# So Upset w/ Shun Chef's Chipping



## lchelak

I was estatic when I received my first "real" chef's knife for my birthday this past October. I have always balked at home kitchens with terrible knives, and remember seeing my father test the razor sharp edges of his knives since I was a little girl.

So you can imagine my absolute horror and sadness when I picked up my Shun, 8.5" Fuji Chef's knife after cutting a squash (as I've done many times before this autumn season) and found two hole-punched style missing pieces! They're nearly identical in size, about 3 inches apart, and 1/4 inch in diameter! Huge!

I've cared for this knife like a baby since I've received it! I immediately wash and dry it. It has it's own magnetic strip in my kitchen which I'm always careful to place against it back end first so as not to tap the blade. I've never used it on bone. I have a nice, OXO large plastic chopping board.

I don't know what to do  I've done some basic research and have found that there can be bad batches, improperly tempered steel, etc... but all I know is that I'm out a really sharp knife and I hate squash now.

For reference, this is the exact knife purchased. It was from W&S. http://www.williams-sonoma.com/prod...oma&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=35-5118816-2

I absolutely loved the weight and feel of this knife. It fit in my hand perfectly. I'm just so disapointed with these results and am considering going another Japanese knife route. Should I go to W&S and try to return it or refund it? I'm almost certain I should go with a new brand.

Thank you very much for any help or insight into this.


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## jbroida

actually, most of these problems are caused by user error.  Japanese knives (even shun, which many knife enthusiasts dont really consider "real" japanese knives) are thinner and harder than their western counterparts.  This means better cutting performance and better edge retention, but it also means the edge is more brittle (especially the shun knives as they picked steels that are more on the brittle side for some reason).  So, the same technique you used with your previous knives will often cause damage to these knives.  Twisting is bad, excessive pressure is bad, etc.  Especially with hard items like squash, any kind of twisting can be a real problem.

This can be fixed through sharpening (and angle adjustments and/or the use of a microbevel) to help toughen up the edge.


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## brianshaw

I'd be upset too.  Suggest you take it back and play dumb: "It broke.  That's not what I expected from a fine product sold by a company as reputable as W&S.  Gee... I'm disappointed.  What can you do for me?"  Whatever you do, don't blame them or blame bad steel or tell them that you chopped on a squash.  I bought a Shun from W&S (mailorder) and the blade looked bent.  I took it back and they replaced it with identical product with no quesitons asked.

But let me tell you this... I don't break down hard squash with any Shun except maybe my Nikiri... they are too light for that.  I prefer using a heavy German blade for that kind of chore.


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## brianshaw

p.s.  I hope you trashed the squash.  Biting down or swollowing a piece of that fine Japanese steel could be fatal.


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## boar_d_laze

Jon's right. In addition...

Quality control is something Shun does very well. Nevertheless, sometimes a bad knife gets through and your knife may have been one of those.

Your knife is made with a high tech "metallurgical powder" alloy called SG2, which is held between softer layers of stainless steel. SG2 is a very strong steel, but not terribly tough. As a result it's somewhat but not hugely chip prone. SG2 is one of Shun's primary alloys, the other is VG-10. If it's any comfort to you, Shun's VG-10 knives tend to be even more chippy than their SG2s.

Chipping isn't necessarily a product of hitting something hard, but can be caused by cutting through tough, fibrous foods as well.

Whether SG2 or VG-10, Shun knives with "OOTB" (out of the box aka directly from the factory) edges tend to be more chip prone than those which have been sharpened by the customer. Finer edges _tend_ to be less chippy than toothy. Strong alloys which aren't particularly tough (like SG2 and VG-10) break more easily if they're frequently steeled, especially if they're steeled aggressively, and/or steeled on an aggressive hone.

Your best bet is probably exchanging your Shun knife for something betterBut "better" is a relative term and you seem to like a lot about that knife. You may want to try another Shun Fuji before giving up.

*In terms of "better" than the Shun Fuji:*

The Fuji is a very expensive knife, and there are a great number of really good choices for the same or significantly less money. Let's talk about what would suit you to a "T."

*Bottom Line:*

_It's very important to remember that sharpening is pretty much everything. All knives get dull, and any dull knife -- no matter how good otherwise, how expensive, how comfortable, how attractive -- is a dull knife. _

BDL

PS. Jon sells knives through his store, Japanese Knife Imports (JKI) -- and as he's someone who cares so much about putting the right knife in someone's hand and knows so much about knives I can only imagine him squirming as he thought about you and the Fuji.


