Why is there so much neg about Shun Pro?

[Fred]

Misono is the only Japanese manufacturer I know of that balances the sujis properly. Most of them are blade heavy in the longer sizes. I have 2 UX-10 sujis for that reason. I don't want to overstate the importance of balance. For a home cook it is pretty meaningless. For a commercial cook, good balance can reduce fatigue. I like well balanced knives simply because I appreciate the effort put into it. They feel better to me. Not critical, just a matter of preference.

Incidentally, I sell Global knives to commercial chefs and cooks all the time. They are fairly popular with them. The instructor at the local culinary school who teaches knife skills won't use anything else. His comment is that they are properly balanced. The rest are not.

I can't tell you what motivates people to lambaste products other than the ones they would choose for themselves. I suppose it is an ego thing. If I dislike A and prefer B then I don't want anybody buying A and I certainly don't want them saying they like them. Just a guess. Mostly these kinds of product attacks make me chuckle. Preference is personal. Everybody has preferences. Perfectly human.

[bob13bob]

It's not ego. If you look at how much evidence is on each side of this argument, I think there is a clear winner.

[Fred]

What clear winner is that? The question isn't about a comparison between Shun and something else. It is a question of why people talk down perfectly competent products. We're not taking about a winner or loser. We're talking about an attitude.

[Seb]

There is plenty of testimonial evidence all over the Net from pro cooks that Globals suck (including a couple or more pro's on this very topic/thread who have, between them, hundreds of thousands of man-hours behind them in the kitchen). Other brand names like Masamoto and Masahiro, for example, do not receive a similar avalanche of unequivocally negative feedback.

I own two. I love that they look great sitting in a block but they are not a pleasure to use. This has been my experience since Day One.

Opinions on Globals were sought by another poster who craves validation for his choices, they were given by more than half-a-dozen other members - most of the feedback was distinctly unfavorable.

It's not just one person dumping on Globals - it's nearly everybody.

[Fred]

Then dump away. Whatever makes you happy.

[thombrogan]

There is plenty of testimonial evidence all over the Net from pro cooks that Globals suck (including a couple or more pro's on this very topic/thread who have, between them, hundreds of thousands of man-hours behind them in the kitchen).</snip>

It's not just one person dumping on Globals - it's nearly everybody.

I've never used Globals (only sharpened 'em years ago before the kitchen knife bug bit me), but I believe the anti-Global feeling isn't nigh-universal. Mostly, it's people who take the time to write about knives online dump on them. That's not everyone who has used them and probably not even a large fraction.

[doug8066]

No - sorry to negate this, but Global knives are extremely popular and very highly regarded by many ordinary citizens. The GS5 for example - check out the customer feedback on Amazon, is a lovely knife.
IMO all Japanese Kitchen knives are excellent. However, extreme personal preferences are very common.

This is a bit like watching a Hi Fi , or poetry critics column, sometimes - minute diffrences between different knives becomes a major point of heated argument. All a bit too precious ??