There is a French proverb that “Beauty lies in simplicity”. The simplicity and beauty of Shun kanso is an actual representation of this proverb. Kanso knives are designed based on Zen philosophy which means simplicity. And this simplicity is achieved by focusing only on the most important part of the knife. When it comes to shun, these important parts are razor-sharp edge, precision cutting, perfect balance, high performing steel, comfortable handle. And all these qualities are strictly ensured in every piece of the knife.
If you want to know more about every feature of this beautiful knife, let’s dive deep into this shun kanso review. Here I have also added users’ thoughts and experiences along with their questions about this knife.
Quick Overview
If you are in hurry then before going through this whole shun kanso 8 chef knife review you can go through this quick overview.
- The blade is made of Japanese high carbon AUS10A stainless steel.
- The whole blade has a rustic and traditional look with a heritage finish that hides scratches.
- Full tang ensures perfect balance along with precise control.
- Blade length is 8 inches with a 5.5-inch handle.
- Around 60 Rockwell hardness ensures longer edge retention.
- The cutting edge is grounded to an ultra-sharp 16-degree angle at both sides.
- The handle is made with tagayasan wood which is known as “iron wood”.
- The wooden handle is slightly contoured shaped.
- Comes with a limited lifetime warranty.
- Shun provides free sharpening.
Shun Kanso chef’s knife 8-inch review
Where it’s made
Shun cutlery is well known for its exquisite unique beauty and ultra-premium performance. They maintain this quality by handcrafting every piece of the knife by expert craftsmen in Japan. Every piece of shun knife is crafted in Seki, Japan which is known as the knife and sword-making capital of japan.
Shun is dedicated to maintaining the ancient tradition by handcrafting every piece of shun knife using traditional Japanese knifemaking technique. That’s why every shuns knife takes at least 100 individual steps to come to its final look. Shun also ensures modern technologies and premium materials for their knife.
If you want to know about santoku knife of shun kanso line. Here is the full Shun Kanso Santoku Review .
Blade Material
As the ultimate quality of a knife depends on the blade material or steel of the knife, that’s why shun are careful about this a lot. They use high carbon Japanese AUS10A vanadium stainless steel. This is a highly refined steel that is very well known for being used in high-end knives.
The high amount of carbon component increases the hardness of the blade of shun kanso knives. This steel also contains chromium, cobalt, vanadium, and other material necessary for a durable blade. Chromium makes the knife corrosion resistant. Vanadium, cobalt, and other components make the knife more strong, durable, and rust-resistant.
Blade Design
When it comes to blade design, shun kanso chef’s knife features a very thin Japanese profile. Its design is also modeled after the traditional Japanese gyuto knife which makes it an all-purpose knife.
And the blade has a heritage finish that gives it a rustic and traditional look. This heritage finish hides any kind of scratches on the knife and the rustic look increases day by day. Moreover, there is a beautiful shun logo on one side of the blade.
Its blade design is perfect for slicing, dicing, and chopping almost any ingredient. It features a wide heel that is perfect for push cuts. Plus, the western-style curved belly can be rocked through species and fresh herbs to produce a very nice mince.
Sharpness and Edge
From the beginning of this shun kanso knife review, it must be clear to you that shun features a very sharp edge for their every piece of the knife. Similarly, shun kanso chef knife is hand sharpened to an extremely sharp 16-degree cutting angle at both sides. This is almost twice sharper than any western chef knife. With this angle, this knife can cut through anything like butter and ensure a precise and comfortable cutting for you.
Moreover, shun swt0706 kanso knife is a double bevel knife that means it has the same cutting angle at both sides. So, this knife is equally comfortable for both left and right-hand users.
Tang
Tang is the part of the blade that goes through the handle and if the tang goes all the way through the handle then it is called the full tang. shun kanso gyuto knife is a full tang knife. A full tang knife is always more preferred than a half tang knife or knife with no tang.
In this knife, its tang is visible from both the bottom and top part of the handle. Moreover, the tang has an extended portion at the end of the handle that prevents slipping of the hand while using this knife. Moreover, tang contributed to the proper balancing of the knife along with adding beauty.
Hardness
The edge retention, longevity, and durability of a knife depend on its blade hardness. And the hardness of the blade depends on the component of the steel and the making process of the whole knife. As previously mentioned in this shun kanso gyuto review shun uses all quality material for their knife and the high carbon stainless steel used in this knife has a very tough hardness. Moreover, the 100 steps through which shun kanso chef’s knife 8” goes through make this knife extra durable, hard, and ensures long edge retention.
Handle material
Shun kanso 8 inch chef knife handle is made from tagayasan wood which is also known as the wenge wood. It is also called iron sword wood because of its durability. This wood is used in Japan for making samurai swords. Actually, this is very dense wood to which adds more durability and longevity to the knife. Moreover, this makes the handle water-resistant.
Handle Design
Shun kanso 8 inch chef’s knife features a beautifully contoured handle. This handle enables a chef’s grip that is comfortable for both right-handed and left-handed people. It ensures a secure and comfortable grip. The handle is angled at the end part that prevents the hand from slipping while cutting. And the handle is water-resistant it remains like new for a long.
As the handle is made from natural wood you will be able to feel it while using it. Moreover, there are two pins on the handles that add more durability along with beauty. And the tang is properly visible from the top and bottom of the handle. Even a portion of tang is extended from the end of the handle that makes it more beautiful and unique.
Size
Like all shun chef’s knife shun kanso gyuto has the most used and standard chef’s knife size. And it is an 8-inch blade size. A knife of this size is most used because you can do the job of both small and long knives with this.And knaso’s handle is 5.5 inches long.
