I wonder how these would work as sushi knives (the 3-piece set). Anyone use them for slicing sashimi?

I know that VG10 steel is really hard. Anyone out there have a Shun VG10, how hard is it to sharpen, how often do you sharpen(for heavy kitchen use) it? Curious, VG10 is very good, but VG1 sharpens easier but doesn't hold an edge as long as the VG10. Would like to understand how these compare to VG1 knives. Any insight?

DennisEChung wrote:I wonder how these would work as sushi knives (the 3-piece set). Anyone use them for slicing sashimi?

I wouldn't use them for Sashimi. Sashimi blades are one sided so you can place your hand very close, if you use the slicing knife, you might slice your hand off if you don't know what you're doing.

These knives are for pros.....

That being said, this is a fantastic deal.

DennisEChung wrote:I wonder how these would work as sushi knives (the 3-piece set). Anyone use them for slicing sashimi?

Like slicing through butter with with a samurai sword still hot from the forge of hell!

With no disrespect I will stick with my Henckels and Wusthof knives I have has for 30 years.

Ruzzell wrote:I seriously agree (see previous post)... I seriously thought my friends CUTCO knives were bought from a dollar store. I'm basing that on the steak knives I saw, never looked at any of the chef knives though. Didn't know anything about CUTCO until I googled it after she told me what she paid for the set (from a relative).

I frequently cook at my in laws and MIL has a set of cutco knives. They are terrible and don't hold an edge. She even sent them back to cutco for "professional sharpening" and results were the same. They include a bunch of serrated blades so you can saw through your food instead of slicing it.

DennisEChung wrote:I wonder how these would work as sushi knives (the 3-piece set). Anyone use them for slicing sashimi?

Probably not as good as the $40 Kai Wasabi set I posted above (Kai is the parent company of Shun). That's because the Wasabis are Japanese style knives, where only one side is honed. These are Western style knives.

Kogur wrote:Like slicing through butter with with a samurai sword still hot from the forge of hell!

Don't ever slice raw sashmi fish with a hot knife or you'll inadvertently cook it!

sdc100 wrote:Probably not as good as the $40 Kai Wasabi set I posted above (Kai is the parent company of Shun). That's because the Wasabis are Japanese style knives, where only one side is honed. These are Western style knives.

no, they're japanese style knives. western knives have a 22 degree double bevel, japanese, double bevel knives have 16 degrees. the wasabis are japanese, single bevel knives.

if you can afford this set, buy it. it's an incredible deal.

freakin wrote:I frequently cook at my in laws and MIL has a set of cutco knives. They are terrible and don't hold an edge. She even sent them back to cutco for "professional sharpening" and results were the same. They include a bunch of serrated blades so you can saw through your food instead of slicing it.

but the people with cutco knives will think it is the best thing since fire, given that their previous knife was an axe or made out of stones.

pdrake2126 wrote:no, they're japanese style knives. western knives have a 22 degree double bevel, japanese, double bevel knives have 16 degrees. the wasabis are japanese, single bevel knives.

if you can afford this set, buy it. it's an incredible deal.

No, these are Western knives designed with some Japanese features. I lived in Japan and there is no such thing as a true Japanese Chef's Knife or Bread knife. These are Western knives made with Japanese techniques. Traditional Japanese chefs use a Santoku, not a Chef's knife. And in the years I was in Japan, I've never seen a home with a bread knife. It's as Western as a butter knife or salad fork, which my Asian friends mock frequently as examples of Western excess.

In fact, many mothers of my Asian friends have never even touched a Chef's knife -- the most popular knife of any Western kitchen. Traditional Chinese mothers, for example, use their cleavers for virtually everything except paring. I've even seen it used for delicate techniques like garnishing.

pfajardo19 wrote:I know that VG10 steel is really hard. Anyone out there have a Shun VG10, how hard is it to sharpen, how often do you sharpen(for heavy kitchen use) it? Curious, VG10 is very good, but VG1 sharpens easier but doesn't hold an edge as long as the VG10. Would like to understand how these compare to VG1 knives. Any insight?

Define heavy kitchen use, maybe? Are you a professional chef and/or throw significant numbers of dinner parties?

If so, you'll want to hand-sharpen them (or have them hand sharpened if you don't know how) probably 4-6 times/year maybe?

It's not terribly hard to sharpen - moreso than a VG1, a little less than the SG2 Shun used for its Elite series, and still uses for their Professional series.

Definitely worth practicing with a cheaper knife if you don't know how to use a stone. Or just pay someone locally, provided they do it by hand and not with a machine (and are accustomed to the 16 degree angle). Alternately, you can ship them to Kai's Oregon shop, and they will sharpen them for you for free. Have to pay for shipping & it takes a little while, but some folks prefer that.

these are probably western knives with japanese features. Who in japan will use a 10" knife? Its like a samurai sword for them.

Can anyone from woot comment on how they are packaged?

