The most obvious difference is the steel, since the Premier Santoku shows the rippled hand-hammered surface of a Japanese forging process called tsuchime. The polished steel enhances the low-friction effect of the knife's layered Damascus-type steel by reducing surface contact even more than in the Shun Classic series. This knife doesn't needed the familiar ground hollows of modern santokus to slide effortlessly through vegetables, fruits, and meat. Slices tend to fall off the hammered surface of the Premier instead of stacking up and rolling away.

The Premier series uses a 33-layer Damask steel blade with high carbon stainless steel layers on each side of an SG-10 steel core. Ground to 16 degrees on each side, this thinner bevel holds an edge better because the steel itself is harder, tempered between Rockwell 60 and 62.

Shun's Classic series used a D-shaped handle many western chefs found strange, but the Premier series uses a comfortable design you'll find familiar instead. Made with walnut-colored Pakkawood -- a resin-hardened composite of real wood -- the grip sits permanently between two solid stainless steel bolsters. The end cap displays the Shun insignia.

See the Yoshikin Global Japanese Santoku for a look at one of Anthony Bourdain's favorite santokus.

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Shun Classic 7 1 2 Sumo Santoku Knife DM0717 US $110.00   0 Bid Auction Ends: 15m

SHUN EDO 75 SANTOKU KNIFE NEW IN BOX US $149.99   Auction Ends: 20d 22h 55m

The most striking feature of the Premier Chef's Knife is the blade's hand-hammered tsuchime finish. Peened with a random pattern, the dimpled surface decreases friction compared to a smooth polished surface. Layers of damask high carbon stainless steel increase the low-friction effect. This 32-layer construction surrounds a central core of long-lasting VG-10 steel hardened to between Rockwell 60 to 62.

This beautiful chef's knife improves handle and blade in a product that was already one of the best available. A new handle shape makes the knife a better fit for Western grips. Layered Pakkawood with the look of black walnut gives the grip a more natural look, but the resin-injected wood exceeds natural materials in durability. Pakkawood resists heat and moisture and needs nothing more than wiping down to maintain its high polish. Made from genuine hardwood, Pakkawood improves the quality of the knife but keeps the unique appearance of real wood. A narrow front bolster gives the knife extra strength without interfering with the knife's slicing action, and a stainless steel end cap displays the Shun logo.

See the 8-Inch Chef's Knife from R.H. Forschner for an excellent chef's knife at a budget price.

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Shun Premier 6 inch Chefs Knife NEW US $164.95   Auction Ends: 9d 21h 34m

NEW Shun Premier Chefs Knife 8 Inch US $137.99   Auction Ends: 1d 6h 7m

Most of us are familiar with carborundum, the favorite workshop whetstone in the U.S.A. -- and also with the mess those stones leave behind. Carborundum lubricates best with light petroleum oil or kerosene, and neither of those are good ideas in the kitchen. Japanese waterstones grind with a paste formed from the grit in the stone as it mixes with clean water. Natural stones should be soaked for hours before use.

These artificial stones don't require the long soaking period -- fifteen minutes ought to be enough. Flush the surface with clean water now and then to keep the stone from clogging, and rinse the stones free of grit and steel with running water after use.

For removing a lot of steel, you'd need a coarser grit stone than the 240 grit of this combination whetstone, and it's possible to get a finer edge than the stone's 1000 grit side will produce. The two grades here are still good enough for most problems short of major damage and for an occasional tuning up that a sharpening steel won't quite handle. If you care about the finish on your countertop or kitchen table, put a towel down before you start honing your knives. Honing mud mixed with steel shavings will drop on the cloth for easy cleanup. Don't rub the work area clean -- dab it with a wet cloth to pick up residue without leaving scratches.

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Forged with 33 layers of high carbon stainless steel, the Shun Classic Chef's knife incorporates a central layer of VG-10 stainless steel for the knife's cutting edge. Harder than the tough supportive layers that surround it, the VG-10 holds a more acute bevel than western-style kitchen knives, cutting with less effort and less maintenance than European blades. The slightly rippled surface of the Damascus-style steel sheds sliced food quickly and lessens the friction of the blade as it passes through food.

Shun's ebony-black handle is D-shaped with a flat side for instinctive orientation in the hand. Solid stainless steel end cap and bolster join to the pakkawood without gaps, eliminating the sanitary problems of a poorly built knife. The pakkawood itself is actually many layers of birchwood, colored nearly black and injected with long-lasting stabilizing resin. Pakkawood stands up to moisture, chemicals, and heat without damage and is dishwasher safe, although proper care of this knife demands hand washing after use.

The six-inch blade (good for mincing, chopping, slicing, and many other common kitchen chores) is better designed for small hands than a full-sized chef's knife. Because the VG-10 edge is extremely hard and could chip, don't use this knife for heavy chopping of bones or frozen food.

