• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
DadCooksDinner
  • Home
  • Rotisserie
  • Sous Vide
  • Recipes
  • Tools
  • Books
  • Merch
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Books
  • Tools
  • Merch
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Books
    • Tools
    • Merch
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Thoughts » Things I love

    Shun Chef's Knife

    Published: Feb 3, 2009 · Modified: Mar 11, 2015 by Mike Vrobel · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments


    Things I love:
    My new Kershaw Shun 8-Inch Chef's Knife

    Sharp. Sharp. Sharp!

    A chef's knife is the key kitchen tool.  (Well, that and a cutting board).* You really can get by with a Chef's knife and a paring knife - every other knife in the block is optional (and some are close to useless. Utility knife? Just use your chef's knife!)
    *See Michael Ruhlman's "The Elements of Cooking" for his essay on how you could outfit a kitchen with only five tools**, and cook most meals.
    **Chef's knife, cutting board, 3qt saute pan w/lid, flat edged spoon, oven safe bowl

    I've been using my Forschner Victorinox 8-Inch Chef's Knife for a while. It's a good knife, especially for the price, and it has served me well. But...

    I just finished Chad Ward's "An Edge in the Kitchen", and decided that it was time to go from a good knife to a great one. I've lusted after this Shun knife ever since I had a chance to use it while assisting at cooking classes at Sur La Table. It is so sharp, and so quick, I feel like a samurai whenever I'm using it.*
    *And as an added bonus, I can imagine that I'm re-enacting the fight scenes in Hero when all I'm really doing is chopping an onion.

    Why is it so sharp? There are two main reasons: Blade angle, and the quality of the steel used in the knife.

    Most western chef's knives are sharpened to a 22 degree angle - meaning that the "V" of the knife is 44 degrees. Japanese knives, like the shun, are beveled to a much steeper 16 degree angle, or a "V" of 32 degrees. This is the difference between a razor and a chisel.

    How can the Japanese knives have such a steep angle? The quality of their steel. The VG-10 steel used in the Shun knives is much harder than the steel used in western knives, so it can keep that steeper angle longer, without folding over and becoming dull. That's why the western knives have the wider "V" - they don't use as hard of steel, and if they used the steeper "V" they'd dull much quicker.

    If you're interested, or would like a clearer explanation of what I'm talking about, see Alton Brown explaining the details of Shun knives.
    http://www.kershawknives.com/video/shun/index.html

    If you're obsessed, and REALLY into the details, then read An Edge in the Kitchen

    « Grilled Pineapple
    Sear-Roasted Chicken Pieces with Quick Lemon Pan Sauce »

    Sharing is caring!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jeremy says

      January 01, 2011 at 6:01 pm

      I have the Forschner Victorinox 8-Inch Chef's Knife. Really good knife one of the best I've had. Been tossing the idea of getting a Shun back and forth for a while now. Not sure why since Alton is a believer I should be as well. This post mightve sold me on getting one.

      But I first need to get my all clad cookware set first. Bought a 12 inch skillet a while back fell in love and need more!

      Is it weird that I love kitchen tools?

      Reply
    2. MikeV @ DadCooksDinner says

      January 01, 2011 at 6:12 pm

      @Jeremy:

      Weird that you love kitchen tools? I'm the wrong person to ask (he says, gently stroking the lid of his new All-Clad slow cooker).

      Reply

    Questions? Made the Recipe? Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Dad Cooks Dinner! I'm Mike Vrobel, a dad who cooks dinner every night. I'm an enthusiastic home cook, and I write about pressure cooking, rotisserie grilling, and other food topics that grab my attention.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Pressure Cooker Chili Verde (Green Pork Chili)
    • Pressure Cooker Beef Shank (Osso Bucco)
    • Pressure Cooker Brown Jasmine Rice
    • Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup

    Recent

    • Instant Pot Beef and Lentil Stew
    • Instant Pot BBQ Meatballs
    • Instant Pot Spare Ribs with BBQ Rub and Sauce
    • Chickpea Puttanesca

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 Dad Cooks Dinner

    0 shares