New Chef’s Knife

6 years ago

Woo hoo, my final birthday present arrived, a few days late.

It is a Shun chefs knife, that DD helped SWMBO select.

I have used similar knives and bought them as gifts for others, but never owned one myself. I’ve been on a carbon steel Sabatier kick, getting a new (used) one from Cookin’ every year or so. The Sabs are all-rounders, a nice balance of slim and tough. This Shun is much sharper but also much more fragile. I think it will be a special occasion knife.

There’s nothing like a new special occasion knife to motivate me to cook dinner, so I did. Very simple: tilapia, gently cooked in browned butter; a quinoa/veg scramble; a refrigerator velcro salad.

I think the knife was underwhelmed.

Featured Answer

John Liu
Original Author

6 years ago

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (23)

ediej1209 AL Zn 7
6 years ago
Congratulations! Getting a new knife is fun!!
Lars
6 years ago
I have a Shun chef's knife, and I love it for slicing cabbage for sauerkraut. I tend to use it only for bigger jobs - for smaller vegetables, I use a smaller Japanese knife that is equally sharp.
Related Discussions
New Gardening 'Knife' is really sharp. Ouch!
Q
Comments (2)
I treated myself to a new greenhouse. my old one got crushed by snow few years back. My new one is much smaller holds 8 trays but works just fine. I can fit one tray & 2 cut off milk jugs on a shelf. already got veggies & flowers sprouted in it!!! I would love to get a saw one day. I have clippers right now.
...See More
My New Experimental Grafting Knife
Q
Comments (6)
Marc, if someone is using it to cut away from them, they must be very experienced since the knife is working strongly against them. If you are cutting toward yourself with a grafting knife the flat part of the blade faces the wood, and as the cut gets longer the flat blade rests perfectly flat along the wood and helps guide the progress of the cut by the alignment with the already-cut flat surface. Basically, it makes it super easy to make a very flat cut and if you have two flat cuts you get great stock/scion alignment. If you are cutting away you only have the short bevel area against the wood and unless your hands are very good the knife will wobble up and down and you will get a jagged cut. Scott
...See More
knife set for new kitchen
Q
Comments (7)
Oh, you're looking for the whole thing aren't you. Knives and everything. You should know that Cooks Illustrated recommends you assemble your own set as opposed to buying a pre-packaged one, otherwise you'll get knives you don't need, and you'll be missing a few essentials. They recommend the Victorinox 8" chef's knife (I've bought this one. It's great) carving knife and boning knife, and a Wusthof bread knife and pairing knife. They also like the Bodum universal knife block. This post was edited by EAM44 on Fri, Mar 28, 14 at 17:03
...See More
GOOD Knife Sharpener?
Q
Comments (27)
Chicagoans, we used to have a guy who came through here too (Oak Park), with a cart and bells. We haven't seen him in some years, so I am guessing he retired or passed. He was great though. We would run out of the house too, like a kid after the ice cream man. ETA: I was just reading about him, and it's probably the same guy (Tony Del Ciello). And he is still around. I guess we have just missed him the past several years.
...See More
lindac92
6 years ago
I want to know about the velcro salad.....
Islay Corbel
6 years ago
Lol
plllog
6 years ago
LOL! I think it's refrigerator velcro, not velcro salad. The former is that which sticks to the fridge and needs using.

Happy Birthday again, John. Most of my good knives were presents, too. Happiness is a sharp blade. :)
bragu_DSM 5
6 years ago
ewww .... wilted spinach

Popeye, where are you?
bbstx
6 years ago
Happy B’day, John! I bought DH a Shun Chef’s knife for Christmas several years ago hoping to entice him into cooking. Didn’t work, but I gained a very nice knife! I, too, tend to use mine as a special occasion knife. “Special occasion knife” sounds like I only use it when cooking in a ball gown. HA!
2ManyDiversions
6 years ago
Happy Birthday, and what a wonderful gift and knife!

BTW, it might be too late to change now... I didn't know what a velcro salad was either... googled it, of course.. I am quite sure that is not what you meant, John! Oh my... no, I am not posting it. I'd be banned for life! LMAO!
Lars
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Thanks, 2MD 🤐 - of course I had to Google velcro salad and ended up in the Urban Dictionary😱. Won't be going there again!
WalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a
6 years ago
I was curious, too. Ended up on Urban Dictionary also. Absolutely not going there again. I was shocked to say the least.
WalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a
6 years ago
Happy Birthday, John.
John Liu
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you. I too am curious about “velcro salad” but if I don’t act on it, the impulse will be gone soon - I seem to have trouble remembering stuff lately, too much going on in the world, I have to put every important task in my calendar. Like “Shower”.

We are steadily going through the dark corners of the refrigerator and eating whatever doesn’t eat us. The pantry is full and the freezer is stuffed, but somehow the feeling of privation is lurking. I hear stories that folks in some places are going out with their deer rifles to put food on the table, but around here the best you could do might be a dachshund.

I’m being silly. We are absolutely fine. There was a huge crisis in our house yesterday though. The WiFi stopped working. I had to rush home and fix it before social order broke down.
twoyur
6 years ago
I acquired my shuns from a co worker. She received them as shower presents. First time she used the nikiri she took off the skin on the front of her knuckles. It and two others , a santoku and paring , showed up on my desk the next day. When I ask what I owed he she said nothing . I ended up taking her and husband out to dinner. Not sure it came close to the price of the knives
bragu_DSM 5
6 years ago
john

pic?
annie1992
6 years ago
Yes, I'd love to see this particular birthday gift. Happy Birthday, John, I like it better than the pulse oximeter, LOL.

I don't have a Shun, but I do have a "special occasion" knife. Nancy (wizardnm) and her SO, Kim, gave it to Elery and I as a wedding gift, it's a Wusthof serrated utility knife, I use it for slicing tomatoes and for nothing else, it's perfect.

I also have a set of Gerber steak knives, sharp as scalpels, a gift from Peppi that I liked so well I bought a second set. They are no longer made, of course, so I had to search for them, but they're amazing.

So, yeah, I get the premise of a "special occasion knife".

Annie
bragu_DSM 5
6 years ago
oh yeah .........!!!!!
WalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
A beautiful knife, John.
plllog
6 years ago
True. Beautiful knife. Really beautiful onion!
ediej1209 AL Zn 7
6 years ago
Wow!
2ManyDiversions
6 years ago
Color me impressed! Both the knife and the onion slicing! Fantastic shape on that knife!
jakkom
6 years ago
Happy birthday, John! Great choice for a present!
John Liu
Original Author
6 years ago
DD used a Shun at camp and says my Shun is not as sharp as it should be. So I have started resharpening all my knives and will work on the Shun too. A little bit of isolation mania perhaps. I use an 8000 grit waterstone.