Kai Shun Sora Santoku Knife 18cm

A knife of many talents, a santoku easily handles all the basic kitchen cutting tasks and has a little belly curve for rocking cuts and is slightly shorter than a typical chefs knife.

The santoku is an Asian-inspired knife that many cooks today have added to their kitchen favourites.

There’s just enough belly curve to enable rocking cuts, which adds to the Sora Santoku’s versatility. The blade is extra-special because of the hollow-ground indentations on the side of the blade. They create small air pockets that reduce friction when cutting, making it easier to glide through the cut. If you’ve had problems with sticking, try a hollow-ground blade.

All Shun Sora knives are presented in an attractive gift box.

Cutting Edge: Hand-sharpened 16° double-bevel blade
Steel: VG10 is clad with one layer of stainless steel on each side to create the san mai edge and provide stain resistance. Mirror-polished Japanese 420J blade upper
Hardness: 60 HRC
Blade Length: 18cm
Handle: Traditional handle design in easy-care textured PP/TPE blend
Origin: Handcrafted in Japan

One aspect of caring for your knives is maintaining the edge and, when needed, sharpening the blade. However, it is also important to be aware of how you are using your knives on a daily basis.

Cutting Surface.
The cutting surface you are using will directly affect the blades edge. A good cutting board will help retain a sharp edge for substantially longer. Wood, wood composite and polyethylene boards are all excellent choices. Tile, ceramic, marble, granite, or any kind of glass cutting boards are poor choices and are very hard on your knives.

Cleaning.
As with any lifetime investment, it is important to take the best care possible in order to prolong the life of your knife. Shun recommends that you protect your investment by hand-washing your blades with gentle dish soap. Do not use soaps with citrus extracts; they can promote rust. Rinse and towel dry immediately. Let the knives air dry for a few minutes before returning them to storage.

Never leave your knife sitting in a sink full of soapy water, metal does not respond well to being submerged in water for prolonged periods of time.

Storage.
After you have washed and dried your knives, store them in a block, knife case, in-drawer tray, sheath, magnetic knife holder mounted on a wall, or in the original box. We do not recommend storing the knives unsheathed in a drawer, as this can be a potential hazard to the blades as well as your fingers.

Sharpening.
In order to maximise the life of the blade, regular honing with a Shun Honing Steel will be necessary. Weekly honing will extend the time between sharpening significantly. When the time comes to sharpen these premium blades, we recommend using a Shun Whetstone, the Shun Electric Knife Sharpener (specifically designed to sharpen Shun’s 16° blade angle), or sending your knives to a professional sharpener.