The peak of perfection—this is the phrase that defines both the name and performance of a Shun knife. Shun, pronounced shoon (rhymes with moon), is the Japanese sensory concept of the precise season or moment when particular foods are at the peak of their taste. It's a tradition that Shun cutlery lives up to every day, with finely handcrafted kitchen knives that have attained a perennial peak of perfection.
The Shun knife brand is owned by the KAI Corporation, a third generation family-owned company based in Seki City, the knife capital of Japan. Since 1908, KAI's highly skilled artisans have carried on the ancient tradition of Seki's sword smiths, which dates back to the 13th and 14th centuries. Inspired by this legacy, KAI's handmade Shun knives are of an unparalleled quality, and require at least 100 handcrafted steps to complete.
The Shun Premier line of professional Japanese knives is a perfect example of how Shun combines this Asian tradition of blademaking excellence with the newest technologies and advanced materials. Their beauty and performance place them among the very best kitchen knives one can buy, whether for home cooking or to meet the stringent cutting needs of a professional chef.
The aesthetic of the Shun Premier knife series is stunning, but it also serves a purpose. Shun Premier knives feature a unique hammered finish known as tsuchime (pronounced tsoo-CHEE-may), which acts like a series of hollow-ground cavities, reducing drag and releasing food more quickly from the blade.
Every Shun Premier kitchen knife blade is made of VG10 stainless steel clad on each side with 16 layers of beautiful stainless Damascus steel. The wavy line where the two steels meets is called a hamon, and is similar to the line formed when samurai swords were tempered via the traditional clay-baking technique. These graceful and beautiful knives are beveled for lateral stability and incredible precision. They feature durable 16° angle convex ground extreme edges that help move food away from the blade, and ensure that delicate foods won't be bruised or torn—preserving their taste's “peak of perfection.”
The stunning handcrafted design of Shun Premier knife blades is complemented by contoured handles made from PakkaWood®. PakkaWood is made from walnut hardwood that has been impregnated with resin. This combination creates a knife handle that is waterproof, extremely durable, won't harbor bacteria, and fits comfortably into the hand.
Shun Premier is the only Shun cutlery series with a tsuchime finish and contoured handles.
CutleryGalore.com carries both Shun knife sets and individual Shun knives, including Shun chefs knives, Shun santoku knives, and Shun steak knives. Every Shun knife is backed by Shun with a lifetime warranty and complimentary lifetime sharpening service.
