by Shun
(5)Buy new:
3 used & new from $249.99
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A member of the fabulous Shun Elite collection, this eight-inch chef's knife features a lusciously curved black handle by award-winning custom knife designer Ken Onion. Made of a hardwood-resin fusion known as PakkaWood, and showcasing an inlaid traditional Japanese emblem and fine rings of copper and brass near the bolster, the handle is designed to be truly ergonomic in order to increase control and reduce fatigue during long stretches of chopping, mincing, and slicing. A distinctive flourish, called a "hamon," along the edge of the blade recalls the samurai swords once made in Seki City, Japan, where Shun Elites are handcrafted. A bit daunting at first use, the large chef's knife soon feels indispensable. Any chef would be honored to receive this superb, gift-boxed beauty.
Shun Elite knives stand out for their incredible sharpness, sharper even than Shun Classics, thanks to the newest powdered steel alloy known as SG-2. The process used to make SG-2 results in a fine-grained, very dense blend of ingredients that creates a smooth-as-silk knife edge. Shun edges are formed to an unusually keen 16 degree angle, which is one reason they're so prized among chefs who value uniformly thin slices, a necessity in Japanese cuisine. Covered by a lifetime warranty, Shun Elite knives should be washed and dried--carefully--by hand, and stored when possible in a wooden block to protect the blade. --Ann Bieri
Shun Elite 8-inch Chefs Knife by Ken Onion