Shun classic...discontinued or just deeply discounted?

Today I bought a knife that seemed heavily discounted....a Shun classic veggie cleaver that I bought for just under 80 dollars. I had my choice of more than one, and there were other Shun classics on the table for similarly low prices. All new in the box. It's not a knife I would normally buy, and I was congratulating myself on a great deal until I had second thoughts........maybe discontinued, or problems with this line?

I'm away from home, so I haven't cut with it yet, but my impression is that the edge could use a little work. But other than that fit and finish seem pretty good. Scratching my head so far on this one....

Is it VG10? If so, have fun sharpening it!

I don't know if you got a good deal or not (never owned or used a Shun of any sort); what I do know is that new knife of yours has some serious competition when it comes to getting tapped for some cutting board time!

The Shun Classic line has been around for years, so you can rest easy about any problems with the line.

Did you get the Chinese cleaver or the nakiri?

knyfeknerd said:

Is it VG10? If so, have fun sharpening it!

Click to expand...

VG10 isn't all that hard to sharpen. I got a nice chip in my Shun santoku one time. When I got around to taking care of it I was thinking, "Well I guess this will be a while." 10 minutes later the chip was gone and the knife was back to being razor sharp again.

Oh, it'll get sharp. It's just got the worst(IMHO) wire edge of any VG10. Sorry, I'm in the Shun hate clan. I used to have quite a few. To each his own, if you like the knife and (especially) if you got a good deal on it, enjoy!

Shuns have really nice edges OOTB, so I'm surprised to read it needs work. Either way, I'm not in love with VG10, but I'm not a pure hater. Avoiding chipping has more to do with minimizing lateral torsion and putting on a micro bevel, if you ask me.

As for the VG10 wire edge issue, VG10 wire edges/burrs snap off, while many other stainless burrs abrade away. Just make sure you flip it multiple times, and you should get it off easily.

Is it a good deal? Well, nobody can argue with the fit and finish or feel of a Shun. The chief complaints are belly (not a factor in this case), and price. With this in mind, $80 is NOT a lot to spend on a well made knife. I think you might have found a decent little deal, but then again, I use a Global as a work knife, when I have beautiful Rodrigues, Harners, Marrs, and Carters at my disposal. Maybe I'm just a weirdo....

I'd like to know where you found it. A Shun classic cleaver for $80 sounds like a good deal to me. I don't own any Shuns, but I don't think they are the tools of satan or anything.

I don't think they are discontinued, as my co-workers are always buying them new lol. Just looks like you got a good deal on it. Congrats!

I do find Shuns to be chippy. But they are usually small and come out during normal sharpening with little effort.

knyfeknerd said:

Oh, it'll get sharp. It's just got the worst(IMHO) wire edge of any VG10. Sorry, I'm in the Shun hate clan. I used to have quite a few. To each his own, if you like the knife and (especially) if you got a good deal on it, enjoy!

Click to expand...

i've never had wire edge problems with Shun classic, and i've owned several pieces and sharpened many more. they aren't any different than any other VG-10 knife, in my experience.

Pensacola Tiger said:

The Shun Classic line has been around for years, so you can rest easy about any problems with the line.

Did you get the Chinese cleaver or the nakiri?

Click to expand...

It's the Chinese cleaver.

In general I'm not the hugest VG10 fan, but I don't despise it. Of course all my experience so far is with Hattori. I've not had any chipping issues.

Namaxy said:

It's the Chinese cleaver.

In general I'm not the hugest VG10 fan, but I don't despise it. Of course all my experience so far is with Hattori. I've not had any chipping issues.

Click to expand...

Those usually go for $200+, so I would say you got a deal!

Enjoy!

All VG10 is not created equal. Like any other steel, there are so many variables. My Tojiro honesuki is one of my all -time favorite and most used knives.
I also never had any issues with chipping back in my Shun -love days.
My 8 inch gyuto was one of the first Shuns. I used the hell out of it,but just could not get a good edge to keep on it. I imagine the Shun pro of 2003 is not the same as now.

just sold a shun premier with a new edge on it.
[video=youtube;XTTppiWkvBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTTppiWkvBE&feature=share&list=UUW8eMt9iy0-4JakPtj_oOaA[/video]