Wootalyzer's Pricing Post! - The price of today's woot item is saved here for future reference
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Shun Ken Onion 7 Piece Bamboo Block Set
$399.99 + $5 Shipping
Condition: New

Product List:
- 1 Ken Onion 4 3/8" Chef's Knife
- 1 Ken Onion 5" Serrated Utility Knife
- 1 Ken Onion 6" Chef's Knife
- 1 Ken Onion 8" Slicing Knife
- 1 Multi-Purpose Serrated Slicer Knife
- 1 Honing Steel
- 1 Bamboo Block

*DISCLAIMER* Wootalyzer! is in no way affiliated with Woot!, and this post may not always be here!

How well with it cut human flesh?

7 bamboo pieces huh... at $400 bucks that bamboo should also wash dishes.. or at least slice and dice.

Seriously? I don't care how great these knives are, for $400 they don't really represent most WOOTERS I don't think. They should save this item for killing woot-offs.

Are these better than CutCo?

How do these compare to Wusthof or J.A. Henckels knives?

Hey everybody - this isn't really a block set. These are knives!

How sharp are these knives? I'm not sure that bamboo knifes will cut through onions all that well...

Here's a similar set on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Ken-Onion-7-Piece-Knife-Block/dp/B000N4XPCI

They want $730 for it!

Oh so pretty!

This is actually an excellent price. It's over $700 on Amazon and most other sites.

Ken Onion is a knife designer who usually makes $400 custom knives. He designed a few for mass production (I carry one as my pocket knife). The Shun series are maybe the nicest: almost any two of these would normally cost the $400 that this set costs.

They are insanely sharp (use an edge angle more like a razor blade than the typical heavy German-style kitchen knife), and the handles are ridiculously comfortable and well-balanced.

If you use kitchen knives a lot and can afford them, you'll be glad you did.

Yes, I know: they're very expensive. If you got a new Porsche for half price, it would still be expensive, and some people would still say you're a doofus for spending so much for a car that only holds 1 passenger and 1 suitcase. But if you like cars, you'd have a silly grin. More or less the same idea here.

website info about the company
http://www.shunkenonion.com/about/

The guy's last name is Onion? That rocks! Is he in anyway related to Garlic Jr. ?

shindig966 wrote:How do these compare to Wusthof or J.A. Henckels knives?

Wustof are just as good and will have better resale value in the long run, long after this fad has faded. Do not buy this hype.

Be careful with these my wife is slicing the skin off of her fingers all the time

shindig966 wrote:How do these compare to Wusthof or J.A. Henckels knives?

Better, they carry a sharper bevel with a metal quality to support it.

the shun cutlery line is one of the best, and vg-10 steel is awesome stainless...comes hair popping sharp and holds the edge a long time (if you use the steel for a few swipes before cutting)...

i have a set of shun ken onion's, but with different handles...

By the way, I have a Shun knife set that I bought on clearance for $200 and it was worth every penny and then some. I can't speak for this Ken Onion set, but the ease of use and the fluidity of motion for the Shun knives is remarkable.

Of course, it's only for those who have money to spend on getting the best kitchen knives. But if you have the dough, they're worth it.

chriscclark01 wrote:Here's a similar set on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Ken-Onion-7-Piece-Knife-Block/dp/B000N4XPCI

They want $730 for it!

That one has a 8" chefs. A much better set imho.

Do we really need a golden hammer to drive a nail?

I know; some people would say a golden hammer feels more balanced on their hands...

I can't see buying knives that have curved handles unless you have arthritis, that said I don't cut sushi too often. maybe I should?
"if you knew sushi like I knew sushi"...

mkentosh wrote:website info about the company
http://www.shunkenonion.com/about/

After watching that video I have to ask, how do you use such a fine kitchen instrument and not have a stable chopping board? A damp paper towel spread out under that board will keep it in place and save your fingers from being chopped off.

There are a lot of really good reviews for Shun Ken Onion knives all over there on Buzzillions.
http://www.buzzillions.com/x/s?N=4294811422&D=x&cat=&extra=all-product&Ntt=ken+onion+knives

If I didn't already have all of these I would so be into grabbing this; the only thing I lack is the storage block--wish I could just get that here on Woot. These knives are a joy to use for anyone who appreciates super tools. When cutting, just the weight of the knife as you push the blade TOWARD a tomato slices it from top to bottom. They make cooking much safer as, if the knife slips in your hand, the lack of force (usually required in cutting with lesser knives) means you don't have it zip away and cut off your finger. I love them! Just the little one is $150 (currently on sale for $99) at Williams-Sonoma.

Shun Ken Onion? Gladly.

Whenever I see Ken Onion, I will turn my back on both him and his overpriced knives.

sparkerjc wrote:Are these better than CutCo?

shindig966 wrote:How do these compare to Wusthof or J.A. Henckels knives?

Yes yes and yes! I have cutco and most recently shun. I gave away my wusthof and henckels (junk) after my first set of starter shun knives. The quality is apparent once in your hand. Worth every penny.

