Shun - 8" Premier Chef's Knife

The first things that catches they eye about the beautiful Shun Premier series is its magnificent tsuchime finish. This hammered finish, combined with Premier's mirror blade polish and intricately layered Damascus, gives Shun Premier a look that is at once rustic and sophisticated. But the real beauty of the Premier is how it preforms. Premier is deisgned to provide expcetionally agile handling. The lightweight, razor-sharp blades are quick and precise. The palm swell on the handle nestles into the hand to provde confident control - for both smaller and larger hands. The embossed endcap and brass ring provide both balance and beauty. 

The measure of a cutlery company is largely in their ability to create a quality chef’s knife, and Shun has done just that with this Premier model. This 8’’ chef’s knife has been formed with layered Damascus steel, and it has a hammered finish to give it both improved looks and improved functionality. The hammered texture to the blade will prevent food from sticking as tightly as it would to a flat blade, and it also helps the blade move through food more easily. Along with that stunning blade is a beautiful pakkawood handle that will feel comfortable in your hand as you work.

If there is one knife that no cook can be without, it's a chef's knife. This all-purpose blade is ideal for a wide variety of cutting tasks. It's perfect for slicing and dicing small to medium-sized fruits, vegetables and other foods. With its curved belly, the chef's knife can be gently rocked through fresh herbrs or spices to produce a very fine mince. 

For convenience, this knife is dishwasher safe, although a quick wipe down with adamp towel is usually all you will need. There is a limited lifetime warranty offered with this knife, which is great for all around service in the kitchen. Order yours today!

Blade Features: 

Propriertary VG-MAX cutting core. This high-end stainless steel forms the core of the entire blade, all the way to the cutting edge. VG-Max is extremely hard, which means Shun Classics can take an incredible edge and hold it longer. 

VG-MAX—is the latest in the VG line of "super steels," steels that have gained recognition throughout the kitchen knife industry as some of the finest cutlery steels available. It builds on the highly successful VG10 and is proprietary to Shun. VG-MAX includes additional carbon to improve strength and durability. It has more chromium for wear and corrosion resistance. More cobalt enhances strength. Increased tungsten enables the steel to be very fine-grained—so the edge can be extremely fine and sharp. Molybdenum improves corrosion resistance and strength. Vanadium improves impact resistance and enables the steel to form vanadium carbides, which enhance cutting performance. Shun hardens the VG-MAX in its knives to 60-61 on the Rockwell Hardness Scale, a standard measure of material hardness.

Hammered tsuchime finish helps release food eaily when cutting. Stainless Damascus Cladding - 34 micro-layers of steel on each side support the core, add stain / corrosion resistance and help food release from the blade. 

 In Japanese, tsuchime (Tsoo-CHEE-may) simply means “hammered” and you will see actual hammer marks on a tsuchime-finished blade. This finish does two things: gives the knife a look that is reminiscent of the handcrafting techniques of ancient Japan; and it creates tiny pockets of air that act as hollow-ground cavities to reduce drag and quickly release food from the blade. Shun’s gorgeous Premier line features a hand-hammered tsuchime blade finish as do some of our exclusive lines. In the tradition of ancient Japanese knife and swordmaking, Shun's tsuchime finish is created by hand hammering each blade.

Razor-sharp hand sharpened 16° angle cutting edge on each side for top performance; blade is double-bevel, flat ground for easy cutting and food release. 

Because of the hard, premium steel from which Shun cutlery is made, the blades can be thinner, lighter, and sharper. A thinner edge cuts more easily by putting less stress on the edge—so fewer strokes do the job. Thinner edges are easier to control as well, making cutting smoother and, once again, relieving stress on the edge. Shun’s handcrafted Japanese knives are sharpened to a precise 16° angle on each side of the blade (for double-beveled blades, this means a comprehensive angle of 32°). For comparison’s sake, European-style blades are generally sharpened to 20-22° each side for a comprehensive cutting angle of 40-44°. Due to the premium-quality steel we use for the cutting core of our blades, Shun’s incredibly sharp edge will nevertheless last an incredibly long time before resharpening is needed. Experience  shows that with Shun you get extremely sharp edges that last an extremely long time.

Handle Featues: 

Pakkawood - Premium, resin-impregnated hardwood resists moisture and is strong and durable. 

PakkaWood is a premium handle material made of genuine hardwood impregnated with resin. The resin makes it moisture resistant, strong, and durable. PakkaWood is intended for use in high-end products that see constant and hard use, especially  those used in wet environments. This, of course, makes it ideal for kitchen cutlery handles. Sanding and buffing brings PakkaWood to a beautiful gloss finish. As with natural wood, no two pieces of PakkaWood® are exactly alike. Many Shun handles are made of PakkaWood. It offers our customers all the advantages of wood, including a beautiful look and feel, but since it's easy care and highly water resistant, virtually none of the disadvantages of untreated wood.

Symmetrical (ambidextrous) Handle is shaped the same on both side enabling left or right handed use. 

 Incredibly sharp edges and unmatched aesthetics set Shun knives apart from every other kitchen knife on the market today. In the great tradition of Seki City, Japan's sword and knifemaking center, every knife is handmade by highly skilled specialists and requires at least 100 handcrafted steps to complete. Every day, the legacy of ancient sword smiths serves as inspiration to the artisans in the Kai factories. Kai’s 100-year-old tradition of blade-making excellence, combined with the newest technology and the most advanced materials, makes every Shun knife a functional work of art.