Do they come in their individual boxes?

DennisEChung wrote:I wonder how these would work as sushi knives (the 3-piece set). Anyone use them for slicing sashimi?

If you're really interested in slicing sashimi, you can buy a yagani-ba knife from Shun (albeit not here).

I would recommend this. For sashimi you want a long, thin, single-bevel blade so that you can cut completely with one single pull stroke.

You could make the slicer from these sets work, but your results would not likely be as pretty as a true sashimi knife. Still tasty, but not quite as even.

Prime Suspect wrote:I assume everyone knows that these are not actually true Damascus knives. "Damascus-clad" just means that have a Damascus style pattern to them. It's just an aesthetic touch, and doesn't actually improve the hardness of the steel. Doesn't mean they're not good knives. But the pattern is there for show.

Thanks for bringing that up. I just assumed that the Shun brand rep and along with the price would be using Damascus steel. But not so! Thanks for pointing that out, sir. I very first experience with a Damascus steel came with a Parker pocket knife my Dad and I bought together about 25 years ago (I was about 15 and he bought me a new jnife each year for Christmas), and it was about $100 at that time. We drove over an hour to that knife store, so we had a good hour on the return drive to talk about it before I would see it again at Christmas. I remember the store owner said that Damascus steel was very expensive to make, and cost (at that time, anyway) over $75 a sq inch. Could have been sales talk, don't know. I do know that from all the catalogs I got around that time, the knife was a very fair price. Becides, all my pocket knives with Damascus steel looks very differently from the steel on these blades. I just thought the figured out how to give the steel more luster and shine? I'm a sucker for scrimshaw now with my pocket knives and let my kitchen have the best steel.

seattlekleins wrote:If you're really interested in slicing sashimi, you can buy a yagani-ba knife from Shun (albeit not here).

I would recommend this. For sashimi you want a long, thin, single-bevel blade so that you can cut completely with one single pull stroke.

You could make the slicer from these sets work, but your results would not likely be as pretty as a true sashimi knife. Still tasty, but not quite as even.

Actually, Woot has offered single-beveled Japanese knives before. In fact, they were made by Kai, Shun's parent company. The 3 piece set was only $40, and I think that it does include a yagani-ba. See my post about them on the first page. I have the set and love them. I have no problems with the single bevel for ordinary tasks but my friends can't make a straight slice.

Here is the link to the Woot.

lwang wrote:these are probably western knives with japanese features. Who in japan will use a 10" knife? Its like a samurai sword for them.

Yeah, these are Western knives designed for the Western market. Very few Asians, for example, own a bread knife.

cherrybomb22 wrote:Can anyone from woot comment on how they are packaged?

Do they come in their individual boxes?

My GUESS is yes, since the sets are assembled by Woot. That was the case with their Kai 3-piece Wasabi set, where each knife came in an individual box. In fact, I considered giving one of the Wasabis away.

The below photo is from the Wasabi Woot.

pfajardo19 wrote:I know that VG10 steel is really hard. Anyone out there have a Shun VG10, how hard is it to sharpen, how often do you sharpen(for heavy kitchen use) it? Curious, VG10 is very good, but VG1 sharpens easier but doesn't hold an edge as long as the VG10. Would like to understand how these compare to VG1 knives. Any insight?

I'm not well-versed in metallurgy but I do know that Shun recommends that you send in your knives to be professionally sharpened. Many knife shops may not be familiar with Japanese edge, which uses 16 degrees. Or you can probably use their Shun AP0119 Electronic Knife Sharpener. Woot has sold in the past for $30.

Here's the description:

Pre-set for sharpening knives at a 16 degree angle, the Shun Electric Knife Sharpener is THE accessory for keeping all of your Shun cutlery in perfect cutting condition. Utilizing a combination of fine and course grits, pulling your knife through the channel just a few times will achieve the razor-sharpness you desire. The grindstone is removable, so rinsing and drying makes clean-up virtually effortless. This sharpener features a retractable cord for easy storage, for a clutter-free kitchen. With the Shun Electric Knife Sharpener, you are assured that your Shun Cutlery will remain beautifully sharp for years to come.

ppl, watch these sell out...LOL.

Agreed. Why pay big money for faux-Domascus steel when one can buy the real thing elsewhere?

adaept wrote:Worth noting the Shun Classic line have asymmetrical handles and beveling, so I would assume these are intended only for right-handed people. Southpaws beware.

No, the bevel is the same on both sides of the blade. It is only different on the Japanese-style knives, not these western ones.

seattlekleins wrote:
Good cutting boards (plastic or preferably non-bamboo wood) will help your edge last.

Plastic boards, while good for the edge of your knife, harbor more bacteria than wood or bamboo boards after normal cleaning. Bamboo and wood boards are about the same in terms of being kind to your knife edge and are better, when new, at keeping bacteria at bay.

