This thread ended up with a lot of questions.
Let's start with a personal disclaimer: I don't like very many Shun knives, especially not the Kershaw designs, most especially not the chef's.
The Elite isn't quite as bad as the Classic, but still has an extended top line which means a lot of lift to get the point down. They both have too much arc (for my taste) in the belly. This usually means the cook uses more rock in a chop, than the straight down "push cut" of a very flat Japanese gyuto, or the combination "push-slide" typical of French chef knives and most Japanese gyuto (same edge profile).
Also, with a few execpetions, I don't care for "san mai" or "warikomi" knives in general and suminagashi in particular. Somehow suminagashi strikes me more as "faux damascus" than what it is -- traditional Japanese ornamentation. But even then, I don't care for a lot of adornment on my tools. And, it's a minority view, but three-layer Japanese lamination almost never has a good feel to me -- the blades either feel too dead or too pingy compared to the single layer carbon steel knives I prefer.
Moreover, Shun-Kershaw handles do nothing for me. Nothing.
All three things are very idiosyncratic, but needed some explanation you had some sense of the prism through which I formed my other opinions.
The Elite is an extremely well made knife with excellent fit and finish. It's on the expensive side for a metallurgical powder (SG2), but not unduly so. It's more expensive than Akifusa, but cheaper than Ryusen -- to name a couple of knives available through Epicurean Edge.
The cladding surrounding the hard steel core makes sharpening easier by absorbing vibfration and keeping the edge flat on the stone. But you need to be a good sharpener with a good kit to get the knife sharp. The quality of the edge will not be quite as good as a VG-10 edge, but still very good. Once sharp it will stay that way for a long time and not need much maintenance. Supposedly, SG2 knives don't run the same danger of chipping as some earlier PMs. So that's a good thing. Also good: the knife is light with good; and has a nice, thin edge geometry.
If you love Shun, want their best, and are willing to pay a premium for it, an Elite chef's is a legitimate choice. For all the reasons mentioned earlier, I wouldn't consider it.
Fred's Cutlery Fourm is well worth visiting, and I'm a regular contributor. You can learn a lot there, but I fear Shun is so controversial there, if not quite polarizing that it's hard to separate information from vituperation. The reaction ranges from mildly positive to extremely negative, with the majority of the sentiment antipathetic.
What about the other knives you mentioned?
Masamoto:
To my mind the Masamoto HC is the best western-handled knife on the market at anywhere near a realistic price. It feels as natural in my hand as a Sabatier carbon, had better feedback, better steel, and a genuine ebony handle with great ergonomics. Masamoto won't say what steel they use, but I have good reason to think it's the ultra-pure version of Takefu V2; slightly purer than Hitachi Shiro2, without being as highly engineered, but fairly equivalent. At this level of quality in a mass produced knife, the only real competition may be the Ikanshi Tadatsuna in Shiro2. I have nothing negative to say about the Masamoto; it's as good as mass-produced cutlery gets. I toy with the idea of replacing my entire core set with them. You're aware HC is carbon and not stainless?
Ryusen:
The Blazen is available in two flavors. The one available through Epicurean Edge is an improved and more expensive version of the original. Changes include a slightly harder SG2 core (which supposedly sharpens better) and a better fitting saya. The regular Blazens are available from several sources -- notably Japanese Chef Knife (JCK.com). These are excellent knives, but they're either more expensive or not as nicely made as their primary competition -- Misono UX-10 and Hattori FH (Forum Knife). They also compete with Akifusa (avaliable at Epicurean Edge) which is pretty much a clone. Ryusen are one of the few sanmai knives I've tried which I didn't detest. Still, not for me. You, maybe.
Misono:
The Misono UX-10 is a great knife. I like it for its agility, it's streamlined good looks, and its great handle. There's some question about which particular Swedish steel is used -- speculation coalesces around two Sandvik steels, either 19C27 or 13C26, hardened to around 60. Both are excellent steels. The chef's profile is a little more streamlined (too low in the heel) than I like. Easy to sharpen, takes a great edge, holds it a long time.
Just in case you're serious about carbon... The Misono Sweden Series is also a great knife, but made with an excellent and very pure Sandvik carbon. I like Misono Swedens quite a bit, including the engraved dragon (which I tolerate better than suminagashi -- go figure).
The Sweden shares a quality/performance/value niche with a few other Japanese and Euro carbons: Masamoto VC and Kikuichi Elite from Japan; and K-Sabatier au carbone, K-Sabatier antique Canadian, Thiers-Issard Sabatier carbon, Thiers Issard Sabatier Nogent, and Thiers Issard Sabatier Massif from France. My own knife set is (almost) entirely antique French carbon from one Sabatier or another. Great for me, they are not for everyone.
Compared to the Japanese knives, the French take as good an edge and lose it more quickly. However, the edge is very easy to maintain on an apporpriate honing rod, sharpens on inexpensive oil stones. Overall, I'd rate edge quality as a near push with a slight edge to the Japanese. The French knives have roomy, comfortable handles but are made with fingerguard bolsters, which a lot of people find inconvenient. The French knives are significantly more robust than the Japanese, the edges hold up to far more abuse, and can be sharpened to angles nearly as acute. The French chef's profile is perfect, with an enormous amount of history behind the design. I'm not sure where or how they source high quality, good-purity carbon, but they do. The modern K-Sabs and T-Is are somehow made with excellent steel. Ergonmics and intangibles to the French. Admittedly, a big part of the reason I continue to keep mine (as opposed to the Japanese knives which have worked their way through my block) is sentiment. If I didn't have a long personal history with them, I'd use Masamoto HC and Tadatsuna Shiroko -- which may end up happening yet.
Hiromoto:
Ginsan aka G3 is a very lively, Hitachi stainless with excellent all-around characteristics. At similar hardening it's livelier than VG-10, takes a similar edge, and maybe a little less robust. Smallish, narrow handle -- that most find very comfortable, even those (like me) with large hands. Excellent value.
If you're considering carbon, think about the Hiromoto AS. Even more of a bargain than the G3.
BDL
