# What to do with gifted Shun



## Cynic2701 (Aug 29, 2013)

I've been a lurker here for a while, but have recently encountered a dilemma. I was gifted a Shun Hiro serrated utility knife and I'm sort of scratching my head as to what to do with it.

I believe I have three options:

1. Sell the knife and use the money to buy a knife that I would actually use. While this is what I want to do, I will feel somewhat bad for selling off the knife.

2. Trade the knife for something that I would actually use. I'm not sure, though, who would both want this particular knife and also would have something I'd want. Again, I'd also feel somewhat bad for trading the knife.

3. Keep the knife, but since I wouldn't have use for a serrated knife, I'd sharpen the serrations out. It would probably end up being a decent petty in that case. The problem is that I'd have to take ~3 mm of steel off of the knife to do so. I'd also feel the least bad about doing this.

Here are some pictures below:


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## Dusty (Aug 29, 2013)

If you sold the knife, you will probably earn enough to buy a better petty than you could make out of it. So unless you have a fetish for major grinding and steel removal, I'd do that. 

But if you do decide to rehabilitate it, do a WIP on the project.


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## Ruso (Aug 29, 2013)

Another vote to sell it, or you can re-gift it if you wont feel ashamed.


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## Pensacola Tiger (Aug 29, 2013)

If I'm not mistaken, the Shun Hiro is exclusive to Williams-Sonoma, and they have an excellent return policy. So, if it is unused, I'd suggest trying to return it to Williams-Sonoma for credit, or for a knife you will use. If not, sell it, as you will not have an easy time removing the serrations (the core steel is SG2), thinning the blade after you've done so, and etching the damascus to finish up. 

Rick

Oh, BTW, welcome to KKF!


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## bkdc (Aug 29, 2013)

Sell it on eBay if you can't get a credit or refund at Williams-Sonoma.  Is there a magical machine that can automatically sharpen those serrateds?


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## Cynic2701 (Aug 29, 2013)

Thanks for the replies and the welcome. I guess I'll give Williams and Sonoma a call to see if they will accept it since I don't have a receipt.


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## Baby Huey (Aug 29, 2013)

Looks like it would be one helluva bagel knife.


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## EdipisReks (Aug 29, 2013)

Honestly, I'd just keep it and use it. I don't think those serrations would really damage my uses for petty knives, and it's a pretty (if busy) knife.


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## heldentenor (Aug 29, 2013)

I'm with Edipis. Keep it for bagels and for making bread bowls in the winter (if you're into that sort of thing). Then, with a budget independent of this knife's cost and zero guilt, buy what you really want!


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## Keith Sinclair (Aug 29, 2013)

If you want to try returning do not use it.I've sharpened some pretty strange profiles on Shuns.Not one of these yet tho it looks like you could sharpen it on a whetstone,would not try to grind it down you could mess up the damascus among other things.As mentioned you might find it a useful blade.


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## Zwiefel (Aug 29, 2013)

EdipisReks said:


> Honestly, I'd just keep it and use it. I don't think those serrations would really damage my uses for petty knives, and it's a pretty (if busy) knife.



lus1:

Surprisingly pretty....maybe the only pretty Shun I've seen. 

Welcome to KKF!


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## mkriggen (Aug 29, 2013)

I would get a big round loaf of sourdough, stick the knife right in the top (at a slight yet jaunty angle), and then coat the bread in spar varnish. Once it hardens I'd then place it in the center of my front yard, there to remain until drawn by the rightful king, who shall then unite all the land!:knight:





or I guess you could use it for bagels


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## Cynic2701 (Aug 29, 2013)

Ha. It looks like the Excaliber route might be option number four.


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## Dream Burls (Aug 29, 2013)

One of the funniest post I've seen in a while. Thanks for the laugh, mk.


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## bahamaroot (Aug 29, 2013)

I'd sell it. I might feel bad for a minute or two but I'd get over it. No reason to stick a $100 bill in your drawer and not use it.


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## sachem allison (Aug 29, 2013)

leave it for the in laws, wife, girlfriend or significant other to use. it would make an excellent decoy knife.


