The Shun Classic 18cm Santoku is a beautiful, Asian-inspired chef's knife. "Santoku" means "three virtues." Depending on who you ask, this relates either to the three types of food with which it works exceptionally well—vegetables, proteins, and fruit—or to the three types of cuts at which it excels: slicing, dicing and chopping. In truth, a santoku is a knife of many talents. Some cooks prefer a santoku to a chef's knife. Your choice depends on how the knife feels in your hand and how it works for you. The slight belly curve enables the cook to rock the blade slightly and makes this santoku as easy to use as a chef's knife. It is especially well suited to a down-and-forward cutting motion (push cut) and many cooks swear by their santoku for top performance.

The Shun Cutlery Classic knife features a VG-Max "super" steel blade core clad with 34 folded layers per side of stainless Damascus steel. The blade is ground and bead blasted to reveal the beautiful flowing pattern of the Damascus. Each side is sharpened to a 16 degree angle. It features a D-shaped Ebony PakkaWood handle, which is resin-impregnated natural hardwood designed for moisture resistance and longevity.