Shun Classic Series

Best knives I have owned – I had my 6 piece set now for six months. The smallest knife get the most use, multiple times a day and I’m now thinking of getting it sharpened. They are just such a joy to cook with. Show details

Not suitable for a commercial kitchen – Very sharp when you first get them but I have to get them professionally sharpened so often because they lose their edge so quickly. I find the grip on the handle awkward and I get callouses on my index finger. The tips are so fragile and are not covered by warranty. The serrated knife is my favourite out of them all. Would be a good knife for home use. Show details

I love mine. As with all knives, you must choose the right ones – I went on the hunt to replace a set of Globals, and ended up with two Shuns in the replacement set. I really like them - wicked sharp, well balanced, great looks. With that said, I think with any knives, you need to choose the specific knives for your needs and style etc. I have the "Wide Santoku" and the carving knife. I probably wouldn't like… Read more

the regular santoku as much, and the cook's knife even less (another reviewer was complaining about the profile).

The wide santoku (DM-0717) took me a little while to get used to. Well, it is wide. It feels a little heavy at first but I really like it now. I have since tried a more traditional Japanese gyuto style knife from a fancy pants Japanese knife store and didn't like it half as much. Also, the fancy knife was warped, which considering the price was pretty abysmal I thought. No such issues with the Shun.

The carving knife (DM-0703) has a wicked looking recurve in the "Yatagan" style. It's the most wicked looking kitchen knife I've ever owned, very sharp, very thin at the tip with a strong upsweep that’s great for cutting meat off bone. It would have been nice to have a bit more of a choil/heel, not so much for myself but in case someone else used it. I use a pointer grip with this knife and feel perfectly safe.

Shun offer free sharpening in Australia, which if you can't do your own sharpening will save quite a lot over time. I haven't resharpened mine yet, just used a light touch with a ceramic rod.

I've had no rust or pitting issues on my knives (about 4 months old). I wipe them dry after every use. The finish does scratch if you're not careful. I've had no issues with chipping or anything like that. Like any tool, you have to use it for what it’s designed to do. Trying to cut through bone with a thin hard sharp knife is almost guaranteed to damage it it. As will using the knife as a wedge or a lever. Cut. Straight. Only.

In the upgrade process I also tried Wusthof and was a bit appalled. And the upscale Japanese knife - the thing is, you need to be a bit careful if you want to go with “real” Japanese knives. Many are ground asymmetrically which takes a bit of getting used to. The Shun’s are completely symmetrical which is (in my opinion) the only right choice for the majority of Western users.

In summary, excellent knives, as long as you pick the right knife (knives) for your needs and use them properly. Definitely 5 stars. If I run into issues, I’ll update the review.

Wish I didn't purchase shun knives – I have purchased a set of shun knives and I would NOT recommend them to anyone. I cannot even leave them on the kitchen bench when using them while cooking , as they end up with rust marks on them and then they pit. you think you are getting a good quality item. Wrong.  Show details

Shun knives, poor quality! – Purchased a 3 kife Shun set, in Melbournes Southland Sopping Centre. 12 months after all edges appear "cerated" , they have been well cared for however, the metal appears to be faulty, sharpened with a 3 step Whetstone system, yes they are sharp but, cerations indicate poor quality product.  Show details

Excellent Japanese craftsmanship! – I purchased a three piece Shun classic knife set a bit over a year ago and am very pleased with them so far. The set I chose, came with a 7" Santoku knife, a 6" Utility knife and a 3 1/2" Paring knife. I also purchased a Shun combination honing steel to keep them sharp. I use these knives daily in the kitchen, they are comfortable, well… Read more

balanced and a joy to work with.

The VG-Max Damascus steel not only looks nice, but holds it's edge extremely well, with only one or two quick touch-ups on the honing steel needed per week, to keep them as sharp as when they first came out of the box.

For those who are used to western style knives, the santoku shape can take a little bit of getting used to, but is excellent for Asian-style cooking.

Shun also make a western style version for those who prefer that style of knife.

The utility knife is razor sharp, very versatile and will effortlessly cut paper thin slices of tomato time after time.

The paring knife gets the least use in my kitchen, but is equally as sharp as the others and comes in handy for those smaller, fiddly tasks.

Another thing worth mentioning, is that all Shun knives come with a life-time warranty and also a life-time of free sharpening.

The only thing required is for the owner to pay for the postage costs to have them shipped to the United States, which is where Shun have their knives professionally sharpened.

