Shun Premier 8″ Chef’s Knife

The Shun Premier 8-inch Chef’s Knife is essentially a hand-held food processor. The most versatile knife in any block, the 8-inch Chef’s is an all-purpose blade that’s the perfect length for slicing, dicing, chopping and mincing almost any food – from fruits and vegetables to meats and cheeses. The rounded belly of this knife can be gently rocked through garlic and fresh herbs to produce a very fine mince. The wide blade keeps knuckles off the cutting board, and makes it easy to transfer ingredients from the board to the cooking pan.

The Shun Premier Chef’s Knife boasts a thinner blade, which makes this knife lighter and less tiring than its European-style Chef’s knife counterparts.

In the tradition of Japan’s ancient sword smiths, each elegant Damascus-clad Shun Premier knife is handcrafted in Seki City, Japan with a 100-step process. The blade is forged with 34 micro-layers metal on each side of a VG-MAX* cutting core. There are alternating layers of 431 and 410 stainless steel, plus one additional layer of nickel on each side of the cutting core. Forged into one single, strong piece of metal, these layers support the core, add stain and corrosion resistance, and help the food slide from the blade.

The blade of each Shun Premier knife has a hand-hammered tsuchimi finish, which adds beauty to the blade and also acts as a series of hollow-ground cavities that make the blade glide through food and help the cut food release from the blade.

The durable, edge-retaining, easy to sharpen core of VG-MAX stainless steel is exposed at the critical point – the blade’s cutting edge. The blade of each Shun Premier knife is sharpened to a cutting angle of 16-degrees on each side.

Each beautiful Shun Premier handle is made of walnut PakkaWood, a resin-impregnated natural hardwood that is durable and moisture resistant and does not harbor bacteria. An embossed end cap adds balance and beauty to the knife.

Features of the Shun Premier 8″ Chef’s Knife:

• VG-MAX stainless steel cutting core
• 33 micro-layers of SUS410/SUS430 stainless steel on each side of the cutting core
• 1 layer of nickel on each side of the cutting core
• 16-degree cutting angle on each side, flat ground
• Bead blasted and acid etched to provide texture, reduce drag and enhance beauty
• D-shaped ebony PakkaWood handle
• Full composite tang

Blade Length: 8 inches

*What Is VG-MAX Steel?
VG-MAX is the newest in the line of VG super steels, building on the highly successful VG10 formula. VG-MAX contains more carbon, which provides strength and durability to a knife blade. Added chromium provides wear and corrosion resistance. Higher cobalt content enhances the strength of the blade, and increased tungsten allows the steel to be very fine-grained so the edge can be extremely fine and sharp. Molybdenum contributes to corrosion resistance and strength, while vanadium improves impact resistance and allows the steel to form vanadium carbides, which enhance cutting performance. Shun sharpens VG-MAX in its knife blades to 60-61 on the Rockwell Hardness Scale.

A Bit About Shun
Shun kitchen knives are made by KAI Corporation, which has been handcrafting blades in the spirit of the legendary sword smiths of Seki City, Japan for over 100 years. Every Shun knife is handmade by a team of highly skilled specialists and requires at least 100 handcrafted steps. This tradition of Japanese sword-making excellence in Seki City is combined with technology and advanced materials in each Shun knife.

 Slice, dice and mince in Japanese style – shop Japanese Steel Chef Knives.

Handcrafted in Seki City, Japan • Limited Lifetime Warranty