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## Baby Huey (Aug 29, 2013)

sachem allison said:


> leave it for the in laws, wife, girlfriend or significant other to use. it would make an excellent decoy knife.



Agreed my wife got a set of Wusthof's for her. She is scared of the J blades. Good to have a few knives for others to use without worrying about them damaging your personal pieces.


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## cookinstuff (Aug 29, 2013)

Son has the best idea, look at that thing, it has all the things going for it. Shun, damascus, diawood handle, stainless, serrations, it's just crying mother in law knife. Leave this thing as a decoy in your kitchen and you will never have to worry about your sexy carbons again.


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## berko (Aug 30, 2013)

wow thats ugly. id sell it.


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## Igasho (Aug 30, 2013)

cookinstuff said:


> Son has the best idea, look at that thing, it has all the things going for it. Shun, damascus, diawood handle, stainless, serrations, it's just crying mother in law knife. Leave this thing as a decoy in your kitchen and you will never have to worry about your sexy carbons again.


^^^^Im with this guy!


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## 77kath (Aug 30, 2013)

Plus one on the decoy idea.


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## hobbitling (Aug 30, 2013)

You didn't mention who gave it, but obviously someone tried very hard to get you a thoughtful gift. They obviously knew you well enough to know that you are a knife aficionado, and spent a significant amount of money ($230 is a lot for most people to spend on a knife) on what they consider a top grade knife. If you get rid of it, and they find out, it may be a bit of a slap in the face. It would be a shame to ruin a friendship or start a family feud over this. 

Why all the shun-hating on this forum? Is it this knife in particular, or Shuns in general? Is it just the serrations? Have you tried it out? Why not take it for a spin and see what it can do?


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## ar11 (Aug 30, 2013)

hobbitling said:


> You didn't mention who gave it, but obviously someone tried very hard to get you a thoughtful gift. They obviously knew you well enough to know that you are a knife aficionado, and spent a significant amount of money ($230 is a lot for most people to spend on a knife) on what they consider a top grade knife. If you get rid of it, and they find out, it may be a bit of a slap in the face. It would be a shame to ruin a friendship or start a family feud over this.
> 
> Why all the shun-hating on this forum? Is it this knife in particular, or Shuns in general? Is it just the serrations? Have you tried it out? Why not take it for a spin and see what it can do?



I agree.. if it was a gift from a close friend or family just keep it. It's not totally useless.


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## Flyingpigg (Aug 30, 2013)

hobbitling said:


> Why all the shun-hating on this forum? Is it this knife in particular, or Shuns in general? Is it just the serrations? Have you tried it out? Why not take it for a spin and see what it can do?



My personal opinion of Shuns is that they're decent knives, but they're also very overpriced for what you get. It's understandable because Shun does a lot of marketing, and they have to recover their marketing costs somehow. Their marketing is also why some people dislike them as many people who call themselves chefs on television are sponsored by Shun even though many of them would not make it in a professional kitchen. The serrations are not exactly a plus for most people who like to sharpen knives, although I think the first reason I listed is the major influencing factor for the disdain of Shuns.


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## harlock0083 (Aug 30, 2013)

I'd sell and buy something you want. Less of a hassle than grinding out the serrations.


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## Cynic2701 (Aug 30, 2013)

hobbitling said:


> You didn't mention who gave it, but obviously someone tried very hard to get you a thoughtful gift. They obviously knew you well enough to know that you are a knife aficionado, and spent a significant amount of money ($230 is a lot for most people to spend on a knife) on what they consider a top grade knife. If you get rid of it, and they find out, it may be a bit of a slap in the face. It would be a shame to ruin a friendship or start a family feud over this.
> 
> Why all the shun-hating on this forum? Is it this knife in particular, or Shuns in general? Is it just the serrations? Have you tried it out? Why not take it for a spin and see what it can do?



It was a gift from my Dad. He's well aware of my knife hobby (and sharpening hobby) and has bought me a lot of knives over the years. In the past two years I've probably spent $600-800 on knives for him.

