Like almost everyone who buys this kind of implement, I have many examples of quality cutlery including Wusthof, Henckels, Shun, and Kyocera as well as assorted Chinese and German examples. As this was a birthday present for myself, I wanted something really special. I was first attracted to the Ken Onion Santoku and then to the Shun Premier 8 inch chef's knife. The Ken Onion design is obviously beautiful, but I found its balance awkward and its handle surprisingly small and uncomfortable. It came down to the Premier Chef's Knife and the Premier Santoku. It was a very close call, but I found the santoku to have a slightly better balance. The hammered finish on top of the blade is not just attractive, it effectively releases thin slices from the side of the blade as you work. The handle is also very distinctive and beautiful, slightly bulkier and more contoured than the Classic Shun and providing excellent comfort and control.
In my judgment, the Premier Shun santoku is just about a perfect chef's knife. Is beautifully made for practical use. As a bonus it is simply beautiful to look at. I have plans already to buy a slicing knife in the Premier line.
Highly recommended...
The Shun Premier Santoku Knife is a great knife. It is well built and very high in quality. I bought it to thinly slice items like onions--and it works well. I can make near paper thin slices that fall right off the knife. It is exceptionally sharp, which for me is great. My wife, however, nearly cut the end of her finger off because she didn't give this knife the proper respect. So, like all great knives, you need to be careful.
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First off, let me start by giving a little background on myself. I am a chef by hobby and a tech guy by trade. I did extensive research into German or Japanese knives and I am very glad I went Japanese! This knife is AMAZING! It is extremely sharp, right out of the package. For the 4th of July I made my first gumbo which took A LOT of slicing and chopping. This knife glided through everything I threw at it. I am in love. This knife will be an heirloom I will pass on to my children.
I also highly suggest getting the Shun honing stone because it has a guide that helps with honing it. The Shun knives are angled at a 16 degree edge where most other knives are at a 22.
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BOTTOM LINE
This knife is made with the similar technique as traditional samurai swords. After months of moderate use on the toughest items, my Shun Premier Santoku hasn't dulled, chipped, scratched, or otherwise marred its initial perfect finish. I know what I want daily in the kitchen and by my side in the Zombie apocalypse. However, consider looking for a better price elsewhere.
SHARPNESS AND STRENGTH
I use my Shun Santoku to debone poultry, and it cuts through skin, muscle, and ligaments with ease. I also use it on harder to cut things, such as pineapple, which I would normally use a serrated knife for. Cutting through the outside of a pineapple is like cutting through wood, and this does it with only gentle application of force no sawing required. After months of use on only the touch stuff (I use different knives for pairing, etc), this knife still hasn't dulled noticeably.
BEAUTY
This knife is a thing of beauty it has a beautiful wooden finish on the handle, and the knife has this pretty blotted ink look, referred to in the description as Damascus. I love to show off my $160 knife to all of my friends.
PRICE
Surprisingly, the price on Amazon is not the best price I've seen for the blade. You may want to check your local high-end home-goods or kitchen-goods store like Crate and Barrel. I received mine as a gift, so I don't know where my sister bought it, but I've seen it for as low as $160 or possibly even $150. Still, I would consider ordering from Amazon, simply because shipping to my door is so convenient.
SHARPENING
Shun allows you to sharpen their knives easily by sending it into a discounted, professional service center for professional sharpening and restoration. The price is cheap (25% off of $3 per inch of sharpening). Just google "Shun Sharpening."
I won't risk sharpening my knife at home because I don't know how to properly use a whetstone. I have a Zwilling J.A. Henckels Twin Sharp Duo Knife Sharpener for use on my cheaper knives, but the instructions on the Shun recommend you don't use that kind of sharpener, since this knife is sharpened to a different degree than European knives.
ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE
I'm so impressed with my knife's ability to cut through poultry, ligaments and all, that I'm already planning on how to adapt my knife for the zombie apocalypse. Considering this thing is made like a samurai sword, I'm confident I'll be more well-equipped than my regular knife wielding buddies when we're out of bullets and the zombies are inevitably bearing down upon us.
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I purchased this knife in the summer of 2011. Loved it right out of the box with it's wonderful aesthetics and decent edge. I have always used Japanese gyutos and decided to purchase this knife on the Lightning Sale. After about 3 months of use, which included three touch-ups on #4,000 & #8,000 Glass Shaptons, I decided to retire it from work. It would not keep an edge for very long. Also, if are planning on moving from an 8-Inch Chef knife to this, I would advise you not to in a professional kitchen. Eventually, with day-in and day-out use, the natural comfort level with larger knives will happen. Since then, I have been using it only at home with moderate use and it has been great with it's short length, comfortable height and light weight. With all that being said, I would definitely recommend this knife or any Shun to the average home cook, as these knives will keep an edge for a good while in that setting. In a professional kitchen, there is a ton of real Japanese cutlery out there to choose from, Shun not being one of them.
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I've had this cleaver for about 2 years now and the end came yesterday. A good whack onto a porkchop snapped it right off at the handle. The blade is not as sharp as it should be but then again, I bring this blade out strictly for the purpose of breaking bones and use it with authority. Look somewhere else for a cleaver with a little more heft.
