Features

Hand-sharpened 16° double-bevel blade (32° comprehensive)
Steel: Proprietary VG-MAX cutting core, 324 layers of Damascus Steel
Handle: D-shaped ebony PakkaWood®
Handcrafted in Japan
Lifetime manufacturer warranty
90 day no-hassle returns
Optional: pay in 4 interest-free fortnightly instalments with AfterPay

THE RIGHT TOOL FOR PROCESSING MEAT

The Shun Classic Meat Cleaver features a big, thick blade suitable for processing larger cuts of bone-in meat or breaking down whole poultry.

Use it to separate spare ribs or cut a chicken down to size. Chopping beef for stew is another great use for a cleaver. The back of the blade can be used to tenderize meat as well.

A cleaver comes in especially handy for chopping up meat and bones for stock, and works its magic on whole lobster as well.

As you might expect, a blade that gets this kind of use must be tougher and thicker, rather than razor thin. The Shun Classic Meat Cleaver is made of AUS8A, a high-carbon stainless steel that offers strength, hardness, wear resistance, and can be easily re-sharpened as needed.

Shun Classic Knives

The Shun Classic line features beautiful Damascus-clad blades and D-shaped ebony PakkaWood® handles. Yet behind these handcrafted knives' beauty is function: razor-sharp blades offering top performance.

Shun's proprietary high-performance VG-MAX steel, which provides incredible edge retention, is clad with Damascus stainless steel, then ground and bead-blasted, revealing the flowing pattern of the layered steel. The result is a line of knives that are sharp, durable, and corrosion resistant, as well as beautiful to behold.

The Shun Classic line also offers you the widest assortment of both traditional culinary blade shapes and cutting-edge designs, so you can always find the right knife for the task.

Caroline, Perth Western Australia

"From the first day I received my classic kitchen knife, it was an utter joy to work with. I had used chef quality knives before, in kitchens, but never at home.

So for an extravagant birthday present I got my family to buy me this, and I have never been happier. That knife became my all time favourite kitchen tool. I would find excuses to use it.

Within a week I discovered all I had to do was rest it on a tomato and it would glide through itself. After watching the videos by Chef Alton Brown I felt I was much better equipped to use and care for my incredible knife.

I eventually bought a honing steel too, after a friend was a little too rough with it. I no longer have my knife, it was collateral to a break up and I miss it every single meal. Love your knives people! Take care of them and you will have a lifetime of service and joy from them!"

Why Shun?

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.

ADVANCED, HIGH-PERFORMANCE STEELS

Shun uses advanced, high-performance steel for our blades
Shun steel is hard so blades an be made thinner, lighter, and sharper
Advanced steel combines with a tradition of excellence to make knives "at the peak of perfection"

TRADITIONAL KNIFEMAKING STYLES

KASUMI

A hard steel core is clad with a "softer" steel or steels to support it
Kasumi combines two or more types of steel to take advantage of the key characteristics of each of them
This method is similar to how samurai swords are traditionally made

SAN MAI

A hard steel core is sandwiched between layers of "softer" steel to support
The exterior steel is often stainless steel and provides stain resistance
San mai is one of the traditional samurai swordmaking techniques

COMPOSITE BLADE TECHNOLOGY

Combines the best characteristics of two steels in one blade
Steels are permanently joined
Patented, proprietary technology

SHUN HANDLE MATERIALS

Genuine hardwood
Resin makes it moisture resistant
Harder and more durable than untreated hardwood

LAYERED DAMASCUS

Shun layered Damascus is formed by layering different types of metal alloys together
The layers are forged into a single piece
The patterns are revealed by grinding then bead-blasting or acid etching the blades

TSUCHIME FINISH

Tsuchime simply means "hammered"
Hammering creates air pockets that help food release from the blade
Shun knives with this finish are hand hammered, in the tradition of ancient Japan

16° ANGLE CUTTING EDGE

Shun blades are thinner, lighter, sharper
Thinner edges cut more efficiently
Our 16° cutting angle is extremely sharp, yet lasts a long time

Cleaning and Storage

Shun recommends that you protect your investment by handwashing your blades with gentle dish soap.

Don’t use soaps with citrus extracts or bleach; they can promote corrosion. Do not use scouring pads, steel, or gritty cleanser when cleaning the blades. 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. It does metals no good to be submerged in water for prolonged periods of time, and it’s a danger to you when you reach in.

After you have washed and dried your knives, store them in a block, knife case, in-drawer tray, or sheath. 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.

Note

Handwashing is also the best way to care for the wood handles of your Shun knives.

The handle color may change slightly over time due to oils in the hand as well as the natural color change of wood from oxidation and/or exposure to light. This is not a defect, but a natural part of the process.

Honing and Sharpening

In order to maximize the life of the blade, regular honing with a Shun 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 whetstone, the Kai electric sharpener (specifically designed to sharpen Shun’s 16° blade angle), or sending the knives to a professional sharpener.