You can sharpen these knives yourself, you just need to make sure that the steel is made from the same metal. You can buy a Shun sharpening steel at Crate and Barrel.

Would love to see some Shun Classic knives/blocks. I bought the 3 piece set for my wifes birthday. Steak knives would be good too.

I love my Shuns! They are the best knifes I have ever worked with. I even bought a few key knifes for my Mother so that I didn't have to keep taking my Shuns to her house to cook with on special occasions. Just a note to anyone worried about the investment: I somehow chipped the blade on my 8" chef's knife. I took it to Sur La Table who immediately replaced it with a new one in compliance with Shun's corporate replacement policy. I'd beg you to try to do that with a Henckels knife.

This has a serrated edge, one that moves back and forth. It's such a simple machine, you don't have to use force.

Replying to the shock at people ordering 3 sets:

One to cut my onions.
One to chop up the bodies.
And one to plant on someone else for the crime. ;-)

gwbaker wrote:I am a bit skeptical of the lifetime sharpening and warranty...

I have a lifetime warranty from benchmade, a well known us knife maker. I have the same guarantee.They have had to repair the knife twice due to manufacturer defect. Thank my lucky stars they are still in business. Do you know these folks will still be in business??? Also, these knives appear to be stamped rather than forged. Do a simple web search and you will find a lot of information about how a forged knife is much better than stamped.

I will take a pass....

While it's unfortunate that you received a sub-par knife from Benchmark, it is my experience that Kershaw/KAI/Shun knives and cutlery are consistently at the high-end of of the bang-for-the-buck ratio. Couple this with an extremely comprehensive warranty policy (I have seen them replace old, user-abused knives that no other manufacturer would guarantee, and replace them with a newer, more expensive model to boot), and it's no wonder that Kershaw and Shun are held in such high esteem.

And I seriously doubt that you have anything to worry about as far as the company closing down; while most knife companies are expanding their overseas production (read: China) to remain competitive, Kershaw in Tualatin, Oregon is actually expanding their line of made-in-the-USA knives, with at least seven new designs so far this year. Kershaw is actually one of the more viable blade manufacturers.

BTW, these Shun blades are 32-layer Damascus over an SG-2 core; they are not "stamped."

(Note: Not sure about the SG-2 bit in Woot's ad copy; the Shun web site says the core is VG-10.)

The Ken Onion Shun knives are some of the best knives in the world. If you own a Shun knife you should send it back to them to have them sharpen it - free (go to their web site and check it out).

Having said that, neither of these would be in the top 3 or 4 knives I would want to own. If you like to keep "sets" this would be a nice addition to your Ken Onion Shun set. If you own Shun knives no one has to tell you how great they are.

Shun Knives are my choice over all others and I especially like the Ken Onion line. The smaller Alton Brown Shun knives are also very nice.

If nothing else these are great gifts.

mbmanaus wrote:WARNING: These are gateway knives. After you use one Shun you WILL become addicted and splurge on many others which you may or may not be able to afford...

I couldn't agree more. We now own 5 Shuns and are really having to contain ourselves on this Woot! We love ours so much, the coveted ceramic blade knives we had previously purchased are now lying unused.

Treat your Shuns with respect. They are SHARP. If you're used to Ginsus or even European knives of good quality, these are even sharper. We have one that my chef hub and I have both given blood to. Also wash immediately after use, dry, and put them into a blade cover. That is the only way I would store them.

I have a Kershaw Blackout by Ken Onion in my pocket right now. I have seen his quality in many other knives. He certainly knows how a top-quality knife should be constructed. (not nearly as easy as you would think) I have no doubt these knives have a quality feel to them and will most likely last a lifetime, even with heavy use.

Get yourself a blade cover to store these babies. Some people like to use the blocks, and I guess they're OK. I prefer to use a plastic blade cover like a Knife Safe. It completely protects the cutting edge from being banged around or rubbed. Our Shuns stay nice and sharp while stored in this manner.

