A two-knife set that covers the bulk of what most home cooks actually do in the kitchen. The 20cm chef's knife handles the big jobs — slicing, dicing, chopping vegetables, breaking down proteins, working through the bulk of any prep session. The 15cm utility knife steps in for everything in between: trimming, slicing fruit, working through smaller cuts of meat, sandwich prep, and the dozen smaller jobs where a full-size chef's knife is overkill but a paring knife is too small.

If you're starting a serious kitchen from scratch or upgrading from a discount knife block, this is the pair to start with. Add a paring knife later if you want, but most cooks will find these two do 90% of the work.

The Shun Classic line is one of the most recognised Japanese knife ranges in the world. Both blades have a proprietary VG-MAX cutting core — high-carbon, high-performance steel engineered to hold a sharper edge for longer than standard stainless. The core is clad with 34 layers of Damascus stainless steel on each side (68 total), ground and bead-blasted to reveal the flowing pattern of the layered steel down the spine.

Both edges are hand-sharpened to a 16° double bevel, considerably sharper than the 20-22° edge typical of European knives. The D-shaped handles are ebony PakkaWood, shaped to settle naturally into the hand and comfortable for both left and right-handed users. Full composite tang for balance and light weight in the hand. Handcrafted in Seki, Japan.

Presented in a Shun gift box, making it a strong wedding, housewarming, or milestone gift for a serious cook.

Not suitable for cutting through bone or very thick-skinned vegetables. Hand wash only and dry immediately.