This $136 Knife Is Worth More Than 'Thousands of Dollars' of Others, According to a Professional Chef

A chef is only as good as their best knife. For many professionals, that means investing top dollars in high-maintenance blades that are only fit for limited purposes. Nir Sarig, chef and owner of forthcoming New York restaurant Eti, has a simpler—and more affordable—solution.

"This knife is a crowd pleaser for a home cook or a professional cook," he says of the Shun Cutlery Classic 8-inch Western Cook's Knife. "It's the best value for money." Starting at $128, the knife clocks in considerably lower than most high-end cutware, but Sarig swears it puts up a fierce fight, without all of the fuss of a pricier option.

"A lot of professional cooks like carbon steel knives made in the traditional Japanese style, that's the trend," he says. "They maintain their edge much longer and remain much sharper, but the downside is they rust easily and require a lot of maintenance."

To buy: Shun Cutlery Classic 8-Inch Western Cook's Knife, $136 (originally $170) at amazon.com

The Shun, on the other hand, is made with stainless steel, which doesn't rust, is easier to sharpen, and is still strong enough to last a long time. Sarig says this particular blade, whose steel is heated and cooled to precise temperatures to achieve its optimized structure, is "just thin enough to do delicate things but also has enough strength for speed or for hard, dense ingredients." He also "really likes the shape" of the rounded, rather than flat, blade, adding that it's "fun to cut with."

Its pakkawood handle, which is highly durable and bacteria-resistant, also scores top marks for Sarig. "The handle edge is not straight, it's smooth. When a cook holds knives all day long, they get blisters because of the edges of the knife. This one is smooth, so it's more comfortable to hold."

Other professional chefs have taken to Amazon with matched enthusiasm about the Shun knife. "You will realize you have been using the wrong knives your whole life after using this bad boy," wrote one reviewer. "I have been a chef for over 20 years and this is one of the best all around knives I have ever used."

Even with pricier options readily available, Sarig finds himself gravitating towards the Shun above all the rest. "My whole knife set is thousands of dollars put together," he says. "But I always come back to this knife."

Shop the affordable, all-purpose chef's knife winning over actual chefs, on sale now for $136 on Amazon.

To buy: Shun Cutlery Classic Blonde 8-Inch Chef's Knife, $128 (originally $160) at amazon.com