He typically asks me what knife I'd like before buying anything since he knows that I'm very particular about my knives. This one was a surprise--he didn't ask first. 

I really don't think he'd get angry or annoyed over it, he'd probably just laugh and roll his eyes and remember to ask what I want next time. In my family, I am notorious for being difficult to buy presents for since I almost never actually "need" anything and almost anything I "want" I end up purchasing myself.


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## tkern (Aug 30, 2013)

Hold on to it and use it. I keep a serrated Mundial petty/utility with me and it's surprising how many times that knife becomes useful.


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## Cynic2701 (Aug 30, 2013)

Oh, and in my experience with VG-10 Shuns (specifically the Classic line) is that they chip out easily. Several people in my family have one or more, and my first "real" knife was a Shun Classic Santoku (sp?). I still have it and mainly use it as a beater knife. With an edge that is more obtuse than pretty much every other knife I own, they chip out readily even cutting things like lettuce and peppers. I bought my Dad a VG-10 Al Mar chef's knife that holds a better edge, is better ground, uses better materials (cocobolo handle), is better constructed, and is more aesthetically pleasing than an equivalent Shun knife and all for about $10 less.

While I wouldn't call a Shun a "bad" knife, I also wouldn't call it a good value or a knife aficionado's dream knife. With the money that this thing cost (which looks to be around $230-240ish) one could buy a number of fairly interesting knives.

I also have no worries about the gf/in-laws/my own mother using my knives. I've pretty much bought all of them "pretty" looking stainless damascus knives of their own.


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## cheezit (Aug 30, 2013)

Nice knife! I believe this knife got its steel from the Takefu Specialty Steel company, the same company that provides steel for the SG2 ZKramer knives. I think you should keep it.


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## easy13 (Aug 30, 2013)

> they chip out readily even cutting things like lettuce and peppers.



C'mon man, I highly doubt that. 

Shuns, especially the newer lines can be overpriced, come in odd designs and are obviously not the greatest brand. I do have a classic 10 inch from when I was in school years ago (a great step up from the school issued Mercer) that did chip when I clumsily broke down a chicken with it, but I fixed it, used it til I moved on to more serious blades and it still sits in the bottom of my drawer and comes out occasionally as a beater or for a friend/employee to use, and it works fine and keeps a decent edge. I would return it for a Shun that you would use sometimes, I dont think that would offend your pops.


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## Cynic2701 (Aug 31, 2013)

easy13 said:


> C'mon man, I highly doubt that.
> 
> Shuns, especially the newer lines can be overpriced, come in odd designs and are obviously not the greatest brand. I do have a classic 10 inch from when I was in school years ago (a great step up from the school issued Mercer) that did chip when I clumsily broke down a chicken with it, but I fixed it, used it til I moved on to more serious blades and it still sits in the bottom of my drawer and comes out occasionally as a beater or for a friend/employee to use, and it works fine and keeps a decent edge. I would return it for a Shun that you would use sometimes, I dont think that would offend your pops.



Nope, it is pretty true. I just re-beveled it about three weeks ago (I got a Shapton 2K in the mail and wanted to try it out) and finished it on 0.5 micron diamond paste. I made a salad with romaine lettuce, red onion, tomato, strawberries, and a sherry vinaigrette. The edge was smooth when I started. When I finished the edge had small nicks.

Making the same salad with an HD2 Konosuke with a lower angle on it leaves me with an edge that is only slightly less sharp than I started.

This isn't the first time this has happened to it either. I've become accustomed to having a slightly chippy edge on that Shun regardless of what I do to it. It does, however, make it a fantastic tomato cutting knife. It's not like it's a big issue (e.g. 1 mm or greater sized chips) or that the edge becomes serrated--there just are a good number of small nicks in the edge. It happens regardless of the type of edge I put on it (toothy or polished) or even if I use diamond abrasives all the way to 3 microns or I use waterstones. That is what is going to happen to it. It still cuts well and performs just fine. Like I said, it's not a bad knife by any means.


