Reddit reviews Ken Onion by Shun DM0500 8-Inch Chef's Knife
We found 11 Reddit comments about Ken Onion by Shun DM0500 8-Inch Chef's Knife. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Patent-pending chef's knife designed by one of the world's top knife designers, Ken OnionFeatures specially angled curved bolster and specially shaped handle; fits hand perfectly and releases all arm tensionForged from VG-10 stainless-steel; resists corrosion and rust; 8-inch Damascus blade has extra curve for easier motion across cutting boardStrong, beautiful Pakkawood handle resists moisture and maneuvers exceptionally wellIdeal as a gift for any kitchen enthusiast, includes wooden holder and comes in a handsome gift box; hand wash for best care
I have a limited edition Ken Onion Shun Rocker that I fucking love. At home I like to prep and cook slowly, and the glide of that thing on the cutting board is pretty relaxing.
My raw vegan sister tried to crack into a frozen durian with it and broke the tip off. She offered me "20 bucks or something" for it. I managed not to punch her in the nose and retipped it with a wet stone, but clearly it's never been the same.
If you have any stores that sell high end knives (Wustof, Global, Shun, etc) go there and hold them in your hand. Not all handles are the same and you really want to have the knife fit comfortably in your hand.
I posted in another thread similar to this that a knife is like a gun, and you should not take someone's word for what they prefer as a brand. For example the Wustof may be preferable for one but you may get callouses using it.
My first knife was a Global 8 inch and it was awesome. It's under $100 and its very sharp and cool looking. However, using it for hours on end everyday at work I developed a horrible callous (chef's callous) on the inside of my index finger. It hurt like a bitch.
So after some comparison shopping and research I purchased the Ken Onion Series Shun. The way the handle is designed allows you to comfortably hold the knife while also wrapping your thumb and index finger on the blade for more control. I haven't had a callous since I got this knife and I love it.
Of course, if you buy a knife don't forget to buy a honing steel. Make sure to either store the knife in a knife block or wrap it in a towel when you store it. After a bit you'll want to buy a whet stone or if you don't want to sharpen it yourself you can get it done by a pro. How often you need to sharpen depends on how often you use the knife and how well you take care of it. The knife will be scary sharp when you first get it but make sure to learn how to properly use the honing steel otherwise you'll just end up with a very expensive letter opener.
I use Shun. Big fan of Kershaw and their knives, AS WELL as their honing and lifetime warranties.
My Knife
I have fairly expensive knives. I had one years back that I think I owned and used for about 15 years. it was a "Good Cook" brand.
but hubby bought me a really nice Wusthof and I was hooked. (consequently he ruined that one by continuing to put it in the dishwasher) Expensive lesson.
so he bought me another one a few years later.
https://www.amazon.com/Wusthof-Classic-Ikon-Chefs-Knife/dp/B07C4NPNJ8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1549990540&sr=8-3&keywords=wusthof+8+Classic+Ikon+chef+knife
​
Unbeknownst to me cause I was using my birthday money to buy one that I wanted. I ordered an 8" Ken Onion Shun Chef Knife. it was on sale for $150 because the regular price was, somewhere around $250. They don't make them anymore.
https://www.amazon.com/Onion-Shun-DM0500-8-Inch-Chefs/dp/B0007IR2MO
​
I would recommend either knife. I love the Shun, and use both all the time. They NEVER go into the dishwasher now! LOL
​
Those knives in some way spoke to me. I wanted them badly. so make sure that the knife you do spend the money on is one that you want badly because it is going to be yours for YEARS to come!
Shun Ken Onion
I have an 8" Shun Ken Onion right now and I love it. It's my first real quality knife so I don't have a ton of other cutlery with which to judge it by, but the balance is awesome on it and it holds an edge really well. I usually hone it with the shun steel ever 2 or 3 times I use it and it's back to it's razor sharp self right after. I would agree with one of the reviews on Amazon that said "I didn't know what sharp was until I got this knife". I think they're set at a 16 degree angle, which is a bit steeper than most knives I believe. Though I think Wusthof does 14 on some of theirs.
I've had a couple of stamped kitchen aid style santoku knives and I've used my sister's Wustof set, but I think my Shun outshines those quite a bit.
If I had a choice I would've gotten a 10" blade. The 8" is great for most every day home cooking, but it would be nice if it was a bit longer for things like breaking down melons and larger items.
I was able to get a crazy good deal on it last year right after new years it was around $90 for the 8" with the bamboo rack. So I would shop around a bit, and if you can wait for holiday sales you can probably get a good deal on whatever knife you decide on.
I think it really comes down to how you grip a knife (do you hold it like a lot of people who actually grab the handle like they're holding a torch, or do you pinch the bolster where it's thicker and balanced). I've had all kinds of expensive knives, but when I bought the Shun Ken Onion chef's knife, I couldn't imagine using anything else. Here's a picture of the knife. Compare that with the Victorinox Fibrox, Henckels, Masamoto, Wusthof, etc. The knife's bolster is what I love about my Shun (thumb and index finger fit perfectly on it).
wrong. we got one of these http://www.amazon.com/Onion-Shun-DM0500-8-Inch-Chefs/dp/B0007IR2MO/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1346611396&sr=1-1&keywords=shun+ken for my mom for mother's day a year ago. she uses it almost every day and it's still sharp enough to cut through vegetables effortlessly. shun recommends one sharpening every year. there's a reason why good knives cost more than $20, and not just because of brand name. you can sharpen any knife to the same sharpness but the materials and design, and therefore cost, determine how long it will hold an edge and how comfortable it is to hold
Rather than getting him a new set of knives, take a good look at the ones he's got and the ones he uses the most, and pay attention to the shape of the handles. Shun knives are amazing, but a lot of them have perfectly round, smooth handles that work in my hand at all. Try to get something that has a handle of similar shape to what he already has. Then, find something that's different from everything else he has. Does he like to make sushi? He'd probably love a Japanese santoku. Does he fish, or prefer to buy fish whole? A high end fillet knife would probably be great.
When I was shopping for my knives, I only bought a set in a block because it turned out that was cheaper than just buying the three knives I wanted out of the set (yay for holiday sales!). I'm glad now that I did, because I never would have bought the bird's beak paring knife for myself, and it's now one of my favorites. I think most cooks tend to stick with the same 3-ish knives for everything, so get him something pretty and functional that he'd be unlikely to buy for himself. Maybe something like this.
This is the nicest santoku-ish knife I've ever used. http://www.amazon.com/Onion-Shun-DM0500-8-Inch-Chefs/dp/B0007IR2MO
I really love Shun knives. They are very nimble and sharp, and fit comfortably in your hand. In particular I recommend the Ken Onion chef knife, which looks strange but is a excellently designed knife. The only drawback to Shun's knives is that they are fairly delicate, I wouldn't use them to hack apart bones or that sort of thing.