Shun Classic 6" Serrated Utility Knife, Handcrafted Japanese Knife, VG-MAX Core with Damascus Stainless Steel Cladding, Pakkawood Handle, Precision and Sharpness for Professional and Home Chefs

Update 9/10/07: Before purchasing this knife separately, check out the Shun Classic U2 (Ultimate Utility) Knife. You may like it better.I believe if you're serious about cooking, you should own great cookware and excellent knives. I finally stepped up and got excellent knives. For those who haven't heard the hype, Shun is one of the most respected knife brands in the world. Check them out on the Web at kershawknives.com.Great features of the entire line include these cool "D" shaped handles that fit your hand better. Every Shun Classic knife is made in a right- and left-handed version (chefsresource.com for lefties). The steel used for the blades is harder than what you would find in most other knives. The knives are EXTREMELY sharp. One thing to note about Asian knives is that they must be sharpened at a different angle, 16-18 degrees vs. 20 degrees for German knives. The Shun steel takes the guesswork out of getting the angle correct because of the flat edge on one side of the metal disc below the handle.Tomato knife -- I didn't eat tomatoes for a week while I was waiting on this knife to arrive. I'm glad I waited. I used to cut tomatoes with a steak knife and this is so much better!I think this knife is the utility knife with scallops. I don't have enough knife smarts to know the difference between serrations and scallops, but I do know I love this knife. In Alton Brown's "Gear" book, he prefers scallops, but didn't say why.This is an expensive, but lifetime investment. I encourage you to visit stores and feel the knives in your hand to make sure you are comfortable with them. For more info on Shun, check out Alton Brown's website. For ratings on various brands and types of knives, check out cooksillustrated.coms' equipment ratings.This is probably the best kitchen purchase I've made and the one I'm most proud of.

We love this knife! Great size for slicing all your vegetables-we have 2 and have gifted them to our children too! Most versatile knife in our kitchen.

I got one of these as a carving knife in addition to the chef knife. It's surprisingly useful and very sharp for more precise cutting uses. I ended up using it much more than expected.

This knife is probably top 3 of the Shun knives I’ve purchased. This slices through tomatoes like nothing. Haven’t figured out yet on how to sharpen it when it gets dull, but from the current performance I don’t see that for a LONG time.

This knife is the perfect weight and size for just about any kitchen job. It’s the best knife I’ve ever used. Slices effortlessly.

If you do a lot of cooking, you know about knives. This lovely little Shun utility knife is a dream. It looks great, handles really well (both in my big hands and my wife's smaller ones) and cuts precisely. The serrations are very small, but it goes through things like tomatoes with ease. However thin you want to slice it, this will do the job. It won't replace a good chef's knife for the big jobs or a small paring knife for the little things, but it's a treat to have in the kitchen.

Very nice knife, I wish it was a little heavier, mostly in the handle. Very thin blade. Happy overall.

Razor sharp knife with excellent ergonomic handle. Wish I had bought it years ago.