ShunPremier 7 Piece Essential Block Set, Includes 8" Chef, 4" Paring, 6.5" Utility, 9" Bread Knives & Herb Shears, Handcrafted Japanese Knife Set, Pakkawood Handles

Replacement for a long used set of Henckel knives. They’re beautiful to look at and wonderful to use. Cut through everything with ease. Love them!

A few months back, I purchased my first Shun, a Premier Santoku. I had at the time a set of J A Henckels Four Star knives that I've been using about 10 years. I've already reviewed the first one, and in that review I stated I was thinking of replacing the Henckels with a set of Shuns...and that's what I did. I sold the Henckels. These knives are not only the sharpest I've ever used, they are also the most beautiful ones. The photos on the web site do not do them true justice. They are perfectly balanced and extremely well made.If you want the best, get yourself some Shun knives.

This set of kitchen knives are truly in a league of their own. After having tried a multitude of Western and traditional Japanese knives, this is without a doubt, the MUST have addition to any kitchen. This adds a whole new dimension to cooking. With the right care and use, these knives are sure to last a lifetime. The blades on each knive cut effortlessly through any food item. Trust me, I have put the knives through their paces! Even surprised with the bread knife - not a crumb is dropped slicing through it. I would challenge any review that has any fault with these knives. Even the price. You pay for what you get, and that is, an unrivalled kitchen utensil.

Absolutely spectacular knives. Gorgeous to hold and to look at, and sharper than steel-toed workboots. But, seriously, these knives are ~SHARP~. We've been using them every day and like any knife they do lose an edge, but with five strikes a side on the sharpener, you are more than back in business. I got them for my wife (she's needed a set for a loooong time), and she absolutely loves them. The block is very nice, but we don't use it. Hope this helps.

Probably the best starter set to start the kitchen with! these are the four most used knives in home cooking. Can’t do without the shears, and why wouldn’t you own the honing tool? This is a great price for the craftsmanship and sharpness on the blades!!

These are first class blades. They are thinner than US/European blades I have used and this makes them more maneuverable. Thin slicing a tomato or onion is a breeze. Although the blades are thinner, the knives have plenty of heft are a extremely well balanced. Handles fit hands near perfectly. The photos here do give an idea of the beauty of these knives, but they are even nicer up close. The only drawback I see is that there are limited types of knives available in the "Premier" style.

Pictures don’t do well showing the quality of these knives.

I have been using this knife set for a little over a year now. I purchased these to treat myself to a truly nice set of knives after years of using an "ok" set of knives. I almost always prize function over form when making purchases, but these knives are so attractive that I allowed myself to choose this set based primarily on looks. And I have not been dissapointed in that regard. After a full year of moderate use, they still look spectacular. These are beautiful knives. The chef's knife and the bread knife are the stars of this set. They are nearly perfect. The are both extremely sharp, well balanced, and comfortable in hand. The kitchen shears are also fantastic. They are very heavy-duty, very sharp, and the separable halves make clean-up a snap. However, these knives are not perfect and I do suffer from a bit of buyer's remorse. The blades on these knives are very, very thin. This is good for ease of cutting, but on the medium size knives (like the utility knife), I find the blades a little too flexible at the tip. I have bent the tip out of true on a few occasions. On the medium and smaller size knives, I find the handles a little too small for my hand (I'm an average size adult male). I also find it odd that the paring knife is shaped like a miniature chef's knife. It is good for small chopping tasks, but this limits its maneuaverability in delicate tasks.Best Features:-Beautiful knives with both Damascus steel and hammered finishes-Pakka wood (resin-infused real wood) handles combine the natural look of wood with the easy maintenance of plastic and are more durable than either material alone-Razor sharp blades ... so sharp that those who only cook occasionally may find them intimidating (like my wife, who does find them intimidating)-Good edge retention-Easy to maintain/hone edges (note that the 16-degree angle is different than typical western knives)-Outstanding craftsmanship-Very durable if properly cared forDrawbacks:-The blades on the medium sized knifes are too thin-The handles on the small and medium knives are too small for my hand-The miniature chef's knife shape of the paring knife limits it's usefulness-Knife block doesn't seem to be designed for this set of knives-Kitchen shears don't match the rest of the set (they are standard Shun)-ExpensiveSummary:This is a very good knife set, full of beautiful knives. They are razor sharp and perform chopping/slicing tasks very well. I wanted to love them. But, there are enough drawbacks that I would probably make a different choice if buying again.

I am a professional cook and I love my Shun knives. I've had a few for a while and finally decided to get a whole set. They are beautiful and sharp. I can't reccomend them enough.

Beautiful but super sharp. Arrived on time and well packaged.