ShunClassic Blonde 5.5" Santoku Knife, Handcrafted Japanese All Purpose Knife, VG-MAX Core with Damascus Stainless Steel Cladding, Pakkawood Handle, Versatile Japanese Cutting Tool

Love this knife. My daily go to for veggie prep. Exactly what I have always wanted

My reviews of Shun knives are getting boring. Doing a lot of vegetable cutting this year, I needed something smaller than my large santoku. Thiss 5 1/2 inch version is perfect. No it is not designed to cut a cabbage in half, but it handles perfectly for small to medium onions, tomatoes, and other moderate vegetables. It’s all about the way the Smythe handles. And of course, like any other Shin, it is very very sharp. it makes a great addition to my small, paring knife and my large santoku.

A beautiful, razor sharp, well-built knife. Excellent steel and excellent edge retention.The only problem is the size. I think it's far too small to use as a chef knife. If you use the pinch-grip, there isn't a lot of blade length to do very much.It is assumed that anyone with small hands can function better with a smaller knife which they think is easier to control. This assumption is incorrect. The knife size has to do with the job you're going to do with it and NOT the size of the person doing the cutting. Does this make any sense?If you are going to buy this knife, opt for the larger size ( 7 inches, I think) .The Shun Classic Blond 7 inch Santoku is my favorite knife of all time.Don't be scared of the larger knife. Go slow and easy and enjoy one of the best chopping/slicing knives ever.

This is typical Shun excellence but even better looking than most Shun knives - did not disappoint as a go to knife