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Chef\'s knives

Bordello
Bordello Posts: 5,926
edited November -0001 in EggHead Forum
Here'a a picture of the Shun 10 & 8 inch Chef's knife. Then the shortest knife is my Santoku.

I will probably do like Little Chef said and return the 10 inch and keep the 8 with the granton edge. The Santoku is mine. :woohoo:

Cheers,
Bordello

SantokuKnife007-1.jpg

SantokuKnife006-1.jpg
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Comments

  • hornhonk
    hornhonk Posts: 3,841
    Very, very nice! ;)
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  • Clam
    Clam Posts: 117
    Bordello,

    What is your opinion on the Ken Onion? do they not work for you?
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  • Bordello
    Bordello Posts: 5,926
    It's a hard decision to decide to keep the 8 or 10 inch Chef's but I feel I should go with L.C.'s recommendation.

    But won't know till Monday.

    Cheers,
    Bordello
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  • Bordello
    Bordello Posts: 5,926
    I have never tried one so can't really say, when I saw there was a Shun left handed I just want to go with what I am.

    They are a great looking knife and I'm sure they are Eggscellent. :laugh:

    Back when I was growing up if you were left handed you were kind of looked down on. Some use to try and force you to be right handed, not good and those people can have a stuttering problem do to being forced to be not who they are.

    Regards,
    Bordello
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  • Clam
    Clam Posts: 117
    I liked L.C's opinion also.

    I would like to try the Ken Onion 10"- I have the 8" and like its feel.
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  • JLOCKHART29
    JLOCKHART29 Posts: 5,897
    You have gone all out on the fine steel! Figured out how you are going to sharpen them?
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  • Eggsakley
    Eggsakley Posts: 1,019
    Have you ever tried the ceramic knives from Kyocera? They appear to be exceptionally sharp and do not require sharpening as often as a steel blade. Just curious. :blink:
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  • Bordello
    Bordello Posts: 5,926
    You hit the nail on the head, you like the feel. That is why, if you can, go to a store and handle one.

    No, I did not do that but should have. Anyway, if you don't like the feel they do have a return policy.

    Regards,
    Bordello
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  • Bordello
    Bordello Posts: 5,926
    Have two options, send back to the factory or get to practing with my Edge Pro.

    EdgePro020-1.jpg

    EdgePro012.jpg

    Cheers,
    Bordello
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  • Bordello
    Bordello Posts: 5,926
    No but that's because I would probably chip it right off the bat. I have nothing against them and have never used one. I understand they are great but brittle.

    Regards,
    Bordello
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  • Little Chef
    Little Chef Posts: 4,725
    Bruce...I have a couple of the Kyocera ceramics....they are wonderful for holding an edge.... but there are many pitfalls to the ceramics.....

    1) Don't ever even THINK about dropping one, or accidentally hitting a metal edge....or even cutting a box with one. They can be broken or chipped easily, and when I say chip, unfortunately, it's usually a pretty good CHUNK...not just a nick like a steel blade.

    2) I have yet to see a ceramic knife fashioned in a shape with angles you find on a proper Chefs knife or Santoku. They tend to have very "straight" blade angles, and blunt tips, making maneuvering with them difficult. I am sure this is a direct result of the brittle quality of the ceramic..... I assume they must build them with blunt angles to keep them more durable.

    Overall....IMO...spend the money on a good Japanese knife. The ceramics are cool, but one of those things that tends to stay in the box when a trusty steel knife is available. They aren't inexpensive... and I wouldn't buy another.

    Wishing you the best! :)
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  • Little Chef
    Little Chef Posts: 4,725
    Bordello...Again I say...only YOU can decide....this is all about you, and the knives that feel comfortable to YOU. ;)
    How do you feel with the 10" Chefs?? Just curious! (It was never the length that bothered me...it was the mass of the blade near the butt of the knife....) The 10 just doesn't have the same gentle angle as the 8" to me....Just curious how it feels to you.
    Thanks!!
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  • Bordello
    Bordello Posts: 5,926
    Hi L.C.

    I have had both out of the box to get a feel (no Bordello pun intended) and will do so many more times :) want to figure out what will work best. I'll ty to remember to post what I decide. :)

    My Best,
    Bordello
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  • Eggsakley
    Eggsakley Posts: 1,019
    Thanks for the heads up. I WAS considering purchasing one, but shall invest elsewhere after reading your post.Thanks again and as always, your postings are most informative, and thanks again for the Food Safety post during the holiday run up. :)
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  • Bordello
    Bordello Posts: 5,926
    Michelle,
    I just once again went over to compare the feel, now you know I'm older and probably around your size. Even so I used :( to work hard and was in good shape for my size.

    The heavest thing I pick up is a beer glass,bottle or cocktail now. :woohoo:

    You had mentioned the curve of the blade, you would know more about that then I as you use them. As of now, I do like the weight of the 10 inch but am not used to anything longer the a boning knife.

    So between the Santoku and which ever one I keep I'll be in good shape. Now, the 8 in I have had the granton edge, the 10 inch does not.

    Do you have a preference???