Bamboo, after long term use, can start to get "fuzzy," which is thought to trap bacteria -- if/when this happens replace the board.

Stay far away from marble or glass boards -- not only do they dull your knife, bacteria tends to thrive and spread on them.

If you're using restaurant-style sanitation (bleach solution for pre-cleaning), plastic is easiest to care for and longest lasting. If you're washing your cutting board with soap and water (like most of us), wood or bamboo is superior.

(There's also a much rarer fourth option -- natural rubber cutting boards. These are softer than wood, are self healing, and can be resurfaced with fine grit sandpaper.)

I rather have a set of Ginsu knives that I pitch when they get dull, and maybe a couple ceramic knives to go with it. Other than professional chefs/cooks who would need knives like this and would have time for the maintenance. Most people that aren't cooks/ Chefs by trade don't even know how to properly use a knife anyway.

pfajardo19 wrote:I know that VG10 steel is really hard. Anyone out there have a Shun VG10, how hard is it to sharpen, how often do you sharpen(for heavy kitchen use) it? Curious, VG10 is very good, but VG1 sharpens easier but doesn't hold an edge as long as the VG10. Would like to understand how these compare to VG1 knives. Any insight?

Invest in a good honing steel instead, use it properly and you won't need to sharpen as often. I have several Shun knives and, as others have said, they are great tools. Unless you are very good at hand sharpening and can maintain the 16 degree angle you are better off having them hand sharpened professionally. I wouldn't trust my knives in that electric sharpener do-hickey they sell. Read way too many bad reviews.

I would expect these handles are "D" shaped to fit a right hand. After all- the left hand is the "sinister" one and I wouldn't want a knife in that hand. There are left-handed Shuns available for those weird writing people too.LOL

I found this useful,
http://www.jlhufford.com/shun-classic.asp
I can see this as a useful set for a kid in culinary school -which, I suggest give you more chance at a future than art school or being a poetry major...

haegerrulz wrote:Unless you are very good at hand sharpening and can maintain the 16 degree angle you are better off having them hand sharpened professionally.

I agree, my husband has successfully honed my knives to the sharpness of those scissors kids use in kindergarten... I love him too much to say anything, so it's:
"Nah, they're still sharp! You did such a great job last time!"
I just bought a new set of knives and hid the stone.

sdc100 wrote:

Nice! I'll keep my eye out for electric knife sharpeners and continue blocking my husband's attempts at helping!

mymukki wrote:Nice! I'll keep my eye out for electric knife sharpeners and continue blocking my husband's attempts at helping!

Hmm. I have the 8" chef knife, and 3.5" paring knife and I love both. I know someone with the 10" chef knife but he rarely uses it as it's too large and prefers the 7" santoku.

The 9" hollow-ground slicing knife in this set seems a little redundant too, but I haven't personally tried it.

Toy Man wrote:

I would NOT use a sharpening steel on them. Use a ceramic hone instead.

I find them very easy to sharpen.
I use an Edgepro sharpener with water stones.

You might want to checkout this web site: http://www.chefknivestogo.com/
Notice the starter set advertised in the upper right hand corner. It is all you need.

I just bought a $300.00 knife set to carve up my $20.00 turkey. I also voted for Obama.

Toy Man wrote:
You might want to checkout this web site: http://www.chefknivestogo.com/
Notice the starter set advertised in the upper right hand corner. It is all you need.

Good find, I'd highly recommend that over either of the sets Woot is offering.

They're definitely not Hattori knives but these are excellent value for the price.

Ruzzell wrote:I seriously agree (see previous post)... I seriously thought my friends CUTCO knives were bought from a dollar store. I'm basing that on the steak knives I saw, never looked at any of the chef knives though. Didn't know anything about CUTCO until I googled it after she told me what she paid for the set (from a relative).

My doctor once told me his business really spikes every year 'when the college kids get out and start selling Cutco knives.' I had a Cutco santoku and it wa wonderfully sharp--you could hear it bite into the cutting board at the bottom of each stroke. I got rid of it only bec ause it was unattractive and heavy, and it didn't git my grip (a purely personal matter) as well as other knives.

Hmmm. So we should only buy from three-fingered men?!

Take note: Damascus steel and 'Damascus-clad steel' are not the same thing. The latter is analogous to gold plate.

Further, this seems like a poorly chosen set of knives; certainly they're not well adapted to Wester/French-style knife work. 10 inches is too long for most people; I have a couple, bought out of male bravado, and never use them. The slicing knife has limited use in the western kitchen; might be great for prosciutto and salmon as well as sashimi, though.The thing called a vegetable knife--what on earth IS that? The other 2 blades are too narrow as they are--you can't cut efficiently, letting the blade ride your knuckles, with a skinny blade, and No 3 here is a joke. Even at half the price I wouldn't buy these because they're not for western cooking and I'd almost never use them. And remember, they'rte only Damascus 'clad.'