The chef's knife is the workhorse of any kitchen, and at 25cm this is Shun's largest. Most home cooks reach for a 20cm chef's knife, but the longer 25cm blade earns its keep in two situations: cutting through larger foods like whole pumpkins, watermelons, or sides of meat, and powering through volume prep where you can chop several carrots, leeks, or celery stalks in one stroke instead of one at a time. It's the reason commercial kitchens favour the longer blade — fewer strokes, faster service.

Despite the size, the Shun Classic blade is noticeably thinner and lighter than a comparable European-style chef's knife. Less weight to drive through the food, less fatigue across a long prep session.

The Shun Classic line is one of the most recognised Japanese knife ranges in the world. The blade core is Shun's proprietary VG-MAX steel — high-carbon, high-performance, and engineered to hold a sharper edge for longer than standard stainless. It's clad in 32 layers of Damascus stainless steel, ground and bead-blasted to reveal the flowing pattern of the layered steel down the spine.

The edge is hand-sharpened to a 16° double bevel, considerably sharper than the 20-22° edge typical of European knives. The D-shaped handle is ebony PakkaWood, shaped to settle naturally into the hand. Handcrafted in Seki, Japan.

A serious knife for the cook who already knows the difference a longer blade makes — or for the commercial kitchen that needs one.

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