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## jbroida

BrianShaw said:


> I'd be upset too. Suggest you take it back and play dumb: "It broke. That's not what I expected from a fine product sold by a company as reputable as W&S. Gee... I'm disappointed. What can you do for me?" Whatever you do, don't blame them or blame bad steel or tell them that you chopped on a squash. I bought a Shun from W&S (mailorder) and the blade looked bent. I took it back and they replaced it with identical product with no quesitons asked.
> 
> But let me tell you this... I don't break down hard squash with any Shun except maybe my Nikiri... they are too light for that. I prefer using a heavy German blade for that kind of chore.


actually, thinner lighter knives cut hard foods better (much better) than thicker heavier blades... they just require you to have better technique


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## brianshaw

Sure.. Could be bad technique on my part, or it could be just my preference.  

By the way, do you have a walk-in showroom?  I'm just up the road from you and would like to meet you if you are there around lunchtime on weekdays.


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## knifesavers

BrianShaw said:


> By the way, do you have a walk-in showroom?


Showroom is a bit understated. Jon has a Japanese knife porn parlor. 

Be careful parking around there the ticket writers are quick.

Jim


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## Iceman

I've never lost an argument w/ a squash. _Pansys. _





  








th?id=H.4740291787949943&pid=15.1




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Iceman


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Nov 27, 2012


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## jbroida

IceMan said:


> I've never lost an argument w/ a squash. _Pansys. _
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> th?id=H.4740291787949943&pid=15.1
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> Nov 27, 2012


lol... clearly i have the wrong approach here


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## franzb69

might also be due to the chopping / cutting surfaced that's used. the best kind for knives are end grain wood boards. softer on knives than plastic boards. might help.


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## boar_d_laze

FranzB69 said:


> might also be due to the chopping / cutting surfaced that's used. the best kind for knives are end grain wood boards. softer on knives than plastic boards. might help.


A good board is an important part of knife maintenance, and a _good_ end-grain board is the best of the best.

But some squash are notoriously difficult, and the description of this particular damage doesn't indicate impact with the board. It seems more likely that something -- in this case, the hard and fibrous squash skin and/or the fibers of the squash interior -- "grabbed" microscopic teeth along the edge and held strongly enough to rip them off the edge while the knife was "sawed" back and forth and/or torqued.

Almost everyone who encounters something tough tends to saw; and almost everyone who hasn't developed a good grip and/or forgets to let sharpness take the place of power torques.

BDL


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## duckfat

JBroida said:


> actually, thinner lighter knives cut hard foods better (much better) than thicker heavier blades...


As long as you have perfect technique. Short of that thinner, harder knives on items like hard squash are problematic for many. Personally I think the whole notion of thinner is better is flawed for hard items like squash. One inadvertent slip of the wrist from even the most skilled user can mean a lot of time on the stones. There's a lot of wiggle room in the knife world between thin and hard or thick and heavy. I keep my lasers away from squash. I just don't see the need. Besides cleavers laugh at squash.....Mwahahaha.

Plastic boards just make me cringe.

Dave


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## jbroida

i dont know about that... my technique is far from perfect now that i am no longer cooking professionally and i still use a thinned out suisin inox honyaki on hard foods because it makes my life easier


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## rick alan

While we're on the subject of "good" boards, what does that constitute? My significant other is very particular about appearences and so far has only permited me to buy one of those "checkerboard" pattern walnut and oak/maple/cherry,anything-else boards. Do they qualify as good, and what is the best wood(s)?  I saw a teakwood board that was only 0.8" thick that would be nice and light, but I fear it wood easily split, wood that actually be the case?  I definitely want to get rid of the pebble-finish poly board as I hear pinging noises when my knife twists just every so slightly on it.


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## duckfat

I think this whole notion of thinner is "better" really came at the peak of the laser craze. That trend  seems to be dwindling rapidly as many have realized those thin blades are not always practical nor are they they easiest to maintain for many.  A user with a hard "chopping" board  is very likely going to benefit from a thicker, heavier blade IMO. Thin blades require solid technique in a professional setting or at home.

Dave


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## duckfat

Rick Alan said:


> While we're on the subject of "good" boards, what does that constitute? My significant other is very particular about appearences and so far has only permited me to buy one of those "checkerboard" pattern walnut and oak/maple/cherry,anything-else boards. Do they qualify as good, and what is the best wood(s)? I saw a teakwood board that was only 0.8" thick that would be nice and light, but I fear it wood easily split, wood that actually be the case? I definitely want to get rid of the pebble-finish poly board as I hear pinging noises when my knife twists just every so slightly on it.


