Shun DM0716 Classic 4-Inch Paring Knife

I bought this knife to complement the rest of my selection that I have been purchasing one knife at a time. I had tried Wustoff, Henckels, and Global before settling with Shun knives. I am a culinary student at the art institute and was turned on to Shun knives by my chef instructor who gave me a lead on certified Shun Dealer. I fell in love with these knives the first time I tried them. I knew I wanted the 2-1/2 inch bird's beak knife, which is why I decided on the 4" paring knife instead of the 3-1/2". If you are not pursuing the bird's beak knife then the 3-1/2 inch paring knife is great. Also, if you own any Shun knives, make sure you get the Shun Honing Steel with the built in angle. Shun knives retain their sharpness longer than other knifes in this category because they are fabricated with a smaller angle to make the blade than their competition. Most knives form a 45 degree angle to make the blade with two sides at 22.5 degrees each. However, Shun forms their blades with 16 degree angles on both sides to form a 32 degree blade. You should use the steel at least once a week and Shun offers "lifetime" warranty with free "factory-edge" sharpening any time you want. Depending on use, you should send the knives into Shun once a year for sharpening.

I own three knives: a Shun 8" bread knife, a German 9" chef knife, and this one. This is only one of the three I seem to use day in and day out. It's incredibly sharp, incredibly comfortable to hold, and is the perfect utility piece. I see no need to own a knife block full of specialty blades you'll never use. If you're just starting your set, start with this one. Highly recommended.

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I recently purchased this Shun 4'' paring knife along with Mac 8'' chef's knife and a Global 5-1/4'' santoku, and this knife is every bit as sharp as the more expensive Mac and Global brands--scary sharp, in fact. Plus, the Damascus style steel is simply a work of art. I've used this knife for everything from apples to mushrooms to green onions, and it moved through all of them effortlessly and without damaging the food. I sharpened it recently--not that it needed it really but just because I wanted it as good as when it came--and it regains its original edge in a just a few swipes across a ceramic steel. Finally, the handle I think is the most comfortable of all the knives I purchased, long enough to fit easily in your hand but not so big that it reduces functionality. While Shun knives are certainly becoming very popular in the U.S., it's popularity well deserved, and this knife has found a busy role in my kitchen and was worth the extra cost over its inferior competitors. I'm glad I made the investment--there's simply no comparison between this knife and a Forschner paring knife, which I used previously.

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The first one I got had a blade that was dented in one spot and bent in another. That would have been enough to send it back, but it was also overground in one place and underground in another. I can deal with undergrind, but overgrind basically ruins a knife (it creates a "hole" that is a huge pain to sharpen). It didn't help that the endcap was poorly finished. Naturally, I had Amazon replace it (very good service, by the way).

The second sample did not have the dent or bend in the blade. However, it had overgrind and undergrind in the same places as the previous knife, though not so bad that it was ruined. Finish on the endcap was worse than the first sample, but I can live with that so I kept it.

If you get one without these issues (or if you don't care about them), then I would give it 4 stars. Shun grinds their knives very thin behind the edge and usually has very good fit and finish. The blade is not too thick, and I really like the length. It is one of the better paring knives in this price range (~60). One thing I don't care for is that Shun's VG10 does seem to be more brittle than others (I have about a dozen knives in this steel from Spyderco, Henckels, and Tojiro). The other reason I docked points is that the Forschner/Victorinox paring knife is thinner, gets just as sharp, costs ten times less, and seems to have better quality control. Oddly enough, the Forschner also comes in better packaging (not that it should matter).

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Like a previous reviewer, I don't believe in a huge collection of various knives. I only user a 9" chef's knife, a bread knife, a long pairing knife (occasionally), and now this amazing 4" Shun utility knife.

It feels great in my hand, is perfectly balanced, and its blade is so sharp it makes me think of a surgical blade. It's the knife that I reach for most often, and it's a pleasure every time. I've had it for about 6 months so far and don't feel the need to professionally sharpen it yet.

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