The Shun Premier 8-inch Chef’s Knife is a Versatile Kitchen Knife That Cuts Through Different Types of Food
What We Like
- Double bevel blade
- 16° sharpening angle
- Retains sharpness
- Retractable cover
- VG-MAX super steel
- Ceramic sharpener included
What We Don’t Like
- Expensive
- Not durable
Bottom Line
The Shun Premier 8-Inch Chef’s Knife review shows that it is elegant, versatile, and retains sharpness for long. The knife comes with a ceramic cover and retractable sharpening stone which you can use whenever you like.
While it is beautiful and has most of the qualities of a high-end knife, it is not as durable as advertised and may get chipped quickly if used for high volume cooking regularly. This makes the price tag unjustifiable.
A sturdy 8 inches long knife will always have a role to play in your kitchen no matter how you choose to use it.
Even those who don’t cook regularly can still put a kitchen knife to good use when they want to open a snack or chase a thief from their home in the middle of the night.
The point is that you will always find a knife useful. Keep in mind, however, that not all knives are created equal. The goal might be the same but some knives are more useful and durable than others.
The Shun Premier 8-Inch Chef’s Knife is one of those knives built to last for decades in your home or your home. It is lightweight, comfortable, and easy to use and beautiful like other high-end knives in the market.
Related article: Shun DM0718 Classic 7-Inch Knife
Features of the Shun Premier 8-Inch Chef’s Knife
Double Bevel Blade
Most traditional Japanese knives have single bevels but the Shun Premier 8-Inch Chef’s Knife comes with a double bevel blade. What exactly does this mean? The bevel of a knife refers to the part of the knife that is honed to make its edge.
It is the slight incline you see on the knife that runs from the top of both sides to the edge. For single bevel knives, the incline is only visible on one side. What are the benefits of using a double bevel knife?
For starters, double bevel knives like the Shun Premier 8-Inch Chef’s Knife are excellent for anyone who is looking for a multi-purpose knife. Also, you don’t need to have any special skills to use this knife.
It is convenient and easy to use but the drawback is that it lacks precision. Double bevel knives aren’t perfect when it comes to making accurate slices for special meals.
This drawback is negligible except you’re a professional chef who is only interested in 100% blade precision.
Ceramic Sharpener Included
The Shun Premier 8-Inch Chef’s Knife is no doubt razor sharp. However, every knife needs to be sharpened from time to time to maintain that razor-sharp edge.
To make things easy for you, the Shun Premier 8-Inch Chef’s Knife comes with a ceramic sharpener. This way, you don’t need to pay for professional knife sharpening or buy a whetstone separately just because you want to sharpen your knife.
If the price of the knife wasn’t above $200, we would have noted this as a cost-saving feature. It is still important to note that some knives that cost more than this don’t come with sharpening stones.
The stone is preset to 16°. So, all you have to do is put the knife in and sharpen it. There are three slots on the stone. The first slot is for rough sharpening, the second is for refining and the third is for polishing or finishing.
This isn’t something you need to do every day, but it will always make your knife as good as new. The knife also comes with a retractable cover.
We recommend that you use the cover whenever the knife is not in use or whenever you’re transporting it.
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VG-MAX Super Steel
The strength, durability, and even the beauty of a knife depend a lot on the type of steel that is used to mold the blade. The higher the quality of the steel, the higher the quality of the knife.
The Shun Premier 8-Inch Chef’s Knife is made with VG-MAX super steel. This is the latest steel in the VG steel series. It is in the super steel category because of its amazing ingredients.
The VG-MAX is an upgrade of VG-10. It is strong, reliable, and rich in carbon, vanadium, and chromium. The high chromium content makes the knife corrosion-resistant while the high carbon content makes it harder than many other forms of steel.
The combination of these and other elements makes it a pretty decent knife. Most stainless steel knives either have a high carbon content or high chromium content.
Only a few have both so you can understand why the price of this knife is on the high side.
Beautiful Dimples Engraved
The most attractive feature of the Shun Premier 8-Inch Chef’s Knife is its beautiful design. The blade is engraved with dimples similar to what you see on Damascus knives.
This feature isn’t easy to add as it requires hours of hard work. It makes the knife more useful for slicing and chopping compared to knives with smooth blades.
Dimpled knives are also easier to maintain than smooth knives because they are more resistant to stain. Just make sure that you keep your knife clean and dry after each use.
Related reading: Shun Classic 6-piece Slim Knife Block Set Review 2022
Final Thoughts
The Shun Premier 8-Inch Chef’s Knife is a luxurious knife that is valued by professional chefs and anyone else who likes high-end knives.
The ceramic sharpening stone and retractable cover are bonus accessories that make the knife even more attractive.
Irrespective of all these good features, the knife is not as durable as others in its high-end category. If you use it occasionally, it will last for a lifetime. However, if you use it every day for high volume cooking, the lifespan will reduce.
You’ll need around $200 to $250 to buy one. This is kind of high for a single piece of cutlery that may not last long.