Weight and balance
Shun kanso knife is super lightweight comparing to other knives of this size. It’s only 7 ounces. So, it won’t create pressure in the wrist even after long use and ensure a fatigue-free cutting.
A combination of full tang, handle the weight, blade weight ensures a proper balancing of shun swt0706 kanso. Its center of balance is almost at the connection point of the handle and blade. So, you will get used to shun cutlery kanso 8-inch very quickly and it will feel a part of your hand.
Clean and maintenance
Proper care and maintenance ensure the longevity of a knife. On the other hand, without proper care, even a very high-end, the super quality knife may get damaged in long run. Same for shun kanso knives, with proper caring this will company you in the kitchen for very long.
shun kanso 8 chef knife supports only hand wash like all other Japanese chef’s knives. Washing it in the dishwasher may damage the edge or cause chips or damage to steel material. So, after every light use just wash it with clean water and after heavy use, you can use soap and cloth.
Though the knife handle is water-resistant it is better to keep the knife in an open place after every wash. So that the knife dries out properly.
Moreover, never put the knife in the drawer without a sheath or protector. As shun swt0706 kanso 8-inch chef’s knife doesn’t come with any sheath you need use and extra sheath or you can use a wooden knife block. It is preferred not to use a magnetic knife holder because it has a bad effect on the inner structure of the blade.
How the knife will feel in your hand
A knife may be very beautiful or made with high-end materials. But, at the time of buying a knife, our main concern remains that how the knife will feel in my hand.
The sharp edge of the knife cuts through anything like butter so you won’t need to create pressure while cutting. And it doesn’t create pain in the hand even after long use.
The handle has a contoured shape that fits in the palm comfortably. And with the slipless grip it enables you to properly grip, chopping, slicing, dicing, peeling, mincing, carving, and so on.
As the knife is very lightweight and has proper balancing you will get used to the knife very quickly. Moreover, it will feel like a part of your hand in your kitchen.
Warranty
Shun ensures a lifetime warranty for all of their knife. For any kind of manufacturing defect just send the knife to shun. But this warranty doesn’t cover any damage while using, benign the edge or chipping the edge while cutting something hard.
The most amazing feature of shun knives is that they provide a free lifetime sharpening service. Whenever you feel that your knife has lost that power of cutting just send it to shun. They will sharpen your knife for free as mentioned before in this shun kanso 8 chef knife review.
Customer’s thought
Most of the review about shun kanso chef’s knife is a positive review, you hardly find some negative feedback.
One user mentioned that as the end portion of the tang is extended from the handle, if you are a large-handed person you may feel a little uncomfortable. Another user was disappointed as the knife is only dishwasher safe. He said it may damage your knife if you use it in the dishwasher.
And most other users mentioned about features and the positive side as mentioned in this whole shun kanso chef’s knife review. One user mentioned that by far this is the best handling knife he has ever used. Another user mentioned that he has a large hand and he uses a pinch grip and he was happy to find a knife that comfortably fits in his hand. He also mentioned about the perfect balancing of shun cutlery kanso 8-inch.
Pros
By now, from this whole shun kanso review all the features and pros of shun kanso chef’s knife must be clear to you. Let me gather them here briefly.
- Extremely sharp edge ensures fatigue-free precise cut.
- Comfortable handle.
- Handle ensures a slipless grip.
- Rustic finish one blade hides scratches
- Hold the edge for long.
- Very lightweight that doesn’t create pressure on the wrist even after long use.
- Comfortable pinch grip.
- Perfect balance makes the knife feel like an extension of the hand.
- Easy to handle and use.
- Limited lifetime warranty with free sharpening.
Cons
From the customer, though part of this shun kanso chef’s knife 8” review you may have got that this knife has very few drawbacks to mention.
- The only handwash is preferred for this knife. Washing it in the dishwasher may damage it.
- According to a user if you are a person with a large hand then the extended tang part at the end of the handle may feel uncomfortable.
FAQ
- Does shun kanso chef’s knife come with any sheath?
No, Shun chef’s knife kanso doesn’t come with any sheath. As mentioned before in this shun kanso review to store this knife it will be better to use an extra sheath or you can use a wooden knife block.
- Can scratches be polished out from the knife?
The heritage finish and rustic look on the knife hide scratches. So, you will have less worry about scratches on the knife.
- What is its edge angle?
Shun kanso 8 inch chef knife has a 16-degree cutting angle on both sides. It is a double bevel knife.
- How to sharpen shun kanso 8 chef knife?
For sharpening this knife you can use a sharpening stone. But you may know from this shun kanso knives review that shun offers free sharpening for their knife. So, it is a better option to send the knife to shun and they will sharpen it for free.
- Can a left-handed person use it?
Shun Kanso is perfect for both left and right-hand users. As mentioned in this shun kanso 8 chef knife review this knife is a double bevel that means it has the same cutting angle at both sides. Moreover, the handle is not D shaped that means it has the same shape on both sides. So, both left and right-hand users can hold it comfortably.
Conclusion
I am pretty sure that you may have got a clear idea about shun kanso 8” chef knife from this shun kanso review. This is a knife simple design with unique qualities. Its simple, minimalistic design makes it suitable for any kitchen decor. And its sharp edge with proper balancing makes it an all-purpose knife for a wide range of work. So, if you want to make preparing every meal easier and more enjoyable for you, you can definitely go with is a beautiful knife.
Other Shun Knives:
1. Shun Premier Chef’s Knife Review
2. Shun Premier Santoku Review
3. Shun Classic Santoku Review
If you want to know about other japanese knife maker miyabi’s chef’s knife. Here is full Best Miyabi Chef’s Knife Review
