Shun knives

I'll let you in on a secret. I find the best knife in the kitchen is a regular Swiss Army Knife. Not only can you julienne that pork belly with relative precision, you can also fix that loose toilet seat with the same apparatus. Saves time in the kitchen. And as you know, time is money.

this guys a riot... You working .mil over there????

Real funny... especially when people are looking for REAL input.

Anyhow...
I am not a big fan of Globals. I know they are very popular now (Anthony Bourdain!), however they just aren't my favorite. I like the Kershaw/Shun line. Well crafted, if not a bit heavy. If you want a celebrity endorsement, Alton Brown is your guy. While they appear to be Damiscus-style (multiple 'folds' in the steel) that is not the case. The finish is just that... a finish.
Hope this helps.

knives are subjective. i do own henckels/global/wusthof and seriously, it's preference. you should just go and try them out. see which one has the right balance and weight. if you're a small guy you'd probably want a smaller chef's knife, not a 10-12". as for shuns, they look beautiful and that damascus-metal is a great unique selling point. same with the dimpled grooves of the ever so hot santoku knives. i find myself using my wusthof 7.5" santoku for small and big jobs. check it out.

shun

I have a few a mini deba was about 140
and a pairing knife was about 70

very nice to look at but the mini deba is a one sided knife so its constantly on the whetstone to be re-sharpened

the steel is excellent quality (bluesteel)

check this guy out, you can buy a whole set for under 200 sushi, deba, vegetable and the best ever oyster clam knife. the guys is a real swordmaker, the stuff is quality. when i first used some of the knifes for say juliening and chiffonading basil it was like shaving them with the most minimal effort

www.watanabeblade.com/english

you can re-ship them for free re-sharpening too

I use the Shun knives, because that is what I found to be the most comfortable for me, I tried many different brands of knives, but if you have to use it all day long, you want something comfortable to you. Everyone is different(hand size, way they grip the knife, cutting style) If you go to a reputable store they will let you try them out, the one I go to, has a small kitchen they use for demos, and cooking classes, so they always have food to cut.

I am pleased with them so far, no complaints, seem to hold an edge well, they had a good edge on them to start with.

My favorite knife for work, my 30 dollar 12 inch forschner. Its been dropped, abused, and has stood up. Yeah, I need to put it to the stone at least once a week, but hey, for 30 bucks, if someone steals it, I am not out much money. Plus, I have used one for so long, it feels like a part of me. The way it rests in my hand.

At home, I use a global. It holds an edge longer( and impresses the dinner guests). Yeah, I bought into the hype and spent close to a hundred for it. But, hey, its only money, right?

Globals are definitely showy knives but i find the handle is too small. if you're a bigger guy, you'd probably want of those ergonomic handles. i actually stopped using my global vegetable knife b/c of the handle and have gone back to my 7" santoku. i'll give you a heads up on the santoku though. although it is **** sharp and attractive looking, the blades are definitely thinner and lose their edge quicker than a standard chef's knife. so its up to you. what will you be cooking mostly? i find that you only need three knives. a good chef's knife (8-10"), a boning knife and a paring knife. you don't need the 15-piece global block set for $800. completely unnecessary.

I just started as a pantry cook at a restaurant and tried out someone's 12" Shun sashimi knife. i liked the weight and look of it, but wasn't used to the circular handle, since i use standard cutlery. i say you get one anyway to add to your collection.

I have quite a few knives. I have rubber handled dexter russels. I have wood handled forschners. I have generic chinese vegetable knives, japanese vegetable knives, japanese sashimi knives, german chefs knives, german santoku knives, knives made from german steel but forged in china, french carbon steel knives, american carbon steel knives, and god knows what else that i have forgotten about.

I have a handful of globals, i play with two shuns from time to time. I have wusthofs and henckels, sabatiers and bunmei.

just use a knife that is comfortable. Any of the major brands will do, and many minor brands will too (you will want to know a little more about knives before you buy smaller brands). Want a showpiece? buy a showpiece. Shun makes a "ken onion chefs knife" that is the most uncomfortable piece of garbage i have ever used, but it sure is sexy. The globals look hot straight out of the wrapper, but a few years of abuse makes them just as lackluster as any knife that shaves two gallons of garlic a night. I have nothing against pretty knives, but do make sure that your pretty knife performs the way you want it to before you drop big money on it. hold it, examine it, even test the rocking motion on a cutting board before you buy it. then, just when you dropped 150$ on a sexy new knife, your coworker steels it wrong and makes the last four inches of it look like tiger stripes.

when i reach for a knife, more often than not it is tarnished, stained, carbon steel. more often than not i payed under 60$ for it, and more often than not it looks like **** and cuts like greased lightning. why? because thats the knife that is most comfortable and easiest for me to use. plus, i wont cry when the chef drops it on the floor and breaks the tip off.

Erik.