For many, the beautiful kitchen is not a home work station but a place of spacious grandeur, a mecca for social butterflies. What is often overlooked is that this work area is filled with essential tools of the trade, from the the finest pots and pans to the sharpest knives on the market. For this last reason alone, friends know that entertaining takes place outside the confines of the kitchen.

Ask any serious cook what their most prized kitchen possession is and you’ll come up with a resounding answer. Quality food preparation begins with good knives. While German knives have been the standard of the industry for years, there are some great Japanese knives that are making huge inroads in many classic kitchens.

Japanese blade manufacturing differs greatly from traditional German forged kitchen knives in several ways. Keeping things simple and omitting the actual manufacturing process, Shun Classic Knives have a ground beveled edge of 16 degrees per side, versus most German knives which come in at 22 degrees per side. This allows for a razor sharp edge and is arguably the sharpest knife on the market.  Thin blades also make the knives extremely lightweight, a real pleasure when that prep time in the kitchen extends itself to several hours.

In theory, blade strength is determined by its thickness. However, these Asian knives use a quality steel, VG-10, which is a newer high density stainless steel. The higher density is a major factor in allowing the tempering of the steel to a Rockwell rating of 61. The Rockwell scale is used to determine the hardness of metals. Axes and chisels have a value of 40-45 while good knife blades have a value of 55-62. Even with this hgh value the knives are able to take an edge when sharpening, and more importantly, keep that perfect edge. We’ve all used one of those cheap kitchen knives that, no matter how many times it’s sharpened, never keeps an edge. The kitchen knives made by Shun have a highly polished bevel edge that helps reduce drag while using in the kitchen.

Another factor for the knowledgeable knife user to consider is the handle. Shun blade handles have a “D” shape made of Pakka wood. Pakka wood consists of thin sheets of birch wood layered between thin sheets of plastic resin. They are fused together in a high heat and pressure process, creating a handle that looks like wood, feels like wood, and is dishwasher safe.

While JA Henckels knives and Wusthof kitchen knives are classics in German knife production and are a great addition to any kitchen, commercial and non-commercial alike, do yourself a favor and try out one of the knives in the extensive Shun line.  If your food preparation is begging for a new look and knives have never been a consideration, it’s time to treat yourself.  You’ll transform your beautiful kitchen into a great kitchen.