NelsonMuntz wrote:Seriously? I don't care how great these knives are, for $400 they don't really represent most WOOTERS I don't think. They should save this item for killing woot-offs.

crazylegz70 wrote:Im thinking that these knives are made from diamondoboutrix alien steel that is honed from the finest of fallen craft found in the far corners of the galaxy......

Seriously, $400????


UGH UGH UGH! =

For the same reason you have harbor freight tools and snap-on tools. Go to a mechanic shop and you wont find any harbor freight dog excrement tools. If you spend enough time in the kitchen cooking, you'll want to use quality knives, pots, stove, etc. If all you're doing in the kitchen is warming up frozen pizza in the oven, don't waste thread space here complaining about the price. You don't get quality for cheap.

The degree of angle for these blades is 16 degrees, as opposed to 22 for most other fine cutlery -- so don't hone the blade as you would the others... the honing steel has a beveled edge at the grip end which meets the correct blade angle to the steel when the knife blade is laid against it...

Also, Shun will sharpen your blades for free, forever...

sparkerjc wrote:Are these better than CutCo?

shindig966 wrote:How do these compare to Wusthof or J.A. Henckels knives?

Alton Brown uses Shun almost exclusively. 'Nuff said.

Here's a description of Shun Ken Onion knives from collaborator Kershaw:

Gorgeous Style Meets Perfect Function

It began with a single knife, the Shun Ken Onion Chef's Knife. But our customers demanded more. So we've expanded the series to include all the most-wanted styles from the can't-live-without-it paring knife to our versatile bread knife.

The Ken Onion series features the clad VG-10 blade made famous in our Shun line. But then the handsome, non-stick blade is combined with Ken Onion's signature ergonomic handle design and the unique blade sweep found only in a Ken Onion knife. The result is a series of knives that are not only beautiful to look at, but a pleasure to use.

If you would like to see a shun training video detailing EVERY reason why you want a Shun knife.....it even goes on to say that the knives you cut with affect your food flavor because steel interacts with the food molecules....WOW

Eat your heart out....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssncbR-_9jQ&feature=related

xarous wrote:How well with it cut human flesh?

Very well, actually. However, there's a big caveat (from the manufacturer's FAQ): "Is there anything Shun knives shouldn’t be used on? Please do not use Shun knives — other than the Ken Onion meat cleaver — on bones or joints. These knives are designed for precision slicing rather than chopping through bones."

That's because these high-end Japanese knives are so hard that they tend to chip if they so much as see a bone nearby. So, I'd either invest in a heavy cleaver or a circular saw if you're looking to dismember a corpse, be it bovine or...whatever.

endlesssummer555 wrote:For the same reason you have harbor freight tools and snap-on tools. Go to a mechanic shop and you wont find any harbor freight dog excrement tools. If you spend enough time in the kitchen cooking, you'll want to use quality knives, pots, stove, etc. If all you're doing in the kitchen is warming up frozen pizza in the oven, don't waste thread space here complaining about the price. You don't get quality for cheap.

Bull ____! wusthof and henckels work every bit as good for a chef as any other knife. quit trying to "sell" an unsellable feature.

shindig966 wrote:How do these compare to Wusthof or J.A. Henckels knives?

Shun knives are the best mass produced cutlery in my opinion. I cook for a living and am passionate about it. I use these knives on a daily basis and can testify that they are far superior to any of the German brands. If these knives become dull to the point where you cannot sharpen them (seriously hard to do) then you can ship them back to shun to have them replaced/ sharpened to factory specs. This is seriously a great deal and if I didn't already own these pieces I would purchase these. The only comprable brand is Hattori, and those things are super expensive and sexy.

http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=486250&CCAID=FROOGLE486250

cooking.com link^

($739)

neonenergy wrote:Alton Brown uses Shun almost exclusively. 'Nuff said.

Yeah, but that guy only produces "good" eats. That's just a step away from being "mediocre" eats.

kwelles wrote:Wustof are just as good and will have better resale value in the long run, long after this fad has faded. Do not buy this hype.

My wife has Wustof and Ken Onion. The Onion's are a far superior knife when it comes down to the blade balance and ergonomics.

And why would I want to sell my kitchen knives? They arent like cars and break down, and if you broke the knife somehow, why would someone want to buy it from you?

jeffiekins wrote:...
Yes, I know: they're very expensive. If you got a new Porsche for half price, it would still be expensive, and some people would still say you're a doofus for spending so much for a car that only holds 1 passenger and 1 suitcase. But if you like cars, you'd have a silly grin. More or less the same idea here.

Well put! I think Woot should include this in bold at the top of the description for any of the Shun knives that they sell. At some point I will be purchasing these knives (not tonight, unfortunately) and enjoy reading about other Wooters' experiences with said knives. Maybe putting your analogy as a disclaimer for each sale will weed out some of the "$xyz???? For $xyz these knives better (wash/cook) my (kitchen/dinner)!!" comments.

http://www.kershawknives.com/designerbios.php?designer_id=1&brand=shun
Here is a great write-up on how he actually came to design the knives the way he did. I own some Shun knives. I don't have the Ken Onion designed knives, but I've been very happy with mine.