    Thanks,
    Bordello

    I'm now new and improved. :whistle:
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  • Little Chef
    Little Chef Posts: 4,725
    The granton or "hollow ground" does reduce resistance when cutting, especially something hard like a carrot. The blade is actually thinner...which makes accurate cutting easier, and it also reduces (does NOT eliminate) product sticking to the blade. I prefer the hollow ground, but in a blade as fine as Shun, the difference is relatively nominal.
    As for the 10" vs 8"...I encourage you to mimic using them on a cutting board, and make sure that size blade does not make you uncomfortable. (The 10" does to me...but I am not exactly a large person....and also have womens hands...which can account for a lot) The correct answer here is whatever blade you feel most comfortable with....PERIOD!! Reagardless of your choice, you will enjoy a lifetime of use from these blades.
    Oh...and definately worth the "free for life" sharpening from the factory....they don't even make you pay to have it shipped back! :blink: :) Gotta love THAT!!! (you should only need to do it once a year as long as you respect the blade and hand wash/dry after each use) ;) Sent my first one to the factory last month after nearly two years of use....sharpened on a wet stone a couple times....but in general it held up like a CHAMP!!! (and this was my go to knife at work too!! It got PLENTY of use! :blink: )
    Bordello....LOL...face it...these are the FUN decisions in life!!! LOL!!! Gotta love it! B)
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  • Little Chef
    Little Chef Posts: 4,725
    Bruce, First, thanks for your kind words about the food safety post. Hopefully it helped a home or two.....

    Second....don't mean to "talk you out" of a ceramic knife...I "had" to have one, too. Unfortunately, for me, it was a disappointment. For you, it may not be! :S In some of the higher end stores you can handle and try....please do so before you buy. One thing I didn't mention in the prior post was their weight...or lack there of. No matter how often I used it, I felt like I was holding plastic.... It just wan't worth the worries and concerns to me, but certainly don't want to try to talk you out of it. Just being honest when I say I think you'd be happier taking that money....it will pay for 2/3rds of a Shun, or Hiro knife from Japan.

    Actually just had a thought, and I am not going to erase everything above....Do you have a Home Goods near by?? I have OFTEN seen ceramics there (particularly paring knives)at a significant discount. Even if you just try a paring knife....it will give you an idea if you choose to invest in larger.

    Wishing you the best!! :)
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  • Bordello
    Bordello Posts: 5,926
    I will keep this simple, I love your input and will handle the knives over the next day and then decide. Since my last post I have handled them another time and it's a tough decision. :( :silly:

    Again, thanks for all the help and I hope maybe someone else can benefit from you information.

    Regards,
    Bordello
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  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
    I'm Listning! ;)
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  • Clam
    Clam Posts: 117
    I'm looking forward to hearing the final decision also!

    FWIW- I am not a quick decision maker, and although I should have made a few differently, overall, giving it some time has been beneficial for me. Needless to say auctions can be a real problem :(

    I looked and the Shun Ken Onion doesn't come in a left handed version.

    My camera battery is dead (and the charger is at the cabin) or I'd take some pics. of my knives.
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  • MileHighMatt
    MileHighMatt Posts: 51
    Here are my 2 cents....
    I picked up the 8" chef's knife, hollow ground, probably around a year ago. I really like it and recommend the Shun knives.

    As far as 8" vs. 10": If you are going to be prepping vegetables and small cuts of meat, I would go with the 8". If you are mainly going to be cutting meat, I would go with the 10". The 8" is a good size for slicing, dicing, and cutting up most anything.

    As far as the Santoku blade, I did not care for it. Once you get the rocking motion of cutting with the standard blade down, it is a smooth process. However, with the tip of the blade being at such a steep angle, it isn't as smooth of a cutting stroke.

    It is a great blade that stays sharp! However, as everyone has already stated, it really is about personal preference.

    Matt
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  • Bordello
    Bordello Posts: 5,926
    I will look forward to see them when you get the camera going again.

    Thanks,
    Bordello
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  • Bordello
    Bordello Posts: 5,926
    Glad to hear you like yours. I'm leaning towards the 8 inch but will handle them more today to see.

    Appreciate the input,
    Bordello
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  • "Sparky"
    "Sparky" Posts: 6,024
    Hey Clam,the Ken Onion has a symetrical handle,so it's just as comfy for southpaws as it is for normal people :P The other Shun's that I have are left or right hand specific because of the D-shape of the handle :) Here's my small(but growing)collection ;)The top three are Shuns,the next two are Wustof,and the bottom one is a Henkels.The Ken Onion is the most comfortable(to me),but I still like,and use the others.

    DSC_0026-3.jpg
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  • Clam
    Clam Posts: 117
    Those look nice Ken! Do you use the top one much?
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  • cdnewman
    cdnewman Posts: 88
    After years of trial and error, I ended up with a 6" santoku and 10" chefs (10 is global, but principle is same). I found the extra weight of the 10" made chopping large quantities less fatiguing. It also worked better for tough items like butternut squash. For precision work or small quantity stuff, I grab the light, nimble santoku. I had an 8" chef for years, but it wasn't that much bigger/heavier than the santoku (so not much advantage for bigger/tougher stuff) and not much nimbler than the 10".
    I don't disagree with little chef that if the knife feels uncontrolled you should ditch it, but to me the 10" only began to shine after an hour of prep work and may not show up in a few trial cuts.
    If you want a 3rd blade, consider a shun pro single sided slicer. Single side takes a while to get used to, but can slice insanely thin.
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  • Eggsakley
    Eggsakley Posts: 1,019
    Thanks LC. No Home Goods with 100 miles. I have heard others comment on their weight or lack thereof. If they are nearly as fragile as you say then they are not the knife for me. Shun it will be. Thanks again.
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  • JLOCKHART29
    JLOCKHART29 Posts: 5,897
    Get to practicing! ;)
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  • "Sparky"
    "Sparky" Posts: 6,024
    Hey Neil,thanks,but the name's Doug :blink: :lol: Anyway,yes I do use that knife,but only for it's intended purpose.It's a 9" bread slicing knife.I know the picture is bad,so you can't really see the serrated edge on it,but it's there ;)
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