Wood. Maple is the universal standard. End grain is best. I'd avoid teak. A good board should be 2"-3" thick. The pebble finish poly bords (especially the hard clear ones) should be tossed. Probably any wood board would be better than that.

Dave


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## jbroida

DuckFat said:


> I think this whole notion of thinner is "better" really came at the peak of the laser craze. That trend seems to be dwindling rapidly as many have realized those thin blades are not always practical nor are they they easiest to maintain for many. A user with a hard "chopping" board is very likely going to benefit from a thicker, heavier blade IMO. Thin blades require solid technique in a professional setting or at home.
> 
> Dave


i agree with you for the most part... but on harder and/or taller items its really just physics more than anything else


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## duckfat

I agree jon and probably a good measure of personal preference factors in here as well. This topic had me thinking about a photo I have buried here some place of the loading dock of a local restaurant buried under about 5 tons of Blue Hubbards. Just looking at that pile is enough to make me cringe...LOL

Dave


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## brianshaw

JBroida said:


> i agree with you for the most part... but on harder and/or taller items its really just physics more than anything else


Being short(er) in stature I often have a problem with physics given the standard height of counters, plus the height of cutting board, plus the height of the item being hacked. Leverage is hard to gain sometimes and i'm too proud to use a step-stool.


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## jbroida

lol... i'm short too. Moving to a new apartment with shorter counter height soon... so stoked


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## lchelak

D'oh! I had a feeling this would be the answer. Thank you all so so much. I think I'll play dumb at W&S and learn my lesson for good. (The squash were promptly thrown out along with everything on my board). One problem is that this is a gift. Should I approach the giver about a receipt or would that not be a problem in terms of anyone's experience with W&S. The coupon will be in her name (she's an employee of the greater corporation and good friend). 

I also do have a 20% off special coupon for the store. I'm thinking I'll happily invest some of my own cash into an addition knife. This was a superbly generous gift to start.

Boar_d_laze, I've been careful to hone my knife a few times a week, and even took a class on how to do it. I have a shun sharpener as well, which I seemingly had to buy but know I'll need only once or twice a year. 

I plan on spending $800 or so this weekend at the store thanks to this coupon for various Christmas gifts. Make the purchases and bring the knife when I do with sad puppy eyes (they're real!)? I was also thinking of buying this identical broken knife (Fuji) for my mother this weekend (along with a stern instruction an anti-squash set of rules), so there's that as well. 

Should I definitely get a wood board? This OXO model seemed high grade enough? 

I suppose a second knife might be nice, but another Chef's might be overkill at this stage for me (and my budget). Should I shoot for a Santoku or pairing knife of some sort? I know this might sound creepy, but I just love sharp knives but feel like I have no direction. I really loved this one. I have a pair of "crappy" knives in a set that I use for place settings, and rough stuff so I can use that in the future for these evil squash. 

Thank you much!


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## lchelak

Yep, the squash was a real pain. I think I may have torqued it, but tried my best to just press down with the palm of my left hand after a slicing motion was a complete fail (I was trying to cut through the stalk as well!) Derrr.


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## lchelak

PS: I actually brought the knife to Thanksgiving at my parents' house and my mom loved the way it worked. So she had plenty of time to give it a test drive, hence my decision to get it for her too.


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## lchelak

Never mind! We have the receipt  I think W&S should be accommodating enough.


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## boar_d_laze

lchelak said:


> D'oh! I had a feeling this would be the answer. Thank you all so so much. I think I'll play dumb at W&S and learn my lesson for good. (The squash were promptly thrown out along with everything on my board). One problem is that this is a gift. Should I approach the giver about a receipt or would that not be a problem in terms of anyone's experience with W&S. The coupon will be in her name (she's an employee of the greater corporation and good friend).
> 
> I also do have a 20% off special coupon for the store. I'm thinking I'll happily invest some of my own cash into an addition knife. This was a superbly generous gift to start.
> 
> Boar_d_laze, I've been careful to hone my knife a few times a week, and even took a class on how to do it. I have a shun sharpener as well, which I seemingly had to buy but know I'll need only once or twice a year.
> 
> I plan on spending $800 or so this weekend at the store thanks to this coupon for various Christmas gifts. Make the purchases and bring the knife when I do with sad puppy eyes (they're real!)? I was also thinking of buying this identical broken knife (Fuji) for my mother this weekend (along with a stern instruction an anti-squash set of rules), so there's that as well.
> 
> Should I definitely get a wood board? This OXO model seemed high grade enough?
> 
> I suppose a second knife might be nice, but another Chef's might be overkill at this stage for me (and my budget). Should I shoot for a Santoku or pairing knife of some sort? I know this might sound creepy, but I just love sharp knives but feel like I have no direction. I really loved this one. I have a pair of "crappy" knives in a set that I use for place settings, and rough stuff so I can use that in the future for these evil squash.
> 
> Thank you much!


