Wusthof Ikon vs.. Shun Premier — Chef's Knife.

The Wusthof Ikon is Wusthof's flagship, top-tier line. It uses their proprietary 58 hardness steel and is ground to an insanely sharp 14 degree angle. A full tang and extremely ergonomic handle finishes the knife off and makes it a pleasure to use.

The Shun Premier is an extremely high-end line-- it uses hard steel, it is clad in 34 layers of stainless steel, it has a hammered finish, it has a full tang passing through a brown pakkawood handle, and it comes with lifetime sharpening.

In this video, I compare the Wusthof Ikon Chef's Knife to the Shun Premier Chef's Knife and give my opinions.

[traceyfonda]

Can you tell me if the Shun knife will cut through pumpkin please…

[gickojerke]

Ypu can get the icon with wooden handles, I've got both versions and they both are great but I like the feeling of wood just a bit more

[MasterofPlay]

i thought you are gonna clash the two knives together and see which one would survive lol

[kenslaughter]

Pakkawood is an engineered wood/plastic composite material made by impregnating layers of plywood with phenolic thermoset plastic resin and then pressing them together. Wusthof handles are made of thermoplastic polyoxymethlene resin. Both types of plastic are extremely durable. Pakkawood plastics are a little more heat resistant than thepolyoxymethlene plastic of Wusthof handles (about 110° C versus 90° C). Wusthof handles have a little more bending flexibility before they snap than do Pakkawood handles, but that's really not an issue with knife handles at all.

[Tattagreis]

the description of the stats and the shape was good but the conclusions are questionable and lack important context imo

[mkelebay]

You didn't mention at all of how the shun premier cannot be used for cutting thick skinned veg or bones, while you could use the ikon for it without ruining the knife. You talk of a lower hardness as though it's a bad thing, a more malleable steel means inside of chipping, and requiring resharpening, the edge bends slightly, and a simple 10 second honing will put it right back into place.

[mhkpilot]

I don't get it: I just viewed your Shun Premier vs. Miyabi Beechwood video where you pretty much trashed the Sun Premier, but in this video you don’t mention any of the negatives from that video. Here you say it's “handmade, ” in the other one you say it's “automated handmade.” You say that the Wusthof has a thinner cutting edge but softer metal and describe that as a bad thing because it will dull faster and you'll need to maintain it more. I can't speak for everyone else but I'd rather hone the knife more due to it being slightly bent vs. damaging it by chipping which the harder shun would be more prone to do. You also say that Shun pays for free sharpening for life but leave out the fact that you pay for shipping both ways, not to mention you're out a knife for the duration...AND it's easier to sharpen the softer Wusthof than the harder Shun. Lastly you say in the beginning that “Off the bat I definitely think that the Premier is probably (definitely probably?) the better choice from a cost to value standpoint...” then go on to say that the Wusthof has a more comfortable handle, is sharper (“insanely sharp”) due to it's smaller cutting angle, and base you decision on weight, and looks, more or less, since they’re both stainless steel (you only need the top layer to rust, discolor or pit, the 31 layers below are irrelevant. More layers of stainless steel won't help the top or exposed layers from rusting) even though the Wusthof is less money. Shun: looks cooler. Lighter. Less maintenance. Wusthof: Sharper. Heavier. More maintenance. More comfortable grip. Less expensive. To me, the winner is Wusthof.

[jensschettler]

so many wrong facts here... the knife is not called wuschthoff. It is called Wüsthof. The blade is not thinner. The geometry is just different. The 58rockwell is not bad cause you can hone it für 2 years before needs to resharpen. The shun is harder so it is harder to hone and needs a proper stone. So in real kitchen life the ikon is the much faster knife.

[AdoreInVegas]

Thank you for this review! I'm stuck, though. I love the heaviness of the Wusthof Ikon knives, but I love the feel and precision of the Shun Premier. Both look beautiful. I also find the Wusthof needs more frequent sharpening.

[bobsmith]

Increasing the hardness of steel doesn't make it more resistant to bending. It does, however, allow it to bend further before taking a permanent set.

[mikew]

Your videos are good but the video is dark and the audio is mono and sucks. A modern decent smartphone would do better.

[hotmanmax]

Really really annoying that sound is only in the left side - nothing in the right side.

[trappenweisseguy]

So....VG10 is “the gold standard” for knives 😂🤣🙄. Try some non stainless knives some time.

[Tubes]

Not sure this guy knows what deal BREAKER means. Deal... Maker.. Perhaps....
He said that in the last two vids i watched.

[azyrewrath]

I need to see the face of someone who is trying to sell me something.

[JLawL]

Wusthof Ikon series is not much more money, and a whole different level of quality. Ironwood handles, polished to perfection, make Shun's pakkawood (plastic!) look silly. Shun's steel is also far more prone to chipping because of it's extreme hardness, which is exactly why Wusthof smartly uses a softer steel. As far as how often you have to sharpen? About 5% more often, as the steel is only about 5% softer. Shun's "free" sharpening is only free if you take it to Oklahoma or Oregon yourself. Otherwise, you're paying a $15 processing fee per knife. Wusthof charges only $4.25 per knife. So again, your review seems incredibly biased with only partial information.

[sphinxsway]

Could you stop talking directly into my left ear sir ?