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Shun Classic 6 inch Chefs Knife NEW US $149.95   Auction Ends: 9d 21h 34m

Shun Classic 6 Chefs Knife DM0723 NEW US $61.00   8 Bids Auction Ends: 2d 5h 26m

A slicing knife rather than a chopping blade, the vegetable cleaver shows the rippled low friction surface of Shun's unique Damascus style layering. Thirty-two thin layers of tough high tensile stainless steel sandwich a central core layer of hard VG-10 steel. This inner core gives the blade the ability to hold a thin edge, in the same way the best of the old Damascus steel samurai swords were made.

This hard edge may chip if used on bones or frozen food, and should only be used on wooden or plastic cutting boards. For slicing work, this is one of the best, deserving of that extra care. The rippled blade breaks up the surface contact with slices of food in the same way that the hollow grind of a santoku does, but makes this knife stronger.

The D-shaped PakkaWood handle is durable and easy to grip, and the knife cleans up with a quick hand wash and dry -- it should not be run through the dishwasher. Flat stones rather than sharpening steels are recommended for maintaining the edge.

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SHUN KNIFE DM 0712 CLASSIC 775 INCH VEGGIE CLEAVER NIB US $175.00   Auction Ends: 27d 20h 9m

The build is the same one used for Shun's exceptional slicing knives, a method based on the secrets of the finest of the old samurai swords. Some improvements have been made over that old method, with a superior central core layer of hard VG-10 steel and a surrounding blade body created from 32 more layers of tougher stainless chosen for resilience and strength. Alone, the VG-10 would be too hard to make a durable blade; but supported by the Damascus layering system, this fine edge becomes the heart of a strong and practical knife.

The slightly rippled surface of the blade body lowers friction and breaks up contact with slices of food, letting the product fall away from the knife without distortion and allowing a more precisely controlled cut. The edge is still vulnerable to chipping and should not be used to cut through bones or frozen food.

Ordinary sharpening steels may damage the edge -- if you step up to Shun, you'll also need to acquire flat sharpening stones for routine maintenance. Washing and drying by hand is recommended as well. The PakkaWood handle is gap-free and dishwasher safe, built of layers of resin-injected birchwood, but all parts of this knife will fare better with a quick wash and dry.

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The pink color and animal shaped cutouts in the handle are the signal to the user that this knife is meant for raw meats. While this may seem an unusual approach, in larger commercial kitchens which follow HAACP sanitary programs, there are specific color coded knives and cutting boards intended for use with different ingredients and products so as to minimize the possibility of cross contamination. The seemingly odd appearance and cutesy colors of these knives shouldn't be taken as a sign that these are anything other than serious tools which provide performance beyond what their low price point would imply.

This knife offers the kind of blade geometry that makes Japanese blades so popular amongst professionals. The steel used on a knife at this price point isn't comparable to Japanese blades which can cost into the thousands of dollars. However, it's up to the task for which it is intended and if maintained properly should provide the budget conscious cook with performance similar to or perhaps even a bit better than a comparable Forschner.

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Although a pro cook might well be laughed off the line if he or she were to pull out a knife looking anything like this, the colored resin coating the blades reports to have some hygienic benefits, and the colors used on the different types of knives do have at least a passing similarity to the colors used in HAACP programs designed to reduce likelihood of cross contamination of food and preparation surfaces.

Once you get past the pretty colors and cute cutouts in the handles (a tiny bread loaf in this case), the knives are all business and bear the hallmarks of a respected Japanese knife maker like KAI.

The construction is quite good and I would expect it to hold up well if used in its intended purpose. While this bread knife is a bit on the short side for my taste, I'm sure it would be good for home use or as a utility slicer in a pro setting. Were KAI to offer this knife in a longer model, I'd consider it to be on par with a comparable Forschner bread knife and predict it would perform as well, if not a bit better.

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KAI, makers of the well regarded Shun knives, have produced a knife which performs quite well, despite the unusual appearance. The Komachi line is aimed at home users and/or large commercial users who require large numbers of knives that offer good performance at a low price point.

Even though it may not appear to be a significant benefit to the casual user, the colorful coating used on the blades is reported to have some hygienic benefits, and the cutouts in the handles and the colors used on the different types of knives, are intended as a signal to cooks as to their intended use.

Although color coded knives and cutting boards aren't common in homes or small commercial kitchens, in large commercial settings, HAACP sanitation programs use color coded knives and boards extensively to minimize the possibility of cross contamination.

Aside from the appearances, this is a well made, inexpensive knife, made from good quality Japanese steel. Like most santoku knives from Japanese makers, it features good blade geometry and it also offers a good cost to performance ratio comparable to similar Forshner knives, making it a good choice for budget conscious cooks.

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