Reddit mentions of Shun Cutlery Premier 8” Chef’s Knife; Lightweight, Agile, Extremely Comfortable Grip, Perfect for Slicing, Dicing and Chopping a Full Range of Foods, Beautiful and Versatile, Handcrafted in Japan

Shun Premier Chef's Knife, 8-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003B66YKA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i1YKAbBGNT9GB

And it’s on sale

I just bought myself this knife and it literally makes me happy every time I use it. I'm no chef, and this is definitely overkill, but I treat it really nicely so I know it will last years.

1. You can get the knife for about $120. The picture is a bit hard to work with, but I think that the OP has the one I linked; the $400 one from Williams-Sonoma has that gold "button" on the handle.
   
2. You can use a Japanese knife for non-Japanese food. It's just a normal chef's knife with harder steel and a more acute edge. Apart from using it to hack away at bone (due to its brittleness), it's simply a very, very sharp everyday knife.
   
3. I use my chef's knife for just about every single dinner I cook. Ignoring other meals, that's easily upwards of 250 cooking sessions every year. It'll be good for a thousand meals, and probably many more. A very sharp, high-quality knife speeds up your preparation time, gives you better results, reduces your chance of injury, and makes cooking significantly more fun. $120 is an incredibly good investment for the backbone of your kitchen.

Honestly? I know you don't want it, but a knife. Sorry.

• Chef's knife 1 [2] (http://www.amazon.com/Henckels-International-Classic-8-Inch-Stainless-Steel/dp/B00004RFMT/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1335026275&sr=1-3) me gusta
  
• Paring knife (victorinox is good if you get a few. If you want just one, get something with solid construction. You can find them for pretty cheap)
  
• Cutting boards (ikea is a good place for these. 2/$1)
  
• French Press (Mmmm, coffee)
  
• Spices (oregano, basil, salt, pepper, yellow curry powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder)
  
• A few nice microwave safe bowls
  
• A mixing bowl
  
• 1 nice, heavy saute pan (8" coated works well for 1 person, though you may want to get something a bit bigger if you'll be cooking for 2. Also, use plastic a wood utensils. NEVER use a fork because it's easier. You will ruin your pan if you do not heed my warning.)
  
• 1 nice, heavy pot (1 or two quarts should do. Try Goodwill or somewhere similar for this)
  
• Spatulas, wood spoons, tongs, etc.
  
  A well fit kitchen is really important. I like to go with a minimalist style and just wash as I go. It keeps the clutter down and makes cooking pretty damn easy. Good luck!

Shun Premier Chef?

Core is VG-MAX which is basically VG-10 but a little more pricey and holds a better edge. The damascus laminate is stainless and very corrosion resistant. Full tang and forged, supposedly hand made but coming from Shun I have my doubts. Handles are real wood but the wood is impregnated with resin which makes it impossible to rot or absorb moisture.

More info from Shun's page

ok i will offer you two BIFL versions. the first one being BIFL on a budget and the second being a much higher dollar BIFL cost.

quality on a budget- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000CF8YO/ref=cm_ciu_pl_B0000CF8YO_mo1ZWCPZP5I7S3B

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Color-EC6D43-Enameled-6-Quart/dp/B000N501BK/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857337&sr=1-1&keywords=lodge+dutch+oven

http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-4-Inch-Fibrox-Straight-Paring/dp/B008M5U1UE/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857377&sr=1-1&keywords=victorinox+paring

http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Wooden-Spoon-3-Piece/dp/B008H2JLP8/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857407&sr=1-2&keywords=wooden+spoon

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L10SK3-12-Inch-Pre-Seasoned-Skillet/dp/B00006JSUB/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857459&sr=1-1&keywords=lodge+cast+iron

higher dollar items include-

http://www.amazon.com/Global-G-2-inch-Chefs-Knife/dp/B00005OL44/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857561&sr=1-1&keywords=global+knives

http://www.amazon.com/Shun-Premier-Chefs-Knife-8-Inch/dp/B003B66YKA/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857613&sr=1-2&keywords=shun+knives

http://www.amazon.com/Wusthof-Classic-2-Inch-Paring-Knife/dp/B00005MEGH/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857640&sr=1-3&keywords=paring+knife

http://www.amazon.com/Le-Creuset-Signature-Enameled-Cast-Iron/dp/B0076NOGPY/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857680&sr=1-2&keywords=le+creuset+dutch+oven

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L10SK3-12-Inch-Pre-Seasoned-Skillet/dp/B00006JSUB/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857717&sr=1-1&keywords=lodge+cast+iron


I own the cheaper BIFL items i listed and they have been AMAZING so far. you really cant beat the quality/ price ratio for the cheaper things i listed. if you want a better chef knife all the options i gave you would be excellent but just know that you could go crazy looking at all the different brands.

Turns out his is the paring version, I have the full size version. But mine is this knife.

Oh, hey, that looks spot on! ty =)

Is this the same knife?

I swear, this knife that my sous gave me is giving me carpal tunnel.

It's pretty, but so damn uncomfortable.

Hopefully you're enjoying yours.

Nice Kit. How do you like the G2 Chef's knife? I use a 8" Shun Premier.