Oh and ALWAYS hand wash your Shuns, dry them, and put them away immediately. Respect the knife and it respects you.

I checked the site and the Ken Onion line is made from the "Classic" series using VG-10 steel not the SG-2 powdered steel found in the Kai "Elite" series knives. The VG-10 is still awesome steel.
Also, Ken Onion designed the handles and the angle of the blades not the steel manufacturing process

all this talk about having to sharpen these Shun serrated knives...unless you're using these SLICING knives in the same manner as you'd use an all-purpose Chef's knife, you'll never have to sharpen these serrated SLICING knives.

slicing cooked meats and bread won't dull these knives; everyday/all-purpose cutting will...

i'm a big user of Ken Onion knives and Shun cutlery...

[to a mugger with a knife] That's not a knife. [draws a large Bowie knife] That's a knife.

Don't be put off by the comments about sharpening steels. People assume that the round steel included with knife sets is for sharpening, but it isn't. A very sharp knife has a thin cutting edge, which gets slightly pushed over to the side with use. The steel is used to "true up" this edge for better cutting by straightening it back, but does not make it sharper.

A serrated knife has a thicker edge to start with, and the thicker parts of the serration keep the knife edge fairly straight for a long time. A serrated knife should be professionally resharpened each year, just like your regular knives, for best performance. I find my serrated knives can sometimes go several years between sharpenings depending on how I've used them.

You will find these knives to be the best you've ever used. Serrated knives excel at slicing bread, bagels, soft veggies like tomatoes. They aren't the best choice for hard veggies like carrots - you want the regular Ken Onion knives for that, because it takes extra force to cut the hard veggies with the thicker blade.

These are excellent knives at a bargain price.

The truly frugal will scorn these. Victorinox are equal or better in function, and way less than 1/2 the price of these.

Leave these for hipsters trying to decorate their kitchens. If you want to cook, and not waste your money, get the Victorinox instead.

http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-4-Inch-Bread-Fibrox-Handle/dp/B00093090Y

http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-12-Inch-Granton-Slicing-Fibrox/dp/B0000CFDB9

A Stampled Knife is cut into a shape from a cold rolled piece of steel and then ground, tempered, and sharpened. It requires many less steps than forging and results in a lighter, narrower blade.

Stamped knives are easier to produce and therefore less expensive. They perform very well and can approach the quality of a forged blade (but not the weight or feel). A stamped knife can usually be identified by the absence of a bolster.

And you can see the bolster in the photos of the knives, thus they are forged.

Forged blades are typically thicker and heavier than stamped blades. Most forged blades are considered superior to stamped blades and are the choice for top quality kitchen cutlery.

shamcy wrote:How can you tell these are stamped and not forged ?

Short answer - they're forged, and the company will be around for a long time. Shun is a subsidiary of Kai, a rather large maker of knives and surgical blades in Japan. Their knives are high-end consumer knives, and they stand behind their guarantee and they will be in business for a long time. The poster you quoted has no idea what they're talking about and is full of FUD.

beanerkc wrote:You can tell hammered (forged) knives by the waves in the metal, versus stamped steel knives that show no artifacts. And in these photos you can see the waves in the metal.

This isn't correct, either. The waves here are decoration (a pattern weld) and can be added to any quality knife.

That said, these are probably high-quality knives.

pilote wrote:all this talk about having to sharpen these Shun serrated knives...unless you're using these SLICING knives in the same manner as you'd use an all-purpose Chef's knife, you'll never have to sharpen these serrated SLICING knives.

slicing cooked meats and bread won't dull these knives; everyday/all-purpose cutting will...

i'm a big user of Ken Onion knives and Shun cutlery...

You'll eventually have to sharpen the teeth - contact with the cutting board, or other objects will dull it. But a serrated knife isn't as reliant on a sharp edge.

