Shun Classic 3 Piece Starter Set, Includes 8" Chef, 3.5" Paring & 6" Utility Knives, Handcrafted Japanese Knife Set, VG-MAX Core with Damascus Stainless Steel Cladding, Pakkawood Handle

I like the chef blade design because I like to rock the knife into the food for straight, parallel cuts while still leaving room for my knuckles at the bottom of the cut. The 6" and 8" chefs on this product are my ultimate favorite. Everything cuts like butter - tomatoes, sausage... everything. Some stuff will stick though, the Damascus here is too shallow a profile to eliminate that.I do not generally recommend this product for gifting. The knives are too sharp for family's with young children and are dangerous for anyone that has become comfortable with a good old walnut-handled Chicago Cutlery product for example, that offers a great grip when wet and is not so sharp it will cut you for no more than a hasty move.

I've had these knives a little over a year now. Hands down the best purchase I've made as a home cook. They are used daily. These knives are well worth the investment, so if you aren't sure you want to buy them, just do it! Great quality.

First off, I'm a fan of Shun. I have 4 others with the same D shaped handle (right hand specific) and it was a huge influence in buying this set. The metal is VG-10 which I've also been using for my work knife for the last 6 years. Holds it's edge very well but may take a little work to sharpen if you let it get dull.The western chef is fantastic. Well balanced in the hand no matter what grip you use.The utility knife is good, but would like the handle to be slightly larger. It's properly balanced, but handle feels small/narrow in my hand. Totally acceptable for what I use it for though.Paring knife is great. My only complaint with it is I wish the handle was shaped for a left handed person as when I use a paring knife I hold the sharpened edge towards my body and the handle D shape is oriented to my fingers instead of the palm of my hand. Even with that said, it's still great.Everything is super sharp out of the box, and at the price I paid, it's a borderline unbeatable deal. I basically got the utility knife for free and half off the paring knife just for buying the chef.

My wife gave me these as a gift. I have always used (high quality) German knives and these are a different bred for sure. They are scary sharp and keep a remarkable edge. Consider getting the shun honing steel as well - just a few swipes and you are razor sharp again.The handle feel is different enough that it has taken time for me to get used to. Its very rounded and not boxy like the German knives I'm used to.The 8" chef's knife is a little bigger than I might have purchased if I had a choice, but I've quickly adapted to it and quite like it now. It has almost replaced all my previous uses for my messermeister Chinese clever - which I still love.The utility knife is a unique size and I think I use that most of all.

My wife got this set for my birthday and they are awesome. I had used a cuisinart 8" chef's knife and a smaller german knife for years but the Shun is so much better. These are much lighter, comfortable and stay sharp seems like forever. Be careful however, they are VERY sharp - sharpest knives I have ever seen.

No one can say that these aren't a beautiful looking set of knives!Unfortunately though, mine didn't arrive as sharp as what I saw in the videos demonstrating their abilities. As a matter of fact I had to have them sharpened right away so I could use them.After using Henckels for years I wasn't prepared for how light they were and the chef knife arrived with a bent tip. That said, I have to be fair in stating that mine were supposedly an almost new used set.The blades tend to have a lot of flex so I can see how they may have gotten bent if misused. I can't say that I would buy this set being a chef in a restaurant kitchen because I don't know if they would hold up the way my Henckels have over the past 20 years. Only time will tell!

These knifes are really really sharp and look good too. Bought my wife this set plus 2 other Shun Classic, all great. The only problem we've had is the 8-inch chef's knife, the edge started to roll over. Making it impossible to cut with. I ran it over a old wet stone I have and fixed the edge, but now I see I will have to buy a better set of wet stones for honing every once in awhile.. Will buy the Shun again when time to increase the knife supply. Oh, by the way also bought a magnet to hang the knives from so they don't get beat around in a drawer or dulled in a knife block.

These knives are a must have kitchen tool. They are sharp and balanced. I've always had SHARP KNIVES, but these are a treasure to use. Well worth the purchase. My Chef friend told me NEVER PUT GOOD QUALITY A KNIFE IN THE DISHWASHER.