All in all, I am very happy with these knives and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.

What a knife – After trying different knives over the years I knew what I liked & didn't like with knives. I wanted something that would do most jobs at home for an early Christmas present & I settled on the Shun Classic 20cm Chef knife. Wow, I'm glad I did. This knife just doesn't go blunt. It slides through soft tomato's like they aren't there. Add to that… Read more

just how good they look (I like shiny things) and I'd say this knife is one of my favourite things in the kitchen.

Rust marks, pitted – I loved these knives when I first purchased them. I have the shun classic range in the block. I took extra care with my knives, warm soapy hand wash and dried with a special cloth, which is just for my knives, straight away. I started noticing little pitted areas in my blades and rust marks, which, on one knife, resulted in a hole! So I rang shun… Read more

Australia, who advised to take back to place of purchase. I did. Was told a representative from shun will come and take the knives and inspect. 4 weeks later knives were picked up. All shun did was have them re-sharpened and re-pointed. So as much as I love the style/look and feel of these knives, I'm really disappointed in the quality for the price. Should of done more research.

Terrible product ; horrendous service – We purchased a new Shun knife bock from kitchen warehouse; after 3 months of use we notice large chips on 2 of the knives; almost like rust marks. We returned the knives to kw who sent them onto Shun - we have been without the knives for over 3weeks and cannot get Shun to return an email after 3 attempts. Whilst the knives functioned well it is… Read more

hugely disappointing that the distributors do not support the retailers when something goes wrong - to ignore repeated request for information is unacceptable.

I am kicking myself for having changed from global to Shun.

Best chefs knife yet – Just purchased a Shun 20cm cooks knife and I have to say its the sharpest and best cooks knife I have ever used. I've used other top German and Japanese brands but Shun slices and cuts a lot better and has more feel than the other knives that I have used, the other brands feel heavy and dead in the hand by comparison I'm not a chef but my son is… Read more

and he is impressed.Only reservation I had was the D shape handle but I have found that to be comfortable and fits the hand well so all in all very impressed.

Will probably purchase a couple more types of Shun knives if this one is anything to go by.

Tom.

Seems like its worth it – Seems like good knife set. try to get it on sale. Sharp and accurate balanced from what i have experienced. If you get at easter or christmas or on a sale day its best.  Show details

truly a gem – i was given this knife for christmas and am so in love with it, i use it every chance i get - everything cuts like butter, or better yet, cream. the weight is perfect, the feel, ergonomic; do invest in it, so very worth it! where has my life been before shun???? everything!

Perfect – I bought a 20 cm classic chef knife to replace a chef knife in my Stanley Rojers block set. The one I have is made of a poor steel and gets dull very often. You will be surprised how sharp the Shun knife is when it's straight from the factory. It passes all the tests for sharpness (like cutting through the paper, shaving the hair on the hand,… Read more

etc). It stays sharp for a long time. It is very ergonomic. It does not have the edge on the handle side of the blade, making the sharpening very easy. Combining with the Apex Edge Pro sharpening system it makes a perfect tandem light weight, ergonomic handle, tought steel it's expensive

Beautiful knives, bad geometry – This is for the 20cm chef's knife only. Firstly, this knife is an alluring piece of cutlery. The damascus cladding is very pretty and will lure in many kitchen magpies. I love the traditional Japanese handle too. They are so comfortable to grip although the Shun handle feels a bit light. The VG10 steel for the blade is excellent. It… Read more

takes a very keen edge that lasts. Vegetables will slice themselves in fear of the edge.

Alas, this knife is far from perfect. The belly geometry is very strange. I think it is too rounded and it causes a very high, and dangerous, backlift when cutting with a rocking motion. The belly starts too close to the tip and make tip-cutting very awkward.

Think of cutting a carrot into round slices, you should only have to lift the knife enough to clear the carrot, but the geometry on this knife causes you lift much further into an uncomfortable position to make each cut.

Most Japanese chef's knives (gyuto) have a profile similar to French cook's knives, a small profile belly. The other dominant profile for (non-J-knives) is a German profile with a deeper belly. I don't know where Shun got their profile from as it definitely is unique and it makes using this knife a source of constant frustration.

If you want a good quality, usable gyuto, look elsewhere. Do some research and find the right knife for you (even if it means importing from Japan (which is very easy and surprisingly cheap)). Good blade steel, sharpens nicely. Very pretty. Awful geometry, light handle, overpriced. I never reach for this knife.