D2 is NOT a simple steel, it is no more complex in metallurgy than VG-10; in fact, CPM D2 is a much more complex steel than VG-10 as it is a PM steel. You are the one that specifically stated that D2 is a 'simple' steel. I did say that "VG-10 has far better wear resistance and edge retention than many 'simple steels", because it does, when compared to simple steels like the carbon series or the classic bushcraft steel, 01.

[xxboristhespyderxx]

@RebelWrestler45 Stock thickness is important in a survival knife. A great field utilitarian knife is not over 1/8" thick. Why is Fallkniven 3/16"? To cover it's ass and the weakness of it's steel. for field use.

[xxboristhespyderxx]

@RebelWrestler45 The only military that have purchaed Fallkniven knives is the Swedish Air Force (all 5 pilots) Why? Let me see......Fallkniven originates in Sweden!!!!!! The rest of the world could give a rats..... 

[xxboristhespyderxx]

@RebelWrestler45 What a crock? Fallkniven is a swedish knife company that that sells knives made in Japan!! What kind of bull is this!! Let's get real! Don't buy Fallkniven or VG-10. How about a Enzo Trapper blank in D2 for $65.00 much better deal!

[RebelWrestler45]

@xxboristhespyderxx Fallkniven makes excellent knives, and their VG-10 is hardened to 59 HRC, giving it good toughness for a stainless. I do think Fallkniven is overpriced, but you cannot deny product quality, and product effectiveness in medium to light outdoors applications. I personally wouldn't want my only outdoor knife to be any kind of stainless (I carry multiple knives in the woods); I'd want some kind of coated tool steel or purpose built cutlery steel, like INFI, SR101, CPM D2 or M4.

[xxboristhespyderxx]

@RebelWrestler45 "Multiple knives" ? Do you have multiple sleeping bags, tents, pots and pans too! How much weight do you carry? If you could carry one knife what would it be and why?

[RebelWrestler45]

@xxboristhespyderxx There is a very important reason that I carry two knives whilst backpacking, camping, and even sometimes when I'm hunting; performance. One blade for bushcraft, chopping, and general camp knife applications, and a smaller hunter for game processing and precision work; ex. A Busse BM and a Benchmade Activator in CPM M4 (coated), ESEE Junglas and fallkniven hunter, or my Swamp Rat Waki and Buck Gen-5. If I had to only carry 1 knife it would be a SW Ratmandu or Busse Boss Street

[xxboristhespyderxx]

@RebelWrestler45 Great knife selection ! I'm glad you didn't make the Fallkniven your primary.

[RebelWrestler45]

@xxboristhespyderxx Absolutely, if you regularly baton, eventually you will ding a small rock that you didn't see, and virtually any type of stainless will chip; INFI, SR101, and properly ductile 1095 will usually only dull and spring back to form or slightly dent. IF I had to only pick one woods knife it would be some type of coated non stainless knife or tool steel; preferably INFI or SR101, though I have been using CPM M4 with incredible results; I am just wary of its ductility and toughness.

[xxboristhespyderxx]

@RebelWrestler45 Edge pro and station belt grinder both good choices.

[xxboristhespyderxx]

@RebelWrestler45 Sharpness is not the decidiing factor on choosing an edge on a chef knife. In the make believe world of "I have all the time I need to keep a knife sharp"You win !! But in the real world, if 3 % or 5% or even 10 % less sharpness means twice as much actual use. I take the twice as much actual use (convex edge) and save the fussing of keeping a knife "scarry sharp" to the chef wantabe!

[RebelWrestler45]

@xxboristhespyderxx I sharpen my kitchen knives once every few months; they get stropped about once a week, I'm sure you can spare 20 minutes while watching some TV to get a decent hone on your knives. Not a single knife manufacturer, factory or custom, puts a convex edge on kitchen knives. Companies use a FFG for kitchen cutlery specifically because it is the very best grind for optimal sharpness and a lower friction coefficient; resulting in smoother cuts, with less damage to the food.

[xxboristhespyderxx]

@RebelWrestler45 Your confusing convex grind with convex bevel on a specific knife (chef knife) . Once again the difference in sharpness is only 5 % sharper with full flat grind as opposed to a flat grind with a convex bevel on a chef knife. This simple modification manifests itself with less sharpening between use. This is why it is better......... plain and simple.

[RebelWrestler45]

@xxboristhespyderxx No, you are confusing the two. Full flat grind refers to the primary grind, not the secondary bevel, or edge. I don't know where you are getting these b/s percentages, but a 'v' edge will have considerably greater sharpness potential than even a lean convex edge. For kitchen applications, a 'v' edge is far more desirable (hence why nobody uses a convex edge), because its cutting performance is considerably better.

