LOL, are you insinuating Shun Cutlery is no good? That is funny. Their history goes back to the early 1900's, they are still made in the same city in Japan they have always been, they have multiple kitchen knife of the year awards, design awards, collaboration awards, and on and on. the fact that Kershaw owns them really means nothing.

i love mine! great additions to the kitchen

Been using santoku style for about ten years and while they were initially very awkward, I love them. Got a Cutco that holds its edge really well. Same goes for the paring knife. Here in Amish country there are no shortage of sharpeners. The good ones will ask if you prefer sharpness or durability.

I’m saying they are overpriced. Check some honest reviews. Professional chefs actually call them the Bose of knives. Bose customer love their Wave Radios too

professional chefs call them the "bose of knives" LOL

Upon some quick searching found 3 references with Shun/Bose by hobbyist.

Search Shun reviews and you will find way more positive reviews than negative. they are expensive, and i absolutely see where that would come into play for some folks. I guess its like a luxury or exotic car, you pay a little for the name and the design/aesthetic. they are beautiful and always a conversation piece when i bust them out.

Carbon steel knives can be sharpened at home, but a jig is needed to maintain the angle. Chisels and hand planes for woodworking often have carbon steel for cutting edges and if not that, it's some kind of tool steel, which can be sharpened to a ridiculous degree. It's common that wet/dry sandpaper is used and this goes up to the 15,000 grit range. A hand plane iron can shave hair from skin very easily.

I use Wusthoff, but if you are looking for cheap, Ikea offers a responsible knife that is well balanced for $30.

Oh yeah, well Crestron sucks and C4 is the best! LOL Same deal....

I bought a set of Cangshan knives and really like them. My problem is that I'm terrible about sharpening them routinely. When we switched from our previous set to these, I almost lost a finger. Let's hope they aren't the Harmony of knife sets!

Bose has tons of positive reviews too. And your whole defense of them is about form and impressing people instead of the actual performance and function.

I think that a lot of the problems some people have with knives is caused by bad technique. Half of the people on the cooking shows I have watched didn't know how to hold a knife or what they were cutting.

I swear by my Classic Henckels. I've had them for over 20 years. Love my 8" Chef knife.

no absolutely not. i am saying that is a plus, and worth the extra money to me!! there wasnt a review i read that said they were not good knives, there were however a few, in fact the THREE that used bose as a reference, that said while great and permormed well, they didnt think they were worth the money. that is very subjective. i feel what i paid for them is fine, the perform very well and the design, history, and aesthetics are worth the extra money to me.

I was thinking earlier that no one had mentioned Henckel. But I don’t think they are what they used to be. My wife’s sister worked in a kitchen supply store in college and she told me once that a Chinese company bought Henckel and started making some cheap stuff under the name. The biggest complaint she had was they quit making a single piece tang.

I was a chef in a former life. Still use the same knives I bought over 30 years ago. Don't be cheap, don't be stupid.

1. $100 for a single chefs knife is realistic ballpark to start.

2. Carbon steel is easier to sharpen, holds an edge, and is unforgiving if you don't care for it the way a knife deserves to be cared for. That means NEVER put them in the dishwasher, and wash them soon after use. They stain quickly from acidic foods. Stainless can be harder to sharpen, and don't return an edge as well, but require less care.

3. You only NEED 2 knives, chef and pairing.

4. It's nice to have; a serrated bread knife, a shorter chef's knife, a boning knife and a cleaver.

5. A steel is to return an edge, not to sharpen. Buy a set of wet stones, $50.

Go to a good cooking store, hold them, find one comfortable to your hand. A knife is an extension of your hand, what fits one, does not necessarily fit another. Handle size, balance, weight, bolster shape all come into play.

Someone finally mentioned bread knives, I bought this recently and really like it, it has some good reviews for low end. I might try some of their other stuff as I need it. I'm not into spending big money on a knife.: Mercer Culinary M22408 Millennia 8-Inch Offset Wavy Edge Bread Knife

I worked in restaurants in my teens and 20's and still have a couple friends that are now (20 years later) executive chefs.. They still use the cheap $15 stamped blade knives that we used in the restaurant. Its all I have at home as well. Just get a hone and diamond block and learn how to properly sharpen it.

Basically these:
[Link: webstaurantstore.com]

[Link: amazon.com]


Sharpening stone that I use:
[Link: smithsproducts.com]