Shun Premier Chefs Knife 20cm

The Shun Premier Chefs Knife is shaped in the traditional European style and is an all purpose knife suitable for shredding, cutting, slicing and cubing all meat, fish and vegetables.

Your chefs knife will probably be the most used knife in your kitchen. If you’re like most cooks, you’ll want to find the one that feels like an extension of your arm. The beautiful Shun Premier 20cm Chefs Knife could be the one for you. This breath-taking knife is lightweight, agile, and offers an extremely comfortable grip. In fact, Shun Premier's thinner blades makes this chefs knife lighter and less tiring to use than comparable European-style chefs knives. The20cm length and razor-sharp edge are perfect for slicing and dicing a full range of fruits, vegetables, and other foods. The wide blade keeps knuckles off the cutting board and comes in extra handy when transferring cut food from board to pan. With its curved belly, the Chefs knife can be gently rocked through fresh herbs or spices to produce a very fine mince.

All Shun Premier knife purchases come in a beautifully presented gift box.

• Cutting Edge: Hand-sharpened 16° double-bevel blade
• Steel: Proprietary VG-MAX cutting core, 34 layers (69 total including core) stainless steel Damascus cladding
• Hardness: 60 HRC
• Blade Length: 20cm
• Handle: Contoured, ambidextrous walnut coloured PakkaWood®
• Origin: Handcrafted in Japan

One aspect of caring for your knives is maintaining the edge and, when needed, sharpening the blade. However, it is also important to be aware of how you are using your knives on a daily basis.

Cutting Technique
Shun knives are designed to be used in a smooth, slicing motion - never in an up and down “chopping”, piercing or stabbing motion (unless you are using a Kai knife specifically designed for this action e.g. Seki Magoroku Shoso Deba, heel only).

Imagine cutting wood with a handsaw, then slice through your food with a similar motion, intentionally pushing the knife forward and down as you slice, then pulling it back toward your body.

Please do not use Shun knives on hard materials such as bones, joints, frozen foods or very hard vegetables like pumpkin. Use on these or similar items can damage the cutting edge or cause the blade to fracture and break.

Care must be taken, as with all knives, not to subject the blade edge to sideways forces or twisting as this can result in chipping or cracking.

Cutting Surface.
The cutting surface you are using will directly affect the blades edge. A good cutting board will help retain a sharp edge for substantially longer. Wood, wood composite and polyethylene boards are all excellent choices. Tile, ceramic, marble, granite, or any kind of glass cutting boards are poor choices and are very hard on your knives.

Cleaning.
As with any lifetime investment, it is important to take the best care possible in order to prolong the life of your knife. Kai recommends that you protect your investment by hand-washing your blades with gentle dish soap. Do not use soaps with citrus extracts; they can promote rust. Rinse and towel dry immediately. Let the knives air dry for a few minutes before returning them to storage.

Never leave your knife sitting in a sink full of soapy water, metal does not respond well to being submerged in water for prolonged periods of time.

Storage.
After you have washed and dried your knives, store them in a block, knife case, in-drawer tray, sheath, magnetic knife holder mounted on a wall, or in the original box. We do not recommend storing the knives unsheathed in a drawer, as this can be a potential hazard to the blades as well as your fingers.

Sharpening.
In order to maximise the life of the blade, regular honing with a Shun Honing Steel will be necessary. Weekly honing will extend the time between sharpening significantly. When the time comes to sharpen these premium blades, we recommend using a Shun or Seki Magoroku Whetstone, or sending your knives to a professional sharpener.

A Kai Shun retailer can recommend a professional sharpener or may be able to offer a sharpening service directly to you.

Following these simple tips will ensure your Kai knives are always ready to use and will continue to be enjoyed for many years to come. For more detailed information on care for your knife, please head to the "Use & Care".