Shun Cutlery Premier Chef's Knife 8”, Thin, Light Kitchen Knife, Ideal for All-Around Food Preparation, Authentic, Handcrafted Japanese Knife, Professional Chef Knife

Beautiful knife that fits great in the hand, has just the right weight and cuts amazing. I cook daily and have used the knife at least 5 days a week for about a month now and it’s still sharp as ever.

I really appreciate this Shun. It was my first high end Japanese knife and introduced me to that style of knife which I am now in love with. It has a stunning mirrored finish, damascus pattern and handle. The knife itself is super sharp and holds an edge really well. It is true VG10 steel and holds its edge as such. Large blade makes short work of veggies and meats, however knife is nimble enough for delicate tasks as well. Shun includes lifetime knife sharpening for only like $5 for the first knife and $2 per additional knife which is just shipping costs which I view as a great value, not that you will need to sharpen these a ton. As for some of the negative reviews about chipping... honestly ignore them. As I have gotten into cooking and moved into the world of high end products I have seen a myriad of negative reviews on products like Le Creuset, John Boos Blocks, KitchenAid stand mixers, etc. In my pretty substantial experience these all seem to be from people who enjoy cooking so they buy a high end item and have absolutely no idea how to use or care for the item. They think because its expensive its invincible which is just not the case. I have use this knife a lot, accidentally nicked bones, cut on harder surfaces, etc. and nothing has damaged this knife with reasonable care. Yes, if you are going to take it and whack it on a chicken bone or cut on a marble countertop you may chip it. These are all things it says not to do. There is no way in hell you are going to cut veggies or meat on a wood block or plastic board and chip this thing, especially using the correct cutting motion. All that being said, I have a Miyabi Birchwood SG2 8" chefs knife that I mostly use instead of this. Its just got an even sharper angled edge and is made of an even harder material making cutting even easier. But it should be, this knife goes for $180 that one goes for $250-300 depending on sales. If you have the money I would consider looking towards a Shun or Miyabi with SG2 level steel.

So I was cutting some carrots, but I'm not used to a knife this long (usually I use a 6" knife for cooking). I accidentally skimmed my finger with this knife. At first I didn't realize I'd broken the skin, because it didn't really hurt at first and I couldn't see a cut. After a few seconds of searching, I realized there was actually a significant cut; it was just so fine and clean that it stayed sealed shut and invisible for a solid 20 seconds before it finally started to bleed. It reminded me of the end of the Underworld movie. So yeah. This is a sharp knife. Goes through carrots and other things with minimal resistance. The knife seems very well built. I will be more careful in the future.

I've owned one of these before, years ago. It was either stolen, or lost in a move. Either way, I am starting a new Chef job soon, so I immediately purchased another one. I used it every day at my old job. It's a workhorse. The 16° edge is razor sharp & cuts through pretty much anything effortlessly. Veggies, Meats, herbs, fruit. Etc. This thing is literally a tiny samurai sword. My knife is beautifully balanced, and very easy to index where the tip is. The handle is pretty comfortable. It has a swell in it so it feels good and secure in my hand. My only criticism of the knife is the handle is a little long. While holding it correctly in a "Pinch-Grip" fashion, there is quite a bit of wood remaining below my hand.

Like some, I collect different kitchen knives as I see fit, all high quality and well reputed. I'd started with Wustof years ago. I have a nice high carbon knife I ordered direct from Japan, and several other knives with each having a specific purpose. I worked in kitchen retail with cutlery as my focus and received a Shun "Classic" paring knife as a "try me" piece. At one point it was the only knife I used in my kitchen. I worked with it exclusively for 4 years and it never needed sharpening (though I've had it professionally sharpened since because it seemed the thing to do). I also own the original Ken Onion Shun Chef's Knife. The last knife mentioned, and my 8" Wustof Classic Chef's knife were too large, heavy and not super agile for my female hands. I very much wanted a 6" Chef and fell in love with the Premier the instant I saw it. Covered my female sensibilities (shiny! pretty! quality feel! really the design is amazing.), and my practical sensibilities (super sharp! durable- as known by reputation and experience! easy to handle and light as a feather!). It is an extremely impressive knife. Though it is not technically "hollow ground" the texturing design very much acts as a "non-stick" surface. The handle fits beautifully in one's hand. However, I'll point out that this knife is not exactly comfortable to hold as one traditionally holds a chef's knife (slightly on the blade) as the bolster does not have a rounded finish at the back end (as does my Wustof)- so I hold it by the handle only and it seems to work best this way, for me. I'm in love!

This knife is extremely and it hold it edge for a long time. After couple months of use its still sharp only need to holn it once a week. Love Shun that they have free sharpening, these are expensive knife and most home use wouldn't know how to sharp it correctly so having a lifetime free sharpening is a plus.. Saving up money to buy more.

Wow! These are the best knives I have ever used.

Extremely beautiful design, perfect edge angle, and an incredible cutting feel! However, be careful not to cut hard ingredients . the blade is very thin and the steel is quite hard, so it can chip easily if used on hard ！