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## panda (Aug 31, 2013)

re-gift it to a friend or family, pay it forward


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## cookinstuff (Aug 31, 2013)

I keep hearing about this chippy stuff, I have a friend who keeps around a shun classic chef for all of his heavy work. Lops off salmon heads and stuff like that, basically just hard work and the edge is fine, I think there are lemons out there with shuns possibly? I have never used one personally, but I think if you can get a good deal on one they aren't too bad. I would personally keep the knife posted, looks a decent sandwich knife, I have a small offset wusthof serrated that doesn't come to work anymore, but sometimes I wish I had it on me when my Mac bread knife feels unecessary. Would be nice for slicing breaded and deep fried items.


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## Gravy Power (Aug 31, 2013)

Shun, Shun, Shun, Shun, Sun. Shun is what got me here. Iv'e recently retooled my kit (pics coming shortly), and I've have three Shun's for sale. I would like to sell them there but I probably won't. Hopefully I can sell them to a fellow student who thinks that they are are the rave, at 25% of what I paid because I have a conscience. Are they chippy? Seems to depend on who you talk to. Do they give you horrible feedback on a stone? Yes in my opinion. Are they the most ugly, ungrateful, spoiled pieces of **** after that faux damascus and label fade? Yes. Are they totally functional after you sharpen them? Yes.

I like the decoy idea, just make sure it looks new at all times. If goods are needed, take it back to WS and say you needed an All Clad pan more, but you really appreciate their gift.


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## mkriggen (Aug 31, 2013)

Not faux damascus, just as real as any other "damascus" cladding.


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## Keith Sinclair (Sep 1, 2013)

Maybe it is just language but isn't all Damascus cladding somewhat just surface decoration?Not like an Antique Katana that under soft light you can see many folds.


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## mkriggen (Sep 1, 2013)

keithsaltydog said:


> Maybe it is just language but isn't all Damascus cladding somewhat just surface decoration?Not like an Antique Katana that under soft light you can see many folds.




Yes


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## EdipisReks (Sep 1, 2013)

Cynic2701 said:


> The edge was smooth when I started. When I finished the edge had small nicks.



I'd bet $10 that the knife had a wire edge, or you hadn't removed enough fatigued steel (especially if you often use a honing rod) when you sharpened. Or both.


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## labor of love (Sep 1, 2013)

i have a wusthof serrated petty and i like it alot. it was like $30 though. how much is that shun retail?


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## EdipisReks (Sep 1, 2013)

labor of love said:


> i have a wusthof serrated petty and i like it alot. it was like $30 though. how much is that shun retail?



add $200.


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## labor of love (Sep 1, 2013)

EdipisReks said:


> add $200.


:wow:


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## Cynic2701 (Sep 1, 2013)

EdipisReks said:


> I'd bet $10 that the knife had a wire edge, or you hadn't removed enough fatigued steel (especially if you often use a honing rod) when you sharpened. Or both.



While possible, I sort of doubt it. I have a Shun Classic paring knife that gets virtually the same treatment that doesn't chip out. I also never use a honing rod; I strop instead.


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## Stumblinman (Sep 2, 2013)

I believe if you don't like it you won't use it. So in that sense trade/sell/gift it. If you like the Shun parer then you could trade out for a Hiro one. (it costs about the same as this knife.... ) Ebay is receptive to Shuns at a discount. Hmm maybe return, throw in an extra $150 and get an immersion circulator


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## EdipisReks (Sep 2, 2013)

Cynic2701 said:


> I have a Shun Classic paring knife that gets virtually the same treatment that doesn't chip out.



Very different geometry and use pattern between a parer and a chef's knife. Strops are similar to hones, in that they can create a situation where the edge is fatigued and fails, if you don't sharpen that often and strop a lot. Not as quick as a honing rod, in my experience, but it happens.


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## Cynic2701 (Sep 2, 2013)

EdipisReks said:


> Very different geometry and use pattern between a parer and a chef's knife. Strops are similar to hones, in that they can create a situation where the edge is fatigued and fails, if you don't sharpen that often and strop a lot. Not as quick as a honing rod, in my experience, but it happens.



