Reddit reviews Shun Classic 3.5” Paring Knife; Small Size for Complete Control and Precise Maneuvers; Ideal for Peeling and Pitting Fruits and Vegetables, Versatile Knife Perfect for Every Kitchen
We found 3 Reddit comments about Shun Classic 3.5” Paring Knife; Small Size for Complete Control and Precise Maneuvers; Ideal for Peeling and Pitting Fruits and Vegetables, Versatile Knife Perfect for Every Kitchen. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Versatile, precise, and sharp, Shun Classic Paring Knife is a must-have knife for every professional or household kitchen. This easy-to-use paring knife is made for skilled and beginner chefs.Pleasing to the eye, the Shun Classic Paring Knife features a D-shaped ebony PakkaWood handle and a bead-blasted blade to highlight the flowing pattern of layered steel.Small blade is ideal for precision work such as peeling, trimming, coring, slicing, chopping, decorating or dicing fruits or vegetables, making meal prep an enjoyable experienceA prime example of Shun innovation and technology, the Classic Paring Knife uses high-performance steel for maximum edge retention and durability with proprietary VG-MAX core steelIdeal for hand-held use such as peeling or pitting, the Paring Knife performs well on cutting boards for chopping and dicing smaller foods, making meal prep for small dinners or big parties simple
Short of a Shun, which doesn't have a traditional D handle anyway, the only santoku I know of that fits those parameters are the Kohetsu SLD and the Goko W#1. Unfortunately the ferrule on those knives is plastic. My honest suggestion would be to shoot an email to Jon Broida, who owns Japanese Knife Imports, or Mark Richmond, who owns Chef Knives to Go. If pressed I would buy a nice santoku without regard to the handle and have it rehandled. Someone might be willing to replace strictly the ferrule on the above knives, but that would mean removing the handle which carries a risk of breaking it.
The general consensus is likely going to be to buy a Shun. I would not agree with that. You can get something phenomenal for anything approaching $200.
As for the paring knife, I think the Shun Classic paring knife actually fits the hand well... but I also find spending that much money on a paring knife somewhat distasteful. They don't need particularly durable steel because they cut soft product away from a cutting board. I think you could get a lot more out of simply investing most heavily in the santoku. You should use it for 90% of your tasks anyway. Or, if it hasn't been a consideration, investing in high end sharpening equipment to optimize your knife selection. My favorite paring knives are made by Victorinox and you can buy them for less than $10 at any restaurant supply store or in my city at the flea market. If you want to upgrade from that I think the next step would be the basic Gesshin paring knife, then the Shun Classic, and after that they get ridiculous.
I've tried a variety of paring knives because it took me ages to find one I really liked, and if you have some money to spend, my hands-down favorite is the Shun Classic DM0700.
It's crazy sharp, perfectly balanced (imo), and it has enough heft to it that I don't accidentally cut myself with it (a problem I ran into with a lot of the lighter, less expensive knives).
On the con side, it's absurdly pricey (retail is $90 though it goes on sale from time-to-time), and if you're not as clumsy as I am, you probably would be fine with a lighter, cheaper knife.
My favorite off the shelf paring is (by a nose)the Shun Classic 3.5 Inch. The aforementioned Wustie Ikon is a close second (handle is little small for my xxl mitts) Saw Amazon has an Ikon 8" Chef and Paring set for about 150.
https://www.amazon.com/Shun-DM0700-Classic-2-Inch-Paring/dp/B0000Y7KG8/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1495487209&sr=1-1&keywords=shun+classic+paring+knife
https://www.amazon.com/Wusthof-Classic-Ikon-piece-starter/dp/B00005MEHP/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1495487052&sr=1-2&keywords=wusthof+ikon+chef+set