ShunClassic 7" Hollow Ground Santoku Knife, Handcrafted Japanese Cutting Knife, VG-MAX Core with Damascus Stainless Steel Cladding, Pakkawood Handle

Superb knife. Own a few

I should start by saying this is not a true santoku. The reason I say this is because the edge has a considerable rocker to it (curve), unlike the traditional and much flater santoku blade. In fact, the rocker is much closer to the shape of a regular chef's knife. The good news is that this means people accustomed to western chef's knives can jump right into this knife. The bad news? If you're used to a flater santoku this knife will not chop as much (since less of the blade is in play) and it's a little harder to use this blade to scoop the things you've just cut. If you like to rock-and-chop, this knife will do it better than any other santoku. If you like to drop-chop, then this knife isn't going to get quite as long a chop. I like both, so I'm quite happy the knife can perform both jobs.As advertised, this knife comes with one of the sharpest factory edges you could ever ask for. So far the edge holds up extremely well, a few stroke on the steel and knife edge remains razor sharp.The knife comes in a nice presentation box, which although pretty, does not present a good way to carry the knife. If you plan on using this outside your house, buy a blade guard or a carrying case. Also, if you're buying a knife this nice, let me recommend that you get a hardwood edge-grain cutting board (or plastic, for you germaphobes). Don't cut on glass or tile, and any other such silly new-tech board. If you're going to pay big bucks for an nice knife, do what it takes to keep it nice.About actual use: The knife is extremely well-balanced, although I find that the location of the balance take a little getting used to. If you use a standard chef's pinch grip, you will find there are actually two places you could grip the knife. The first place is where the handle curves into the blade. If you look at the picture, you will see this is actually a half inch or so back from the full face of the blade. If you pinch the knife here, you will find the balance to be off slightly, and your index finger will probably fatigue from being wrapped where it is. Also, since you will not be pinching the full face of the knife, you won't get the fine control that the chef's pinch is designed to give.So, why would you do this? If you're not used to this knifes design you might because of the short part of the tang that extends from the pakka handle. On most chef's knives, your middle finger would wrap around the very front of the handle. You need to break that habit with this knife, because your middle finger actually wraps around the protruding tang, and your ring finger is the first one to wrap around the pakka handle.If you do this, and pinch the full portion of the blade, the balance of the knife is wonderful. It is lightweight, and chops and slices extremely well. Unfortunately, the knife was definitely made for right handers (good for me, since I'm right handed, but bad for you lefties out there). Not only does the "D" shape of the handle favour a right handed palm, but the blade of the knife is actually off-set from center to the left. That means if you look straight down at the spine of the blade, it is set slightly to the left. This is good for right-handers since it makes the pinch easier (more room to curl the index finger along the face of the blade, and less power needed from the thumb to hold the knife balanced). I tend to think this off set would probably adversely affect left handed use. But, if you're thinking about getting this knife and you're left handed, I'd say go ahead and order it from Amazon. If it doesn't work out, send it back (and post your comments for other left handers!).As for the scallops, a lot of people ask me if they work. This is what I say: if you're looking for some magical solution that will keep *all* thin-sliced tomatos or mushrooms from sticking to your knife during quick chopping, no, they don't work. If you're looking for something that will help decrease the stickage factor, then yes, they work. Is it worth the $20 price difference? Well, it was for me, but then, I cut a lot of stuff that tends to stick to the blade, so even a little extra help is appreciated.Overall, for ease of use, Kershaw/KAI has created a superlative product in their Shun line. The knives look great. They are well-balanced. The factory edges are razor sharp. The handles fit a right-handed person extremely well. The materials used are absolutely top notch, and should stand up to a lifetime's worth of residential kitchen use. And, since they are stainless steel, cleaning and maintaining them is a breeze.I would recommend this knife to anyone who really wants to have a great knife in their kitchen.

I looked at several different santoku before selecting the Shun. The original one from Camp Chef that actually got me looking for a santoku was crude, clumsy, and in general just badly made, but was enough to show me that the blade form and size is useful I found a Richardson Sheffield one, but it was poorly balanced and hilt-heavy, had an unsuitable handle, and wasn't even very sharp. I was looking at the Shun Kanso, but ended up ordering the Shun Classic.The Shun is everything I expected. Its balance is ideal, and its handle well suited to the intended grip. It is sharp right out of the box, handy, and the edge has just the right amount of curve to it. Between the two, it's comfortable to use, and effective. It does its job well.I could honestly do without the faux-damascus on the sides, but that's not really important; the important thing about this blade is its core of VG10 "super-steel". (KAI Shun actually calls this specific steel VG-Max, but doesn't explain what the difference is between it and any other VG10 steel. I looked it up, and it contains slightly more carbon and slightly higher proportions of chromium, cobalt, tungsten, molybdenum and vanadium than straight VG10, which should make it more corrosion resistant, take an even better edge, and hold it longer.) You need to look after the edge on a knife like this, because it's hard to resharpen, but if you take care of it, it will stay sharp a long time.Hopefully if you bought a knife this good, you know better than to let any kitchen-accessories knife "sharpener" near it. Don't be ashamed to send it out for professional sharpening once a year, as Alton Brown does with his. (Yes, Alton uses, likes, and endorses Shun knives.) If you plan to sharpen it yourself, don't consider using anything but a diamond hone, Japanese water stones, or fine black Arkansas stone.The one thing I could possibly criticize about this knife is that it does not come with a case, just a thin cardboard shipping sleeve. That's not a problem if you're going to keep it in a knife block, but might be if your storage plan involves a drawer, because you'll have to find or make a case that fits it. (DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT EVER store a knife like this uncased in a drawer. Not only are you likely to damage the edge, you're likely to wind up going to the ER with severe lacerations.) Wash it after use, dry it, and slip it back into a knife block, and you'll be fine.

Very nice. Reasonably sized. Slices things effortlessly. Pointy, but not murder-pointy. Not safe for children. A go-to for making veggies smaller. Very sharp.

I have bought several of this brand of knife: 2 paring knives, a chef’s knife, a small cleaver and two santoku knives. These knives are amazing. So sharp, easy to handle and beautifully designed.For home cooks (which I am too) they aren’t inexpensive, however after many years of cooking and dozens of other brands of knives, these are the best for the money that I have found.

The Shun Classic 7” Knife is an absolute dream to use. It’s razor-sharp, perfectly balanced, and glides through everything with ease. The craftsmanship is outstanding, and the handle feels comfortable and secure. Whether I’m chopping vegetables or slicing meat, it makes prep work effortless. Beautiful, durable, and a joy to cook with—worth every penny!

Reviewing after a year+ of ownership. Of course! It's perfect out of the box, razor sharp and the weighting makes cutting effortless. I was hesitant to sharpen this one myself but it easily got back to perfect with little effort from me. This is going to be a forever knife.