Shun is a division of Kershaw Ltd, which itself is a subsidiary of Kai. Shun knives are designed by Kershaw, made and manufactured by Kai. Shun knives are made in Japan primarily to be sold in the west and to prepare western food.
Shun uses Japanese style materials and manufacturing techniques to (mostly) make western style knives. Almost all Shun knives are made with a three layer lamination process. This can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you look at it. Shun's chef-knife profile is "German" and almost exaggeratedly so, in that it has a lot of belly and a very high tip -- that can also be good or bad.
To some extent profile is a matter of taste, but the trend among skilled US cutters has been away from the German and towards either the classic French profile or a slightly exaggerated version which evolved in Japan. When people in the process of developing knife skills ask me for a recommendation I always recommend the French profile because it's more versatile -- as long as the knife is kept very sharp.
Compared to other modern knives, made in Japan or made with the same materials and production processes (Richmond knives are made in the USA, for instance) Shun knives' edge taking and holding characteristics are barely average for the price range. Furthermore, Shun knives tend to run a bit "thick."
The best things about Shun is their excellent distribution system, which translates into very good post-sale, retailer support; their excellent factory post-sale support, which is among the best in the business; their excellent fit, finish; and their excellent quality control. In short, Shun are built and sold to similar standards of the best German knives. There aren't many Japanese makers who can compete with Shun in any of those things, and very few can get close to equaling Shun's performance in all of them.
That said, if you're willing to give up a little in the way of cosmetics, and a little in the way of post-sales, factory support, you can get a better knife for significantly less money, and a much better knife for the same money.
Most of the people who really like Shun knives aren't terribly knowledgeable about knives. But (a) you can say that about people who really like almost any other brand; and (b) there are plenty of knowledgeable people who do like Shun.
I dislike Shun to the point that I joke, Friends don't let friends buy Shun. But so what? People who spend their own money get to make their own decisions. Just as I'm certainly not about to tell Norman Weinstein he shouldn't like Wusthof, neither will I tell anyone who uses one that (s)he shouldn't like Shun. Nevertheless, it's helpful for prospective buyers to get more context than a bare recommendation. Even though this is a Frankenthread, it's still as good a place as any to delve into the ever-popular subject of Shun knives. If you want to get deeper, or if you have questions about particular Shun lines, I'll be happy to talk with you.
Your thoughts?
BDL