Ok. Hypothetically, if what you say is true, then shouldn't all knives I sharpen with this method end up with a "chippy" edge?

My Dad also mailed me a couple of his own kitchen knives (which he is much rougher with than I am) for which I've been the sole sharpener for the past several years.

Here are his Al Mar Santoku (sp?) and Shun Kaji paring knife next to my own Shun Classics:





Since the Shun Kaji is supposed to be made of SG2 with an HRC value in the 63-64ish range if I recall correctly, shouldn't it exhibit chipping issues? While I don't know what hardness the Al Mar's VG-10 has, I'd guess in the 59-61 HRC range since this is typically what we see in VG-10 kitchen knives. Shouldn't this also exhibit chipping issues?

Neither the Shun Kaji nor the Al Mar have any chipping issues--their edges were smooth, if dull from being used.


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## EdipisReks (Sep 2, 2013)

For all I know you are hitting your Shun vg-10 knives against a sink or a brick.


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## Cynic2701 (Sep 2, 2013)

EdipisReks said:


> For all I know you are hitting your Shun vg-10 knives against a sink or a brick.



I had hoped you would have had greater insight into what may possibly be giving me the chipping issues I've been having with my Shun Classic santoku (sp?). I've had it for a long time, and I'd love to find a way to fix or at least ameliorate the issue. Thanks for taking your time to reply to me. I'll try to avoid hitting sinks and bricks with it going forward.

Well, I suppose this thread has gone off topic from what I originally had been asking. I guess we can start talking about the relative merits of cast iron vs stainless steel for making popcorn.


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## labor of love (Sep 2, 2013)

have you tried putting a microbevel on your shun yet? ive sharpened lots of shun classics and ive noticed many of them are chipped. 
also, the consensus has spoken.cast iron is the way to go for popcorn.


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## Cynic2701 (Sep 2, 2013)

Yeah, a good percentage of the time there's a small microbevel on the Shun. Whenever I sharpen it (usually every three or four months) I'll form an edge with a small microbevel and maintain it with stropping until it starts needing a sharpening. A few times I've tried making an edge straight from the bevel with no microbevel, but this seems to make the chipping issue worse.


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## EdipisReks (Sep 2, 2013)

Cynic2701 said:


> I had hoped you would have had greater insight into what may possibly be giving me the chipping issues I've been having with my Shun Classic santoku (sp?). I've had it for a long time, and I'd love to find a way to fix or at least ameliorate the issue. Thanks for taking your time to reply to me. I'll try to avoid hitting sinks and bricks with it going forward.
> 
> Well, I suppose this thread has gone off topic from what I originally had been asking. I guess we can start talking about the relative merits of cast iron vs stainless steel for making popcorn.



I was being less sarcastic than I probably appeared to be: my point was that I don't know your environment, and your uses, and your sharpening, so, from my perspective, you might as well be hitting bricks. I've seen a lot of chipped Shuns. I have friends who use them, many, and they often send them to me to be sharpened. After I sharpen, and completely de-burr the knives, the next time they come back, they are dull, and have the occasional chip or bent tip, but no more than any other knife that gets used heavily and sharpened once a year (if that). I've owned, and own Shuns, and they aren't chippy. Maybe yours are particularly chippy. I don't know. Having seen as many as I've seen, though, I reject the idea that they are chippy. I don't reject the idea that they are harder than many knives to de-burr, but it's not a big deal once you get it down.


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## EdipisReks (Sep 2, 2013)

Cynic2701 said:


> Yeah, a good percentage of the time there's a small microbevel on the Shun. Whenever I sharpen it (usually every three or four months) I'll form an edge with a small microbevel and maintain it with stropping until it starts needing a sharpening. A few times I've tried making an edge straight from the bevel with no microbevel, but this seems to make the chipping issue worse.



how much material are you removing when you sharpen? Are you noticing that your edges start out very sharp and seem to degrade fairly quickly? Are you noticing the edges roll? Rolled edges are less common with harder steels, but I've seen Shuns with rolled edges, usually owned by people who don't sharpen their knives a lot, but instead do edge maintenance some other way (usually a ceramic hone, but I've seen it with knives that are stropped a lot, especially on hard leather).


