We are very fortunate in that Ken Onion is with us quite a bit on our adventures and he usually has some new knife model that he has designed that we get to kick the tires on. This new mini chef knife had just entered production but had yet to be shipped to dealers from the factory so we were some of the very first to put it to the test.

To say that knife was amazing would be an understatement, we put this knife to the test for 5 days on everything from skinning bears to preparing pheasant for the grill and it always exceeded expectations from handling to maintaining its edge, the blade never even needed a touch up from a stone. Five days in a saltwater environment can and does keep you on your toes tending to metal surfaces, firearms, knives etc, the first day on the water has in past years shown rust forming on unprotected gear we have had on our annual bear hunt where we live on the boats for 5 straight days. The mini chef knife needed no special care whatsoever, after use we just washed it off and put it back in its scabbard until its next task was at hand.

At the end of the trip every member of our party (14 people) had to have one of these knives to include in their hunting gear as it withstood everything we could throw its way. The Shun mini chef's knife size, materials and fit make it a perfect knife for your hunting pack. Although this knife was not necessarily designed with the hunter in mind, my feeling is food prep is food prep and it all begins with the taking of the animal. I for one will be keeping this masterpiece of cutlery with me from now on on every new adventure.

Since our field test almost a year ago this knife has been traditionally back order as stores literally can't keep them on the shelves but I am sure with a scouring of the internet or a stop in to your local Williams-Sonoma store you can either come across one by chance or at least place an order to hopefully have one with their next shipment from Kai Corp (Kershaw).

Although I would love to see this knife with a grippy G-10 handle I am not holding my breath, this knife does not fit in your usual hunting knife price point as unfortunately most hunters ( I used to be one of these) do not view their knives as they would their rifle or scope and tend to buy the inexpensive, hard to sharpen, frequently dull knives they find in the big box stores. Come join the dark side, take some time and really look at what you are buying because the reality is that especially in Alaska a knife much like your firearm could potentially be a lifesaver.

Doug Warren--November 2007

Founder Alaska's Great Outdoors