The Shun Premier sits a step above the Shun Classic — same VG-MAX cutting core, same hand-sharpened 16° edge, but finished with a hammered tsuchime surface and a contoured walnut PakkaWood handle that sets it apart visually and in the hand. At 25.4cm, this is the larger of the two Premier chef's knives, suited to cooks who want the extra length for breaking down bigger produce, slicing through volume, or working a longer cutting stroke without crowding the board.

The hammered finish isn't just decorative. The shallow indentations along the blade act like a series of small hollow-ground cavities, reducing the surface area in contact with the food and helping ingredients release cleanly rather than sticking to the side of the blade. Useful when you're working through starchy vegetables, soft cheeses, or anything else that tends to cling.

Where the Classic's blade pattern is a flowing Damascus, the Premier reveals a soft undulating line near the edge where the cladding meets the core — reminiscent of the hamon formed when traditional samurai swords were tempered using a clay-baking technique. The blade core is Shun's proprietary VG-MAX steel, clad in 32 layers of Damascus stainless steel each side, hand-finished and hand-sharpened.

The handle is a contoured walnut-coloured PakkaWood, shaped to nestle into the palm and balanced by an embossed end cap. The shape works equally well for left and right-handed users, and the warmer wood tone pairs better with timber benchtops and traditional kitchens than the Classic's darker ebony.

Each Premier knife takes more than 100 handcrafted steps to complete. Handcrafted in Seki, Japan.

A serious knife for the cook who wants the performance of a Shun and the visual character to match.

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