Knives

The Shun Classic 6.5-inch Nakiri is a traditional Japanese vegetable knife for cooks who process a lot of produce. Its long, straight edge makes full contact with the cutting board on every cut, which makes push cuts and tap chopping fast, clean, and consistent, and its squared-off tip keeps the knife balanced and controlled in hand. It is especially well suited to herbs, green onions, and the celery, onions, and carrots of a mirepoix, and it shines when preparing salads, slicing potatoes for a gratin, or shredding vegetables for stir-fry. It will also slice boneless meat, but despite its appearance it is not a cleaver and should not be used on bone. It shares the construction and handle of the entire Shun Classic line.
FeaturesStraight blade profile: More of the edge meets the board with each stroke, so every cut goes all the way through and slices separate cleanly.Fine, thin blade: The thin blade passes through dense vegetables with a simple push cut and little wedging.VG-MAX cutting core: Shun’s proprietary steel holds an edge extremely well, which matters for a chopping knife, since repeated contact with the board dulls an edge faster than a rocking cut does.Stainless Damascus cladding: Layered stainless steel supports the core, adds stain resistance, and helps food release from the blade.Hand-sharpened double-bevel edge: The fine, symmetrical edge serves left- and right-handed cooks equally well.D-shaped ebony PakkaWood handle: The handle is comfortable in either hand, durable enough for daily use, and does not harbor bacteria.Full composite tang: The composite construction keeps the knife light and balanced.Handcrafted in Seki City, Japan: Each Shun Classic knife requires at least 100 individual steps to complete in Seki City, one of Japan’s most important blade-making centers since the 13th century.Free lifetime sharpening: Shun offers free lifetime sharpening, so the knife can be professionally sharpened by the manufacturer whenever its edge needs restoring.
Tasks It Handles WellChopping herbs and green onionsDicing celery, onions, and carrots for mirepoixSlicing potatoes for gratinsShredding cabbage and vegetables for stir-fry and saladsSlicing boneless meat
Choosing a Shun Vegetable KnifeFor larger produce such as whole cabbages, the Shun Classic 7-inch Chinese Vegetable Cleaver offers a much taller, heavier blade that also scoops food from the board. Cooks who want one knife for vegetables and proteins alike should consider the Shun Classic 7-inch Hollow Ground Santoku, which keeps a flatter edge but adds a downturned tip and food-release indentations. The Shun Classic 8-inch Kiritsuke combines a long, relatively flat edge with an angled tip for fine vegetable cuts such as julienne and brunoise. Learn More