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## Cynic2701 (Sep 2, 2013)

EdipisReks said:


> how much material are you removing when you sharpen? Are you noticing that your edges start out very sharp and seem to degrade fairly quickly? Are you noticing the edges roll? Rolled edges are less common with harder steels, but I've seen Shuns with rolled edges, usually owned by people who don't sharpen their knives a lot, but instead do edge maintenance some other way (usually a ceramic hone, but I've seen it with knives that are stropped a lot, especially on hard leather).



For the first few years I had my Shun Santoku (sp?) I was probably taking off too much steel when I sharpened. I sharpened on DMT diamonds for a while. Then I started getting into ceramics (Spyderco coarse/fine/ultrafine) as finishing stones. I picked up an Edge Pro and some diamond stones all the way up through to 3 microns. More recently I've gotten into waterstones (Shapton).

While it is probable/possible that a lot of the problems that people run into is the "burnt" on OOTB edges (although some may think this to be an urban myth, I've had it happen on pretty much all of my knives: the edge doesn't stabilize and degrade in sharpness consistently until one has sharpened enough steel away to get the the "fresh" steel underneath) I'm fairly certain that I've eaten through enough steel with my amateurish sharpening efforts from years back on diamonds. It's probably 2 mm shorter than when I first got it. 

Now I'll typically flatten the bevel a bit (maybe one minute or two) on a 1k Shapton, move to the a 2k Shapton, then to a 5k Shapton. In the past month or so I've become enamored with the edge that I get from going directly from the 2k Shapton to edge trailing strokes on a Spyderco ultrafine benchstone. I'll maintain that edge with a 1 micron diamond paste loaded strop or a strop with 0.5 micron diamond spray until it starts getting to be a few too many strokes on the strop for my liking to bring the edge back.

The edge stays sharp for a good amount of time. I'll typically not need to strop the knife for a week or so (I'd use it 2 - 5 times a day), until I feel like I've lost the scary sharp edge and bring it back with a few passes on the strop. The edge that doesn't chip out stays sharp and in truth it shouldn't bother me since it doesn't really have much of an effect for the majority of the stuff I'm cutting. Again, it's just a sprinkling of chips on the edge.


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## EdipisReks (Sep 2, 2013)

You might just have bad knives (it happens), or they just don't work for your uses (that also happens).


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## labor of love (Sep 2, 2013)

when i sharpen co workers shuns i finish with green brick and strop. i liked that edge better than rika 5k or other higher grit stones i use


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## EdipisReks (Sep 2, 2013)

labor of love said:


> when i sharpen co workers shuns i finish with green brick and strop. i liked that edge better than rika 5k or other higher grit stones i use



I finish Shuns with an 8k Gesshin and a strop.


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## labor of love (Sep 2, 2013)

EdipisReks said:


> I finish Shuns with an 8k Gesshin and a strop.



yeah, well the dudes whose shuns i usually sharpened couldnt tell the difference between a 2k and 8k edge anyway,lol.


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## Stumblinman (Sep 3, 2013)

I've had 3 shun chef knives. One I never used and the others 8" classic and 'western' chipped to hell OOTB and are missing tips. One fell to the floor and the other got tapped on the table as I was raising it to put on my bag. The classic has been sharpened on stones a few times and is now OK. The western one sharpened once on stones and has 2 decent chips near the heel. I found using a steel destroyed them. I hated seeing chips cause I never knew where they went. OH well I don't use them anymore and keep one in my bag if I think I'll need a knife but there's a chance to be knocked around a lot. It's funny cause it's still one of the sharpest in the kitchen I'm in now but they wonder why there's accordion cuts


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## Ruso (Sep 3, 2013)

Shun - curing iron deficiency since 2003


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## V1P (Sep 3, 2013)

I have a Shun that used to be my prized possession, now it is my beater knife.


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