... I've also owned / used the 150mm petty they call a "utility" knife. That was my first Jknife.
Shun is a real enabler 150 'utility' knife was also my first J-knife.
... I've also owned / used the 150mm petty they call a "utility" knife. That was my first Jknife.
I tried the 8" Shun classic chef knife at the store the other day and I really liked the fit and the finish. If Shun is overpriced at $120 what other better options are out there? Do knife people just hate them because they are generic?
how quick do they rust? Do they rust or they just develop a hard patina? I own a couple of knives of Alaska (D2 steel) never had any issues with the rust. I also have a few cheap mora knives that I intentionally left in lemon juice and mustard to create a hard patina.
If you already own and haven't destroyed a carbon steel knife you'll be fine with any of the above listed knives.
I tried the 8" Shun classic chef knife at the store the other day and I really liked the fit and the finish. If Shun is overpriced at $120 what other better options are out there? Do knife people just hate them because they are generic?
IMHO, I think people on this forum turn their noses up at Shun because they are mass produced, and are made of stainless steel. The "purists" go for the hand-made knives from high-carbon steel. This type of steel is able to achive a much sharper edge, and retain it longer than stainless steel. However, it does rust. You have to be dedicated to maintaining the knife(s).
Most guys using VG10 pocket knives were really pleased with them and consider VG10 a very well balanced alloy for the job.I own a Böker Urban Trapper, which is VG-10. It's sharp, but not easy to sharpen. On the other hand, edge retention is good, so I don't have to deal with it all that often.
The only other VG-10 I have owned is a Kurosaki Fujin 165 mm santoku. That one was scary sharp. But I sold it again before it ever needed sharpening. It was too thin and laser-ish for my taste. I really didn't like those "ping" sounds it made on the board if I torqued it even the slightest bit while cutting. But, if you are into lasers, that knife will definitely do it for you.
Shun screwed up early heat treat of VG10. I don't know about now, but when they first came to market and became popular they were very chippy and not just because people didn't know what they were buying. There was some of that too. I was very careful with them and so were a few friends I gifted them to. I sharpened them myself so can't blame factory edge either, even though that was burnt on many of them as well. They just chipped whatever I did. Had to make edges much thicker more obtuse to prevent it, but then they didn't cut as well. So yes we here are arrogant about knives, but bad knives are still bad. If I wanted a relatively inexpensive stainless or almost stainless, I'd take a look at Gesshin stainless, gonbei AUS-10, Gesshin Uraku stainless, Kaeru stainless, or tanaka ginsan, there are others too just depends on preference and budget.Most guys using VG10 pocket knives were really pleased with them and consider VG10 a very well balanced alloy for the job.
No alloy used in knives is bad. I'll ignore just horrible knives made out of inappropriate steels, but even then most steels usually used for knives can make good knives. VG-10 or SG that shun uses are fine steels. Shun's early treatment of VG-10 was bad. Clearly it was good enough for Shun to dominate and become a very successful company, but we are on this forum for a reason and to discriminating users Shun knives are not the best for the money in most cases.Well, you said it. But then again, something as thin as a SRS15 Takamura has very low changes of survival in the hands of someone that just got into this kind of knives. So, is the alloy bad?
how quick do they rust? Do they rust or they just develop a hard patina? I own a couple of knives of Alaska (D2 steel) never had any issues with the rust. I also have a few cheap mora knives that I intentionally left in lemon juice and mustard to create a hard patina.
I think people confuse turning their "nose up to something" with someone actually having a knowledgable view of something. I have/had shuns and I don't think less of people who have shuns but that doesn't mean I think they are good knives. For someone with a 20percent coupon to bed bath and beyond who is insisting on purchasing from there, I would recommend shun over Wusthoff. But for someone who asks for a recommendation for a good budget knife, I wouldn't recommend shun.
I'd eat a par-baked frozen pizza if there was nothing else available but I most definitely would prefer a hand tossed fresh pie.
The different Aogami steels do contain some Cr. Whether that's related or not, they aren't specially reactive, compared to less charged carbons.D2 is a tool steel with about 12% chromium so it almost meets the standard for stainless. In Japanese knives SLD or SKD11 (Hitachi steels) are both very, very similar to D2. Japanese carbon steels like Hitachi Shirogami and Aogami do not contain chromium and are more reactive. Ginsan is about 14% chromium so even more stain resistant than D2.
D2 is a tool steel with about 12% chromium so it almost meets the standard for stainless. In Japanese knives SLD or SKD11 (Hitachi steels) are both very, very similar to D2. Japanese carbon steels like Hitachi Shirogami and Aogami do not contain chromium and are more reactive. Ginsan is about 14% chromium so even more stain resistant than D2.
I've been on the verge of picking up the 10" Shun Hiro. Have had the bread slicer for a few months. It is a beautiful knife. It's just very heavy forward.I have used only one Shun knife ever. That's the 210 mm SG-2 Shun Hiro I bought early on, when I got interested in Japanese knives. Since then, I've added quite a few more, including a Masamoto KS, a Sukenari HAP-40, a Yoshikane SLD, a Hideo Kitaoka white #2, two Takeshi Saji blue #2, plus others.
All of these are good knives, in my opinion. And I still reach for the Shun Hiro a lot. It's a seriously good knife. Good balance, good profile for things where I want a bit more belly, razor sharp, easy to sharpen, good food separation. I have absolutely no complaints about this knife, and I would let several others go before letting go of the Shun.
Yes, it's mass-produced. Yes, it has zero sex appeal. Yes, it has zero collector's value. But it's a knife that works well. Which is what I care about the most when I need to deal with a bunch of tomatoes or chillis, or a hard lump of parmesan…
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