That said, there are a couple of things you can do: 1) run a steel or a very fine hone over the flat side of the serrations once in a long while. 2) send it back to Kai/Shun to get it sharpened every few years.

Talesin wrote:Ouch. If I was going to pay this much for a set of knives, they sure as **** wouldn't have a serrated edge.

Shun's a great name, but with no ability to use a knife steel for truing or re-sharpen these with any measure of ease at all when they /eventually/ dull, they'll end up as throwaways, no matter how long it takes them to finally degrade to the same level as any bargain-bin set.

Actually, Kai will sharpen them for free:

"First, you can send your knives to our Kai USA facility in Portland, Oregon. We will be happy to restore the factory edge to your blade for as long as you own the knife. There is no charge to you for this service, aside from the cost of mailing the knife to us."

http://www.kershawknives.com/faq.php?brand=shun

Plus, these knives hold an edge for a REALLY LONG time. The steel they use is crazy hard so they just last.

peapd wrote:In response to an earlier post:

These are ground at a very specific angle (15 degrees if memory serves - different than every other major knife company on the planet), your local guy will not be able to do this correctly. The factory uses lasers and such...

Most quality Japanese knives are sharpened at the 15 degree angle, but most hardware stores won't know that - some just use grinding machines. So yes, send the knife back to the manufacturer.

BuyaTV wrote:Henckel's can't hold an Onion to these knives - hard to believe but true!

Agreed. I have both and the Henckel's Pro-S don't even hold a candle to the Shun knives.

Amazon has many shun ken onion knives for sale. MANY used ones. If they are so good why are so many used ones for sale?? Sent back? why? anyone know

shamcy wrote:How can you tell these are stamped and not forged ?

no matter how it was manufactured depending on usage every knife blade needs sharpening. Forged knives don't differ much, only by more secure rivets in the handles and overall price. Even some blades are stamped first and then forged to add strength and durability.

Shun are forged - you can verify this on consumerreports.com. The wavy images on the side are created from layering different sheets of material and rolling/pressing them together. Blanks are stamped from this, but then the blade is forged from the blank. Damascus steel was made in a similar - but more primitive manner - hammering the sheets together. I have a number of these, the edge is very resilient. If you own them, you love them, they keep coming up with new shapes for their base to keep buying.

unknownandinsane wrote:no matter how it was manufactured depending on usage every knife blade needs sharpening. Forged knives don't differ much, only by more secure rivets in the handles and overall price. Even some blades are stamped first and then forged to add strength and durability.

See my note below, and you're right, now it doesn't really matter. The sharpest, most durable knives today are made from a Vanadium steel alloy which makes the metal very hard and still tough - those are stamped, milled, then ground using carbide tooling and heat treatments in between. Forging was assumed better because of the repeated heating cycles that harden the metal coupled with the hammering to toughen it ... old tech.

fastfxr wrote:They're both serrated....which means you can't really sharpen at home.

You shouldn't sharpen your own knives anyway, at least according to Alton Brown, who recommends using a professional service.

packsofwolves wrote:she said i got two Shun Ken Onion knives here, baby

come on, babe, buy them, don't say maybe

i'm just a teenage sous chef baby, like you

oohoohooh oooo0oooh

Wheatus!

Take it from my gourmet kitchen: these are the best knves you will ever find. Amazing sharpness; great balance.

America's Test Kitchen rated serrated knives and the article is available for free on their website, registration required.

They made a big point about type of serrations, length of blade, etc.

The 2 most highly recommended knives were
the following:

Wüsthof Classic Bread Knife, 10 inches, $89.95

The best buy was the Victorinox Forschner 10 1/4-Inch Curved Blade Bread Knife, $24.95, which was "good for lefties."

Runner up recommended was good for large hands, the Viking 10-inch Serrated Slicer, $108, but it was "lethally sharp."

The most expensive knife, the Global 10-Inch Bread Knife, Serrated ($124.95) fell in the acceptable range.