I was kind of afraid of this...

*Shun:*

I can't speak to whether or not you can or should approach your friend about a receipt, that depends on the nature of your friendship. However WS, as customer oriented as it is, might be willing to accept the knife for exchange without a receipt. Start with a phone call.

I'm no fan of Shun, in fact something of the reverse -- and we can discuss that if you like. But this isn't about me, it's about you, and you seemed to like the knife quite a bit until it failed. So, the best thing to do right off the bat might well be to replace it and hold of on a negative disquisition concerning all things Shun. Your friend would surely assist with that -- and once you've got the receipt in your hand other options open.

Unless you like Wusthof (which are good knives if you like the type), the chef knife selection at WS isn't very good. From a practical standpoint, the best of their poor lot are probably Masahiro.

I don't know what to tell you about a gift for Mom other than to say that $399 on a Shun Fuji is money very poorly spent. If you tell me your budget for the gift, I can probably help you with the suggestion. Who knows? We may make Jon happy.

Do yourself a favor and read _Steeling Away_. I'm not suggesting that you should use the same hones or hone exactly as I do, but if you find that your technique involves harder contact, more force or more strokes than I suggest, you're doing it wrong... no matter how you were taught. My _suspicion_ is that you developed what's called an "impact burr" -- or several of them -- with your rod, and that's _part_ of what led to the chipping.

Your Shun's SG2 blade alloy, hardened as it is to a very hard 64ish, is not a good candidate for steeling under the best of circumstances. If you're going to true it between sharpening (you should), the safest ways would be using a very fine stone for a "touch up," or stropping it on a fine stone, or some sort of fairly smooth and hard-backed strop. But wait! There's more!!

The Shun electric sharpener (built by Edgecraft, the same folks who make Chef's Choice Electric sharpeners), could be part of the problem too. You want a fairly refined edge with a knife as brittle as a Shun, and the Shun electric makes for something a bit on the coarse side. The Chef's Choice Model 316, with its flexible wheel, "stropping" stage, is a better choice, assuming your ambitions are limited to an electric; and you can also use the stropping wheel instead of a steel. Everything considered (convenience, easy learning curve, reasonable price, doubles as the _verboten_ hone) it might be just the thing for you... but we should probably consider everything before you fire up your credit card. In other words, let's talk.

If you cook at home a lot, and use your chef's knife extensively, you should probably be sharpening it more like once every couple of months than twice a year. I have something like a zillion chef's knives (okay, four that I use) and sharpen every three months. Sharpness is your friend.

I can't find an OXO board on the WS website. The best bang for the buck at WS are probably the Boos Edge-Grain Maple Cutting Boards, and the Acacia Cutting Board. If possible, don't buy any rectangle smaller than 20" x 14", and don't buy anything other than wood (no bamboo!).

Hope this helps,

BDL


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## lchelak

Thank you so much! This is immensely helpful.

I'm going to hunker down tomorrow and research this so I'm more informed as I go in with the trusty card. I'll touch back here on Friday before we go on Saturday. My only interest in getting a knife from W&S is because of the discount, but to be honest, I can get some other odds and ends there and really spend time on this gift for my mother before Christmas somewhere else.

THEN I can get her something different and test it out myself  I'd like to spend around $400. I'm thinking Japanese. The only good (amateur) reason is that I've been on a craftsmanship kick with the culture in the past few years (unrelated: my Japanese hair stylist is the best I've ever had and we just watched the wonderful documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi). I think the length was good for her so something around 8.5. My father is a long long time hunter so he loves "testing" sharp knives w/ the paper test, and the "let me see if I can shave the hair off my arm with this knife" test. But then again, he doesn't cook so he's of little help. 

Her cooking much like mine I could say is "rustic" focused. We're Ukrainian by heritage, so lots of cabbage, soups, and stews. Lots of french cooking as well and your standard American home fare. 

