Anyone Have a Ken Onion Chef's Knife?

[CRUZMISL]

It looks interesting, Any thoughts?

Here is a picture.

Thanks,

Joe

Edited November 18, 2005 by snowangel (log)

[ronnie_suburban]

Yes, I have it and I absolutely love it. It feels great in my hand, is a very nice weight and holds its edge for a long time. It took me a while to get used to the substantial curve (rock?) of the blade, but now that I have, it's my current favorite.

I'm used to a more traditional and longer knife. I often use a Henckels 10" chef which has almost no rock. It's also a bit heavier. But the adjustments I made in getting used to this knife have been pleasant ones. I find that I can do more work before my hands get tired and I can perform a more diverse group of tasks with this knife. For all its variability, it's quite substantial. Unlike my Santoku which I just think is simply too light, this knife has the perfect heft, IMO.

One other thing . . . since the back of the blade is curved, it's excellent for removing the mash from corn cobs. It doesn't spray all over the place.

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[NancyH]

Is the handle suitable for lefties? My husband loves the two Shun knives I gave him last year, but they never feel "right" in my hand because I'm a southpaw.

[ronnie_suburban]

Is the handle suitable for lefties?  My husband loves the two Shun knives I gave him last year, but they never feel "right" in my hand because I'm a southpaw.

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Yes, I am a lefty and it's completely comfortable. I'm at my office now but I'm reasonably sure that the handle is symmetrical. If you want to check them out, many Williams Sonoma stores carry them . . . perhaps there's one near you.

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[Flocko]

Is the handle suitable for lefties?  My husband loves the two Shun knives I gave him last year, but they never feel "right" in my hand because I'm a southpaw.

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Yes, I am a lefty and it's completely comfortable. I'm at my office now but I'm reasonably sure that the handle is symmetrical. If you want to check them out, many Williams Sonoma stores carry them . . . perhaps there's one near you.

=R=

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Ronnie:

That's a nice looking knife. What's the approximate cost of one of those?

Thanks,

Bill

[ronnie_suburban]

Is the handle suitable for lefties?  My husband loves the two Shun knives I gave him last year, but they never feel "right" in my hand because I'm a southpaw.

←

Yes, I am a lefty and it's completely comfortable. I'm at my office now but I'm reasonably sure that the handle is symmetrical. If you want to check them out, many Williams Sonoma stores carry them . . . perhaps there's one near you.

=R=

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Ronnie:

That's a nice looking knife. What's the approximate cost of one of those?

Thanks,

Bill

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It was right around $200 US, iirc. So, definitely a bit pricier than the standard brands like Henckels or Wustoff. But, still less costly than a custom unit from Bob Kramer's Bladesmiths.

Too bad you couldn't make it to Varmint's Pig Pickin' over Labor Day weekend, I brought it with me and would have gladly let you help me break down that crate of tomatoes

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[Dave the Cook]

. . . . .

Too bad you couldn't make it to Varmint's Pig Pickin' over Labor Day weekend, I brought it with me and would have gladly let you help me break down that crate of tomatoes

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I can vouch for its efficacy in this regard, as Ronnie was a tomato slave at Varmint's. I rather liked the knife, which Ronnie let me work with a bit. Unfortunately, I had to clean potato salad out of Marlene's jewelry, so my play time was limited. I don't recall the feel of the handle to be all that similar to my Shun santoku with the asymmetrical handle (which, salespeople have told me, some lefties think is the best handle ever made. Go figure.)

[Flocko]

Is the handle suitable for lefties?  My husband loves the two Shun knives I gave him last year, but they never feel "right" in my hand because I'm a southpaw.

←

Yes, I am a lefty and it's completely comfortable. I'm at my office now but I'm reasonably sure that the handle is symmetrical. If you want to check them out, many Williams Sonoma stores carry them . . . perhaps there's one near you.

=R=

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Ronnie:

That's a nice looking knife. What's the approximate cost of one of those?

Thanks,

Bill

←

It was right around $200 US, iirc. So, definitely a bit pricier than the standard brands like Henckels or Wustoff. But, still less costly than a custom unit from Bob Kramer's Bladesmiths.

Too bad you couldn't make it to Varmint's Pig Pickin' over Labor Day weekend, I brought it with me and would have gladly let you help me break down that crate of tomatoes

=R=

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Hi Ronnie:

I was to be on the deviled egg detail, so perhaps it might have been overkill there. I would have been happy to have given it a test drive, and help out on the tomatoes, however

Does the knife require special Japenese whetstone sharpening and ceramic honing a la my Globals, or could I send it out occasionally to a professional sharpener??