Thanks for reminding me about getting a new knife. I just bought the Victorinox on Amazon for $25.95, free shipping.

I want to thank all Wooters for their excellent and informative comments. Merci beaucoup! Mange tak! Vielen dank! Grazie Mille!

acanarelli wrote:I recognize that there's a lot of know how and hard work, not to mention expensive materials, that go into making a high quality knife. However during these times, when your neighbors are out of jobs and maybe some of your own family members are looking for work, it's hard to justify spending this kind of money on a knife. After all, many of us are on Woot to save money on more practical things.

I don't believe woot! has ever sold a single practical item that a person deeply concerned about their financial situation couldn't live without.

Yes, you can get bargains, but not on anything remotely considered an essential purchase.

kat8480 wrote:Shipped ground of course!!!No knives on planes.
What if I lived in Alaska snails cant swim can they

Ever hear of Canada? They have roads too ya know.

I don't even know what happened.

RWoodward wrote:You shouldn't sharpen your own knives anyway, at least according to Alton Brown, who recommends using a professional service.

He takes shortcuts all the time in explaining things that aren't the focus of that show. In this case, you should learn how to use a waterstone, or a ceramic hone, or something to keep your blade really sharp, because there's nothing like a sharp knife when cutting.

The serration kills it for me. Can't sharpen these at home.

I am a sushi chef and I need a smooth flat blade to make straight clean cuts through rolls and fish.

I think that a knife is only as good as the edge you can put on it as well (within reason).

Also the steel isn't from Damascus, that ore was depleted centuries ago. Rather it is "damascened". That is the striped pattern that is apparent in the blade. It only adds appearance.

PeterN wrote:He takes shortcuts all the time in explaining things that aren't the focus of that show. In this case, you should learn how to use a waterstone, or a ceramic hone, or something to keep your blade really sharp, because there's nothing like a sharp knife when cutting.

Most people don't know how to sharpen a knife properly, have never heard of a waterstone, and think those angled coarse ceramic discs that you drag the knife through are the way to go. *Sigh*

xlorkhanx wrote:The serration kills it for me. Can't sharpen these at home.

I am a sushi chef and I need a smooth flat blade to make straight clean cuts through rolls and fish.

I think that a knife is only as good as the edge you can put on it as well (within reason).

You can sharpen serrated edges at home, I do it all the time. For serrated blades I use either a pair of round ceramic rods, or for the really small serrations, like on an partially-serrated pocket-knife blade, I use a Spyderco Sharpmaker, using only the corners of the triangular stones. If you take your time, it works well.

riffrafff wrote:Most people don't know how to sharpen a knife properly, have never heard of a waterstone, and think those angled coarse ceramic discs that you drag the knife through are the way to go. *Sigh*

Something for the people:

A big long knife sharpening post

riffrafff wrote:Most people don't know how to sharpen a knife properly, have never heard of a waterstone, and think those angled coarse ceramic discs that you drag the knife through are the way to go. *Sigh*

The amount of ignorance here is pretty stupifying.

Ken Onion is a knife maker... almost like a scultpor.

Shun are the highest grade knives in the world. I have been a chef, and I have worked in high end kitchens. Most chefs might not invest in these, because most chefs invest in something a bit cheaper... then proceed to take good care of them and lo and behold, they last almost your whole lives.

There's a difference between sharpening and straightening, and *yes* you can do *either* with *any* knife.

These are a bit pricier, perfect for replacing the crappy stuff you bought 5 years earlier.

It's simple... these will last your whole lives. The paring knife is one of the best I have ever owned.

The idea of hipsters buying shuns makes me laugh... I know they have appeared in williams/sonoma the last couple years, but their phenomenal.

While I would buy the standard Shun knives normally (Onion is a badass, but paying for the handle which can be slightly slippery coupled with "design" fees is a bit extraneous)


It's simple however...

at this price you should not pass these up. Period.