[xxboristhespyderxx]

@RebelWrestler45 Flat grind primary correct. Potential is correct. You are talking text book VG 10 ads. The real world application is simple, a flat gound knife with a secondary bevel (edge) convex will out cut a full flat ground knife. I will easily cut twice as many vegetables meat, spices with a flat ground knife with a convex secondary bevel that you will with a full flat ground knife before resharpening with my cheap $30. knife from ebay. That's the bottom line.

[xxboristhespyderxx]

@RebelWrestler45 You touch on another problem with the "factory knife" Every manf does use a full flat grind on all it's knives and that's a problem Why? Because it is easier and faster to put on the exact grind on all the knives in set --it's a brainless factory, daaa! Once again, even if you do purchase new knives from the local Bed and Bath you should have the knives checked (by a professional) for the correct grind (flat, hollow, convex) for each specific knife you have purchased.

[RebelWrestler45]

@xxboristhespyderxx Why the hell would I need my knives "checked by a professional", knives are not a complex piece of machinery; speaking of machinery, the factory will put a more precise hollow, flat, or convex primary grind on their knives than any professional can do by hand. Companies use a FFG for their kitchen knives because it is the very best grind suited to kitchen use; for the same reason bushcraft companies use a convex grind.

[xxboristhespyderxx]

@RebelWrestler45 My advice is for the the readers of this forum, it's great that you can sharpen your own knives! But why do you advocate VG10 I'll never know.

[xxboristhespyderxx]

@RebelWrestler45 More problems with laminated knives like Shun Classic. Once the edge is worn 1/16th of an inch the blade geometry of the knife changes. What was once a 16 degree bevel must now be a 20 degree bevel. This 20 degree bevel is only considered average for Japanese style knives. (under the theory smaller angle better cutting ability) Any further wear renders the knife usely because the sides if the knife can not be effectively re- ground.

[RebelWrestler45]

@xxboristhespyderxx The opposite is true: lean full flat grinds are much easier to reprofile than any other primary grind; coupled with the thinness of Shun's knives, ease of regrinding of the secondary bevel is increased even more. You could take off 1/4 inch of the Shun's blade, and a regrind at 16 degrees would merely yield an almost imperceptibly wider secondary bevel.

[xxboristhespyderxx]

@RebelWrestler45 Now your really dreaming!! One quarter inch! If the knife were not laminated you may be correct. But the Shun knife IS laminated and the factory would throw that knife out and would not attempt a regrind. "Imperceptibly wider secondary bevel" That's a laugh.  You sure know how to humor a guy!

[xxboristhespyderxx]

@RebelWrestler45 Add "slighly more brittle" with a 16 degree bevel and you have Shun Classic knives w/ CHIPS on the edge! Simple cause and effect....

[RebelWrestler45]

@xxboristhespyderxx I've owned Shun for the last 4 years, and have yet to chip an edge. I would prefer Shuns to have a little extra stock thickness, for edge reinforcement, but Shun edge will survive most any kitchen application, save high impact chopping and cleaving.

[xxboristhespyderxx]

Shun knives are overly high priced and the edge chips easily.

[RebelWrestler45]

@xxboristhespyderxx Look at every other company that sells kitchen knives of forged VG-10 laminate; Shun is very reasonably priced for their materials, fit, and finish. For normal kitchen applications, their edges won't chip.

[xxboristhespyderxx]

@RebelWrestler45 Shun knives are not reasonably priced. The Shun classic chef knives start at $150.00. Folks out there. please don't waste you money. Purchase a nice Wusthof, Henckels or even a classic American carbon stamped knife on ebay for under 30 bucks, take it to your local professional knife sharpening service, have it sharpened for 6 bucks and be happy!!

[WYXLR8]

I own an 8" Elite Chef's Shun (but I'm not a chef) and it's fantastic!!

Question, you say they will sharpen it for free? How is this so? I am in Australia BTW. Mine is still very sharp after 6 months hard use but not like it used to be. I'm afraid to touch it as I'm not sure how to sharpen it properly.....aren't they different?

[soulfly7112000]

@WYXLR8 Shun offers free sharpening. Just ship it to them. Also you can purchase a Shun automatic sharpener. 

[hanserclimbs]

I really like the steel in these knives, but I don't love the handle shape or the geometry of the blades. I admit I really enjoy cooking with the santoku, but the gyuto is really far too curved and the knives are too heavy overall. There's no way to be truly nimble with a knife as heavy as these. Excellent steel, excellent blades, but I'd rather get something in a more traditional gyuto design with a lighter handle. But yeah, sg-2 steel rocks. No chipping, surprisingly.

[NateFreestyle]

It's hyphen or dash in the URL, not slash :)

[Myrmecia]

@NateFreestyle - The shun-knife blog seems to have been taken off the web.