I think where I'm really lacking in terms of knowledge is the honing and the various terminology and extensive options there. I think I'm going to get a replacement for this current Fuji, and then be much much more precise in how I use an maintain it. 

Yes, I cook quite a bit and was surprised to hear the 1-2 times a year thing. OK that makes a lot more sense, and I'll purchase a proper sharpener as I get closer to picking out something for my mom, as I imagine the Fuji is good out of the box in that time. I'm also going to read Steeling Away here and purchase something new to that end. 

P.S. We happily have the receipt so that shouldn't be a problem this weekend. 

Thank you again!


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## franzb69

start with a japanese knife that's a bit more forgiving.

something that's not 64 rockwell and not a SG2. maybe something in a more common stainless steel. not VG10 since it's also known to be chippy for people who are more used to western knives.

=D


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## jimbo68

While I see teak boards being promoted, teak is one of the few woods that brings needed minerals through the wood rather than the bark.  The result is silicone in the wood.  Silicon is another name for sand.  I would not use my knives on a teak board.  End grain hardwoods are best.  Walnut, cherry, maple, all make good boards.  The checkerboard is for cosmetics only, but does no harm.  End grain is best because the knife will part the wood fibers rather than cut into them.


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## rick alan

Thanks, no teak then.  Reading the reviews on Amazon I see that the cheaper boards all fall apart, something else to consider.


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## franzb69

contact theboardsmith, a quick googling will show his site.

he knows what he's doing.

he's usually active on sites like these also.


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## duckfat

There's no need to jump from an Oxo or plastic cutting board to a BS. There's plenty of very good wood boards on the market that are cost effective. Overstock.com has had Michigan Maple Block seconds from time to time but since the OP is shopping WS they cary boos boards in both end and edge grain. That 20% off will make a nice dent in a Maple board at WS and YES the OP should ditch that OXO toot sweet!

The nice thing about WS is that they will take returns on boards if you ever have a problem with one even a year down the road. 

Dave


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## boar_d_laze

From DuckFat:


> _I think this whole notion of thinner is "better" really came at the peak of the laser craze. That trend seems to be dwindling rapidly as many have realized those thin blades are not always practical nor are they they easiest to maintain for many. A user with a hard "chopping" board is very likely going to benefit from a thicker, heavier blade IMO. Thin blades require solid technique in a professional setting or at home._


While I don't know about laser vs "regular" sales, I disagree with a lot of this. As long as you don't bind the blade by getting it out of whack in the cut, lasers aren't a problem for skilled users or in a home setting where there isn't a lot of time pressure. The trick is keeping the knife sharp so it doesn't require a lot of force to cut through whatever you're cutting and keeping the knife on its line. The first is sharpening, the second is grip and paying attention. While lasers aren't for everyone, those are very basic skills which every good home cook should develop.

From Franz:


> start with a japanese knife that's a bit more forgiving. something that's not 64 rockwell and not a SG2. maybe something in a more common stainless steel. not VG10 since it's also known to be chippy for people who are more used to western knives.


Not all good knives are Japanese. However, when we start drilling down most of the good knives we'll look at will be. Otherwise, yes... let's stay away from what's known to be chippy.

From Jimbo:


> The checkerboard is for cosmetics only, but does no harm. End grain is best because the knife will part the wood fibers rather than cut into them.


Somewhat right. A "checkerboard" is not usually cosmetic and almost always means end grain. Edge grain will open to accept the knife edge if it's oriented correctly -- which it usually won't. In any case, edge grain opens more easily to accept the knife edge, and closes more completely ("self healing") when the knife leaves. Everything else being equal an end grain board is better than an edge grain board. However, a good edge grain board is better than a bad end grain board. It will treat your knives as well, but last longer without separating or splitting.

From DuckFat:


> There's no need to jump from an Oxo or plastic cutting board to a BS. There's plenty of very good wood boards on the market that are cost effective. Overstock.com has had Michigan Maple Block seconds from time to time but since the OP is shopping WS they cary boos boards in both end and edge grain. That 20% off will make a nice dent in a Maple board at WS and YES the OP should ditch that OXO toot sweet!
> 
> The nice thing about WS is that they will take returns on boards if you ever have a problem with one even a year down the road.


This is true and great advice, both. Two things about BoardSmith boards: There are none better, and you pay for it. There are other boards just as good as BoardSmith boards, and those run around the same price. There are others slightly less well made, for slightly less. By all means shop around.

