My dad owns a broad assortment of knives: some German, some Japanese, some chinese. One of his santoku's is sharper (though more plain in appearance) than his Shun santoku, but it was a gift from a Japanese business partner and the guy who sharpens his knives was jealous and wanted to know where it originated. Ultimately, he has quite a hodgepodge collection of knives that have been accumulated over the years some nice some not, some even falling apart from wear.I'm a pretty young guy (22), but came into an absurd amount of money recently. When it came time to look at buying some knives I decided to buy something I'd be able to enjoy for a very long time (hopefully my lifetime) and to do it before I crowded my kitchen with knives I wished I hadn't purchased. Shuns aren't the nicest knives under the sun, but in the retail market, they're the best you'll find.
Having used my dad's single Shun Classic 7in Hollow Ground Santoku for some time, when it came time to invest in a nice set of edges, I thought of Shun first. Then I went out and researched all the main competitors and tested their knives, Henckels, Wusthofs, and Calphalon. I only tested the high end knives from these respective companies, so I have nothing to say on their cheap counterpart editions.
Compared to Henckels and Wusthofs which are still very fine knives I prefered the edge and construction of Shuns. Shuns are just that extra little bit sharper. When you go to slice into something with a mild skin you notice the difference. When you touch a tomato with a Shun it just slides right in, no sawing, no pressure. The same is true for things like sausage, the outer wrapping cuts before you apply any pressure. Other than that slight bit of cutting power, you probably won't notice the difference. I also tried out some Calphalons which I was actually quite impressed with. They're every bit as sharp as Shuns and quite a bit cheaper. If you're on a budget, but still looking for a great set of knives, seriously give them a look. The only reason I picked Shun over Calphalon was aesthetics. If this isn't important to you, by all means buy the Calphalons.
The first thing I tested this knife out on was some green onions, and what a world of difference between it and my bargin bin Henckel. No effort perfect slices.
This isn't the ideal knife for this purpose, but my Santoku has yet to arrive so I gave this blade a go at mincing garlic. With something as sticky as garlic, the blades steel didn't help at all with keeping things from sticking, so while the design is great, don't expect miracles. This still went very well and I appreciated that a 10" knife can still be so light weight and quick for this kind of work.
Next I used it to score a flank steak to prepare it for a marinade. I actually had to be very careful not to put any pressure on the knife and pull very gently to keep from slicing too deep. During this process I must have accidentally knicked the ziplock I was using to marinate in because it kept leaking all over the counter and I thought I just hadn't shut it, turns out I put a half inch slit in it without even realizing by accident while the knife was just sitting on the cutting board. BE CAREFUL WITH THESE KNIVES THEY ARE SCAREY SHARP!
Finally I used the knife to slice the cooked flank steak nice and thin on a bias. This is the perfect job for a knife like this. Flank steak can be quite tough, but this was done without excessive sawing. The blade made quick easy work of my steak (another first in my kitchen).
These are expensive knives, and compared to Calphalons, overpriced. The blades are beautiful and among the sharpest you can find anywhere. If you have the means I recommend them, you won't be disappointed.
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