[landis69]

i had the pleasure of using one of these, an 8 inch chef knife. it was ridiculously sharp. cut through the skin of a pepper like it was butter, it was actually a bit scary. If you get one of these you will mostl likely cut urself without even knowing it. you get home and have like 5 small cuts you didn't even feel. I cut up one pepper and had 5 small paper cuts that I didn't even notice until I got a shower. Shaved a millimeter off one my knuckles and I didn't even feel it. They are crazy sharp.

[kawaiipikachu]

Actually, Kyocera makes the hardest knives. They are made of ceramic, which is second only to diamond, and Kyocera also offers to resharpen the knives for free, so Shun is not the only brand to offer this service.

[StefanZ17]

@kawaiipikachu

I own both Kyocera and Shun knives and love them both. The problem with Kyocera ceramics is that they are prone to shatter if dropped. I used to think that German cutlery was the best, but boy was i wrong. The Japanese have been the world leader in that technology for at least the 1000 years.

[peanutking242]

200bucks is quite cheap... considering my watanabe cost $700

[beatboxguru7]

I just purchased the 10 inch elite chefs knife...but it doesn't say SG2 on it... it says SG 0405..... what does that mean? Is it not SG-2? I'd love an answer. Thank you.

[RebelWrestler45]

@beatboxguru7 I think 0405 may be the steel lot number, but yes, the Elite series is SG-2 steel.

[soulfly7112000]

@RebelWrestler45 it's the model number. I don't think the lot number is on the knife.

[caster8623]

I just bought a Shun Kaji. I am a chef and need something that will last. I am extremely happy with the SG2, it holds the edge extremely well and I have yet to hone it. I look forward to getting more Shun knives in the future.

[mscammon]

Shun is Japanese, so it's Shun as in "shoon"

Long 'U' sound. Not Shun as in Fun.

[AlienTruth]

@mscammon lol, not to mention, the poster's last name is Shue, as in "Shoo"

[Gowking54]

I don't like the handle. Idk seems fragile? which im sure it's not but I want a thicker handle that will fit nicely with the curves of my hand

[1DAngus1]

What is the handle? is it the D shaped? or what?

[triggerhappy56]

Yes its D shaped.

[bobjoemagee]

no its not

[bobjoemagee]

no, it is not, its slightly thinner, and concaves in the middle

[1DAngus1]

Im contemplating buying the Shun Elite Santoku or The Global G 48 santoku.

any suggestions?

[grab2]

I use Cutco and its been 13 years and ive never had to sharpen it but if i did it would be sharpened for free!!!

[CrimFerret]

No it wouldn't. You'd still have to pay a 'Shipping and handling' fee. Also, no knife that's used regularly stays sharp for that long.

I assume you're using one of those with that stupid 'double d edge'. I could use a wood saw to cut food with too, that wouldn't make it a quality tool. A kitchen knife that gets regular use should be sharpened at least once a year. If it can't hold that edge with basic honing for that long, maybe it's not such a good knife after all.

[RebelWrestler45]

@grab2 Feel free to slit your wrists with your moderately sharp, overpriced pieces of 440A junk. Cutco is KIA quality with a Lexus price markup. You actually believe that a knife can stay sharp for that long? Even their 'dd' edged (serrated) knives will dull after a month or two of moderate use; their straight edged knives will dull after a single use. That's what you get from stamped, hollow ground 440A blades.

[xeanth]

Shun knives rule!! I'v used Wusthof...and others, but Shun is by far the best..awesome balance, perfect edge and craftmanship.

[PatriotChef1]

wow! I cant believe someone shelled out $300 for a wustof chef's Knife!

Talk about a rookie!

[jessemcnevin]

my 10 inch onion cost 550$

[geestungbyabee]

you know $200 doesn't seem that expensive.

ie. my wusthof classic 10" was $300. (retail)

[valcon3]

if you payed 300 for a wusthof, you got RIPPED OFF! Not that they are bad knives, that is just a lot of money!

[AnttiL]

Free sharpening? That is nice indeed..

But VG-10 is... traditional steel?

[MisterBaz1]

VG-10 is actually a relatively new steel. Very good steel, but the newer SG-2 is even better.

[IamSteelManS]

how should we sharp VG-10 & SG-2 powdered steels?

[MisterBaz1]

Preferably with wetstones. If you are going to shell out the money for a nice knife, have a pro sharpen your knives.  Our learn yourself (I've spent so much money on stones and I trained on old cheap stainless knives).

You can also send it back to Shun for sharpening.

[RebelWrestler45]

@IamSteelManS A simple spyderco sharpmaker will handle your VG-10 knives fine, but SG-2 has much to high wear resistance for any type of ceramics. Whetstones take a lot of skill and technique to be used properly, and it is virtually impossible to maintain a perfect 'v' edge with them. Check out the edge pro apex, or the new wicked edge; a nice set of knives merits a quality sharpener.