Thanks,

Bill

[ronnie_suburban]

Does the knife require special Japenese whetstone sharpening and ceramic honing a la my Globals, or could I send it out occasionally to a professional sharpener??

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Good question, Bill. It's just about ready for a sharpening so I will find out shortly and report back. I'm pretty sure there are details in the literature which came with the knife but they're at my house so I don't have access at the moment. My guess is the former, but I'll try to get a definitive answer.

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[Chris Amirault]

Bumping this up to see if anyone can report on the sharpening question. I used one of these a couple of weeks ago -- another lefty, too! -- and loved it.

[tino27]

Does the knife require special Japenese whetstone sharpening and ceramic honing a la my Globals, or could I send it out occasionally to a professional sharpener??

Thanks,

Bill

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I don't have this exact Shun knife, but I do have two other Shuns (chef's knife and a paring knife). When I purchased them, the dealer suggested I purchase a fine ceramic honing steel for these knives. I use a standard honing steel for my other knives (Henckels, etc.). The ceramic steel does a fine job of keeping the edge where it should be.

[ronnie_suburban]

. . . The ceramic steel does a fine job of keeping the edge where it should be.

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I agree with this. I've managed to keep mine very sharp using the steel alone on a regular basis. I've still yet to find a trust-worthy, outside source for sharpening this knife.

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[Chris Amirault]

So no one sharpens it themselves? With, say, an Edge Pro?

[ronnie_suburban]

So no one sharpens it themselves? With, say, an Edge Pro?

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The bevelled edge has made very hesitant to try it. It looks like it needs a seasoned hand to sharpen it without causing damage and mine is definitely not seasoned.

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[Chris Amirault]

Ah -- got it! Thanks for clarifying. One of the reasons I'm attracted to this knife includes a heel that doesn't back directly into a bolster, which would make it a lot easier to sharpen right down to the heel.

(For those still considering one of these, I'll just throw in one of my regular pitches for the Edge Pro sharpening system, which allows you to create back and primary bevels with confidence -- particularly if you use Chad's great eGCI course on knife sharpening. )

[tino27]

I've never actually needed to get it sharpened -- using the ceramic steel has always worked fine. That being said, my primary knife is a Henckel 7" Santoku. That one I've sharped using a whetstone.

ronnie_suburban brings up a good point in that I'm going to have to look good and hard to find someone who actually knows how to sharpen the Shun without ruining the edge when it finally needs sharpening.

[Abra]

I have it, I love it, and I haven't had to sharpen it yet, so I'm following this with great interest. I bought a stone with it, but haven't used it yet. I only have a regular steel, not a ceramic one. Is that what I need? I'd hate to do anything to damage the edge, which is blazingly sharp out of the box.

[tino27]

I have it, I love it, and I haven't had to sharpen it yet, so I'm following this with great interest.  I bought a stone with it, but haven't used it yet.  I only have a regular steel, not a ceramic one.  Is that what I need?  I'd hate to do anything to damage the edge, which is blazingly sharp out of the box.

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I don't think what mattered was that the steel was ceramic. I think what mattered was that the grit of the steel was very fine. It just so happened that the dealer I purchased my knives from had a fine ceramic honing steel for sale.

[k43]

I handled one in a shop, but the rear of the blade was flat instead of curved so it banged hard on the board. There's apparently enough variation that you should check before buying. Rock it from front to back to make sure it keeps rolling all the way to the end.

Rather than a ceramic sharpener, try a smooth steel from Hand American. I got the long one (S-14) and use it most of the time, with only an occasional swipe on the ceramic.

[Chris Amirault]

I handled one in a shop, but the rear of the blade was flat instead of curved so it banged hard on the board.  There's apparently enough variation that you should check before buying.  Rock it from front to back to make sure it keeps rolling all the way to the end.

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Really? Erp. That makes mail order a bit risky. Has anyone else had this experience?

[ronnie_suburban]

I handled one in a shop, but the rear of the blade was flat instead of curved so it banged hard on the board.  There's apparently enough variation that you should check before buying.  Rock it from front to back to make sure it keeps rolling all the way to the end.

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Really? Erp. That makes mail order a bit risky. Has anyone else had this experience?

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No, I picked mine up at W-S, where I was able to try it out first. But any good mail order outlet should happily take a return if the item is flawed. W-S definitely would.

Fwiw, last time I stopped in the store, they had more than one model on display. I guess they've become fairly popular and that the line has been expanded.

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