There comes a time in one’s culinary growth when normal cooking tools just don’t cut it - when one has become so proficient at slicing, chopping and filleting that one needs something beyond regular stainless steel, Bed, Bath and Beyond or Walmart quality knives.

Although I definitely do not fit the above description at this point, Morgan might - and with our newfound lack of culinary instruments this year, I’ve purchased over the last couple months two amazing knives that have made cooking fun even for an ingredient-illiterate, wannabe chef like myself.

Shun knives

The knives are made by Shun Cutlery, a division of KAI Group, the same Japanese company that owns Kershaw Knives, Inc., who makes the majority of knives used by the US Military. The Japanese are known for the delicate slicing required for making such detail-heavy foods like sushi, and it is to no surprise then that they would create cutting instruments able to perform that task. Each Shun blade is forged in Seki City, Japan (a region once renowned for its samurai swords) from high carbon VG-10 Japanese steel, which can be polished to a razor sharp edge while being hard enough to keep the edge for a long time. Each side of the blade is then coated with 16 additional layers of VG-10, giving it a beautiful Damascus look and making it impervious to rust and the environment.

The arguably most important knife in any collection is the unspecialized blade used for general slicing, dicing and chopping - the chef’s knife. Featuring a long blade with a curved cutting edge, it can slice in a smooth pulling motion and chop by rocking back and forth on the cutting board. This was our only Shun knife for a period of about five months, and it has definitely served its purpose fantastically. Out of the box, the factory edge was razor sharp - I remember accidentally slicing off a fingernail while trying to use it the first time, feeling no resistance whatsoever and only realizing the fact when I began bleeding all over the cutting board. We have used the knife to cut both meat and vegetables, and it has exceeded our expectations in both.

However, one area in which the chef’s knife fell short was its smaller blade area - oftentimes while cooking, especially in Chinese cooking, it is useful to be able to chop or slice up some ingredient, and then carry it on top of the knife blade to the pan or wok. The Chinese cleaver, similar in look but having more functionality than the standard butcher’s cleaver, is especially suited for that purpose, and as a result has become as much a staple in Chinese cooking as rice. It is not uncommon to see Chinese families owning more than one of them, segregating them into the tasks of cutting raw meat or cutting vegetables. I purchased the 7 3/4″ Chinese cleaver from Shun in late August of this year, and thus far I have been amazed at how well it was constructed and how well it has performed. It is significantly heavier than the Shun chef’s knife, but maneuvering it in the air is almost effortless due to its perfect balance. Furthermore, its weight allows it to naturally slice straight through even the smallest foods, creating near-perfect cuts that would be hard to achieve even with the chef’s knife.

Shun knives

It is absolutely true that all knives are not created equal, and Shun has thus far proven its reputation as the best of the best. From their painstaking construction to their beautiful presentation, these knives are a tremendous addition to any chef’s arsenal, and it is my distinct pleasure that I have two of my own.