| The scalloped-edge, six-inch blade on this Shun Classic knife is so sharp it slices effortlessly through everything from a soft tomato to a crusty loaf of bread. Add the rounded tip for spreading mayonnaise, and the Ultimate Utility becomes the ultimate sandwich-maker that every kitchen needs. Not only does the knife work hard, it looks stunning, from the shiny black handle to the shimmering ripples on the Damascus-style blade. Already gift-boxed, this knife will be hard to give away. Shun knives, made in Japan by KAI (Kershaw Cutlery), are quite possibly the sharpest knives on the market. The acute 16 degree angle of Shun edges won't bend or waver due to the hardness of the VG-10 steel core used in their construction. Clad with 32 layers of high-carbon stainless steel (16 on each side), the blades resist rusting and maintain their razor edge for a considerable time. The handles are made of a resin and hardwood fusion known as PakkaWood, and form a "D" or slight tear-drop profile with a side ridge that most comfortably fits a right-handed user. Covered by a lifetime warranty, Shun knives are dishwasher-safe, but are best cared for when washed and dried--carefully--by hand. --Ann Bieri |
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 Not a must have, but a great have |
| Review Date: July 4, 2007 |
| Reviewer: NuJoi, Chicago, IL United States |
I believe if you're serious about cooking, you should own great cookware and excellent knives. I finally stepped up and got excellent knives. For those who haven't heard the hype, Shun is one of the most respected knife brands in the world.
Great features of the entire line include these cool "D" shaped handles that fit your hand better. Each knife is made in a right- and left-handed version ([...] for lefties). The steel used for the blades is harder than what you would find in most other knives. The knives are EXTREMELY sharp.
If you're building your set and want to take care of the must-haves first. Move this down on your priority list. Get the chef's, paring and bread knives first. With that said, there is a place for this knife in your kitchen. As with all of my other Shun knives, this one is extremely sharp and it's relatively light.
This is great for sandwiches; you can use one knife to do everything well. I like the wider blade on this better than the narrow utility and tomato blades. This knife does not replace the bread knife, but it is good for small quantities of bread. I quickly tired of it when I used it to prep French bread for bread pudding.
This is an expensive, but lifetime investment. I encourage you to visit stores and feel the knives in your hand to make sure you are comfortable with them. For more info on Shun, check out Alton Brown's website. For ratings on various brands and types of knives, check out Cooks llustrated's equipment ratings.
Unless you are a daily sandwich fiend, make this one of the last knives you get to complete your set. It is certainly a nice knife, but not as crucial as other knives. My only regret is that I already own the tomato and utility knives.
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Put A Leash On This Knife! Fantastic!
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| Review Date: November 25, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Michele Belanger-mcnair, Fresno, CA USA |
I thought I was going to have at least 2 guests at a party try to steal this knife!
After getting a gift certificate at a kitchen store I wasn't sure what to get...but knives always grab me. The young lady who helped me kept pointing me to this Shun knife. The folded steel blade really got me and I could bring it back if it was a bust. My husband loves knives as well and does the sharpening.
One slice with this knife and I was hooked. Then a friend helped prep a party and she immediately picked it up and used it...and started raving about it without any input from me. Then a second friend arrived to help and grabbed the knife and couldn't believe how good it was.
I haven't found anything it doesn't slice well. I'd love a longer version for those bigger bread jobs...though it did 4 loaves of crusty french without a sore hand. Tomatoes don't stand a chance and never lose their shape in the cutting.
This knife is worth every penny and I'll buy another Shun knife when I'm ready....the Chicago cutlery is on its way out for sure now...I'm in my 50's and buying my lifetime knives. |
Grew from "a mistake" to "my favorite knife"
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| Review Date: March 28, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Lindy Cheng, Mountain View, CA, USA |
The Shun utility knife is an oddball and you will have to give yourself plenty of time to get used to it. It is indeed a sandwich knife - best for cutting bread and vegetables, good for spreading mustard and mayo. The weight is pretty heavy for a knife this size. The blade is thick. Luckily at six inches it is not too heavy for me to use. So what's the competition? I have an ancient set of Chicago Cutlery, the best my long ago student budget could afford. Out of sheer politeness, we must ignore this comparison. Then I have the set of Global knives, worthy of comparison: a paring knife, utility knife and Santuko 7" chef's knife. Great knives, sharp, light knives. It took time but the Shun blew them away. Then the lone finalist in the field - another Shun utility knife, a 6" straight model - light and razor sharp. Nope, the Shun ultimate utility knife wins hands down. It's something about the curved edge and the scallops that gives it the ability to take on everything at just the right angle. No more groping around for another knife because you're switching to another veggie. The wide blade lets you pick up stuff almost like a chef's knife and transfer to a bowl - the scallops do make this tougher than a chef's knife, but hey, I'm lazy.
What's awkward about this knife? It's kinda short. Cutting a large watermelon is gonna be a challenge. Cheese - well, none of these knives work with cheese. Any delicate cutting tasks, like dicing olives, is just too awkward because the blade is thick and now the scallops are too big in comparison.
I read somewhere at a knife aficionado's website that while the metal of the Global and the Shun are pretty similar, the Shun's are tweaked so the blade can hold the sharper edge. Unfortunately, this also means the metal is slightly more brittle than the Globals. So don't drop your blade. |
Brilliant, odd, unconventional, highly useful
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| Review Date: December 21, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Doctor.Generosity, Western Massachusetts |
Why is it that most kitchen knives come to sharp points? How often does one really use that point? Most of the time it just prevents the front third of the knife from being used for spreading, and presents a handling danger.
I LOVE this funny looking alternative design. Highly recommended. Like a giant sandwich spreader with a wicked sharp serrated edge. Brilliant. Find myself using it for everything.
But one thing to know - impossible to sharpen yourself due to the serrations - the maker recommends returning it to the factory once a year, where they will sharpen and return it for no charge. |
Not the Ultimate Utility but just Plain Wonderful
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| Review Date: November 1, 2008 |
| Reviewer: carmelinmist, California |
I had always wanted a knife with a round tip so it would be less scary when the kitchen gets crowded and less damaging to floor or counter should it drops. I rarely use pointed knife tip to prep for cooking. I use the tip on a peeler when I need to. Ok, I admit I am not a serious cook, but enough to make our family's stomachs happy. Don't know how many times I salivated over the beautiful Shun knives wherever I saw them (Shop windows, catalog...), so when this knife came on market, I got it right away.
It is wonderful to slice sandwiches, vegetables and fruit... Its weight makes it cut watermelon better than my other larger but lighter knives. It is not an ultimate utility knife that presumably could do everything but what it does, it does wonderfully.
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