Thanks for your response, Typically, Dependant on use of course I'll usually hone my Shun with the shun steel which I bought with the knife and I'll do this perhaps only once or twice in a week at most. I'm interested in knowing more about your honing methods for your VG steel knives. Thanks again... Misono makes a very nice knife. Congratulations on adding one to your kit. I've never used santoku from Shun or Misono so I can't offer any comparisons with the santoku, but I have a Shun Classic 10" chefs and a Misono Swedish Carbon 21 cm gyutou. I've also used a couple knives from the Misono moly line and have tested out a UX10 24cm gyutou. The Swedish carbon isn't the same steel as is used in the UX10 line but I can offer a few general observations regarding the similarities and differences based on my own experiences. The Misono knives I've used offer significantly better geometry than the Shun blades and they feature a blade shape which is more French in profile than the German shape used on the Shun chefs knives. The Misono knives feel quite a bit lighter when compared to a similar sized Shun. The fit and finish of both Misono and Shun are well above average. The performance of the steel is quite similar between the VG10 used in the Shun blades and the Swedish carbon used in the Misono, although the Misono carbon blade does require a bit more attention in terms of maintenance. I own another knife from a different maker which reportedly uses the same steel as is used in the UX10 series. If my experience with that knife is any indication, you should expect that it will take and hold a very fine edge for a reasonable length of time and will maintain that edge with minimal upkeep. I find the performance to be fairly comparable to other knives in my kit made from VG10 steel. Generally, the UX10 line is very well regarded by those who own them. People report that the steel takes a very good edge and keeps it, which is consistent with my own experiences with a knife made from the same steel. I'm sure you'll be quite pleased with the performance of your UX10. I don't steel my Japanese knives, but use MDF and leather hones charged with diamond and chromium oxide compounds to maintain the edges. I rarely allow the blades get to the point where I really think they need to be honed so I find them quite easy to maintain. How do you typically maintain your knives? ←
