Shun Classic Knives
Posted: Wednesday, September 01, 2010
by Martin Percival
http://martinpercival.com
Kershaw Shun Classic knives are an amazing mix of technology and art. The craft of knife making has come a long way through the years and these kitchen knives are at the peak of blade development.
Many people talk of the Shun Classic possessing the look of Damascus steel, a technique of metal making which provided blades of fabled hardness and resilience in the days of the Crusades. This technique created swords from folded steel, in which the layering and beating of the metal made a structure not unlike that of puff pastry. A final etching technique then exposed more of the pattern to the eye and left a surface that revealed the classic wavy traces of this kind of blade.
Shun Classic Knife Technology
Shun knives take these ideas and then employ all that has been identified more recently in materials science to create a blade that is exceptional in appearance and usage. At the heart of every Shun Classic knife is a block of what is known as VG-10 "super-steel". This block of metal takes a standard carbon-steel and adds trace elements of Molybdenum, Chromium, Manganese, Cobalt, Silicon, and Vanadium into the blend to help to make this a steel the Crusaders would have dreamt of.
Wrapped about this core are 16 layers of folded and beaten stainless steel that gives the core a protecting covering that does not suffer from corrosion in the same way as the classic Damascus steel, allowing you to use these knives for everyday use without a constant need to hone or oil them.
What Benefits do Shun Classic Knives Gain from this Technology?
The single most significant advantage of all of this high-tech steel is its capacity to hold a much sharper edge. When compared to Western knives, the Shun Classic selection is thinner and has a very much more acute angle on the edge providing an incredible cutting action. What this means is that you always have more control in your food preparation; from carving large portions of meat through to extremely sophisticated presentation, a Shun Classic knife goes exactly where you want it to.
This experience of control is boosted even more by the way that the Shun Classic handle is formed. The use of a D-shaped handle gives you both comfort and control as you hold the knife and the use of veneered Pakka hard wood for the handle makes them dishwasher safe (although we would in no way recommend treating your Shun Classic in this manner!)
Combined with all this, the use of a heavier "bolster" in the handle help make it balance much more naturally in your hand. This makes it easier to use for a long time as you employ the classic knife rocking movement about the pivot point, as the balance of the Shun Classic will not make your hand slide in the direction of the blade as you work.
Last, but not least, there is an indefinable excellence to the Shun Classic range. Possessing these chef's knives is like being permitted to take a classic piece of art to work with you and then to make use of it everyday - the Damascus blades with their Shun custom logo and the contour and feel of the handle all add up to an incredible knife experience.
If you are looking to buy a new kitchen knife or to replace your existing knives, check out Shun Classic knives and knife sets.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)I have never had a good set of kitchen knives - it's definitely time to indulge myself!Hey Jennifer....it's a strange thing - they're a thing of beauty as well as making life soooo much easier!
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