We have two boards, one on each side of our kitchen: A Boardsmith 2" x 24" x 18" mahogany, and a Boos 3" x 18" round maple. They're similarly priced. And at the risk of repetition, you don't need to spend that much to get a perfectly good board.

_*So... What knife? *_

Do I recommend a laser for you and/or for Mom? Maybe. It depends, but probably not. On the other hand, because you didn't have any trouble with the Shun's handle, I'm going to suggest that you take a hard look at knives with traditional Japanese style "wa" handles.

Offhand and based on what I'm hearing and not personal experience, I think your best, practical choices are going to be the Gesshin Uraku (stainless) and the Richmond Ultimatum (19C27 stainless or M390 PM stainless). The Uraku is made in Japan and the Richmonds are made in the USA which is why I was cute about the whole Japanese thing.

I strongly recommend a 240mm (9-1/2") knife over a 210mm (8") for several reasons -- the most important of those is that the longer flat spot promotes a better and less fatiguing action and tends to cut all the way through things which might otherwise "accordion" (julienne peppers for instance). The Uraku is available as a 210mm (8"), 240mm (9-1/2"), or -- not that matters -- 270mm (10-3/4") knife, while the Ultimatums are 245mm only.

None of the handles have the kind of F&F that Shun's do, but they're very comfortable. The Gesshin's have utilitarian ho (Japanese maple) unfinished handles, the Ultimatums are a rather spiffy Rosewood.

I think you and Mom can get away with a less than full on bench-stones as your sharpening solution, a MinoSharp Plus3 would be adequate.

BDL


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## duckfat

boar_d_laze said:


> From DuckFat:
> 
> As long as you don't bind the blade by getting it out of whack in the cut, lasers aren't a problem for skilled users or in a home setting where there isn't a lot of time pressure. While lasers aren't for everyone, those are very basic skills which every good home cook should develop.


Unfortunately binding the blade is most likely exactly what the OP did in this case. It's an issue I've seen over and over again on different forums with hard squash. While I agree (some what) on skill level I'm sure we've all slipped with a knife or torqued a blade. Lasers are far more sensitive to this and it's likely the OP's damage to the blade would have only been compounded with a laser. In either event the old adage "the right tool for the job" comes to mind. I see no more reason to peel a calabaza with a laser than I see to cut sushi with a heavy cleaver. No matter how sharp that cleaver is or how skilled the user it's still an odd choice.

Besides only owning one knife is like playing golf with one club. 

Dave


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## boar_d_laze

Posted by *DuckFat*


> Unfortunately binding the blade is most likely exactly what the OP did in this case. It's an issue I've seen over and over again on different forums with hard squash. While I agree (some what) on skill level I'm sure we've all slipped with a knife or torqued a blade. Lasers are far more sensitive to this and it's likely the OP's damage to the blade would have only been compounded with a laser. In either event the old adage "the right tool for the job" comes to mind. I see no more reason to peel a calabaza with a laser than I see to cut sushi with a heavy cleaver. No matter how sharp that cleaver is or how skilled the user it's still an odd choice.


Yes to all of this with the exception that while lasers are more susceptible to binding they're not more appreciably more susceptible to damage than an ordinarily thin Japanese knife. Chipping is more about a variety of aspects of a given knife than whether or not its a laser. The particular alloy and how its hardened are probably the two most important things.

I have a few heavy duty knives, but if heavy duty doesn't mean going through bones but cutting melons, squash, pineapple, and things like that, I tend to use whatever's out, and "whatever's out" in my kitchen tends to be one of my lasers. That doesn't mean I think lasers the right choice for everyone's go-to gyuto, nor does it mean I think a laser's as good as an ordinarily thin wa-gyuto for the OP and Mom.

BDL


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## bmrboi2

Using a plastic cutting board by any means with any knife is a bad idea. Use wood. Magnetic strips are also not good for these knives. Use a block.


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## millionsknives

There are many reasons to use plastic boards. I use one when I cut raw meat or poultry. My knife touches it just about never for these tasks. If i'm chopping a quick garlic or something and don't want to pull out the block, i'll use plastic. It's light, it's convenient, easy to clean and sanitize. I don't want to lug my 3x3x20" slab to catering jobs either.

The better magnetic bars are covered in wood. Like anything else if you know how to use it, you'll be fine. Place and remove the knife by the spine, don't just slam it on flat.


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## brianshaw

Yup, knowing how to properly use thy tools is as important as knowing what tools to use for what and when. 

But since this thread is from 2012 I hope the OP figured that out already.


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