KAI | SKU: KAI-SHUNC-SA180

Shun Classic Santoku Knife 18cm (7")

Name: Shun Classic Santoku Knife 18cm (7")
Brand: KAI
SKU: KAI-SHUNC-SA180
Price: 4507.00 TWD
Availability: InStock

$4,507.00 $5,628.00

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	Shun Classic
	Santoku
	Double Bevel
Weight	204 g \| 7.2 oz
Edge Length	180 mm \| 7 3/32″
Heel Height	49 mm \| 1 59/64″
Width @ Heel	2.3 mm \| 3/32″
Width @ Mid	2.0 mm \| 5/64″
Width @ 1cm from Tip	1.1 mm \| 3/64″
Steel	VG-MAX \| Stainless
Blade Construction	Sanmai - Stainless Damascus Clad
Hardness (HRC)	60 - 61
Surface Finish	Migaki
Handle	D-shaped Pakkawood
Region	Seki
Best for	First-timers Pro chefs

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The Shun Classic is where it all started for a lot of knife enthusiasts — the knife that made people realise there's a world beyond the German block set. KAI's flagship line has been quietly converting home cooks for over two decades, and the current version with VG-MAX steel is the best it's ever been. VG-MAX is KAI's proprietary evolution of VG10 — a fully stainless core running at 60-61 HRC that holds a 16-degree edge longer than you'd expect from a factory knife at this price.

The 34-layer stainless Damascus cladding gives it that distinctive wave pattern that's become almost synonymous with “Japanese knife” in mainstream cooking culture. The blade is polished and well-ground — it's not the thinnest knife out there, but the geometry is sensible for an all-rounder, handling everything from onions to herbs to breaking down a chicken without feeling like you need to baby it. It's a workhorse, and it's designed to be treated like one.

The black Pakkawood D-shape handle is comfortable for extended use and works well for both pinch grip and handle grip users. The lineup covers the essentials — chef's knife (20cm), santoku (18cm), utility (15cm), paring (9cm), and bread knife (22cm). If there's a knock on the Classic, it's that VG-MAX can be a bit stubborn on the stones compared to simpler carbon steels — but that's the trade-off for a blade you can leave on a magnetic rack without worrying about rust. For someone stepping up from a supermarket knife, the Shun Classic is still one of the best entry points into Japanese knives.

Pros	Cons
Great OOTB Easy to look after Excellent fit and finish Workhorse grind	Relatively hard to sharpen Not the thinnest geometry

Care Instruction

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KAI

KAI — A Century of Seki Blade-Making, Worldwide

KAI Corporation (貝印), founded in Seki in 1908, is the world's largest Japanese knife manufacturer and the company behind Shun (旬) and Seki Magoroku. For many knife users around the world, a Shun or a Seki Magoroku was their very first real Japanese knife — a gateway that opened the door to an entire world of Japanese blade craft. Now in its fourth generation under Hiroaki Endo, KAI operates globally from Seki City, combining over a century of blade-making heritage with modern manufacturing at scale.

貝印 — the kanji literally means "shell mark," a reference to the company's original trademark. What started in 1908 as a pocket knife workshop by Saijiro Endo (遠藤斉治郎) in Seki City has grown into one of the world's largest blade manufacturers, with over 10,000 products spanning kitchen knives, razors, medical instruments, and industrial blades. But for the knife community, KAI matters because of one thing: they brought Japanese knives to the world.

The Endo family has led KAI through four generations. The second-generation Saijiro expanded into razors after the war, creating Japan's first disposable razor. By the 1970s, the company had entered kitchen knife production and begun exporting internationally. The real game-changer came in 2000 with the launch of Shun (旬) — a premium line that combined traditional Japanese blade geometry with Western handle ergonomics and striking Damascus patterns. Shun became a global phenomenon, selling over 10 million units, and for millions of home cooks and professional chefs outside Japan, it was their first encounter with what a Japanese knife could do.

KAI's Seki Magoroku (関孫六) line carries the name of a legendary Muromachi-era swordsmith from Seki, connecting the brand directly to the city's 800-year blade-making heritage. While these are factory-produced knives rather than artisan-forged, the engineering and quality control behind them is serious — KAI's Seki factory is one of the most advanced knife production facilities in Japan, blending robotics and IoT systems with traditional heat treatment knowledge.

Today, under fourth-generation president Hiroaki Endo (遠藤浩彰), KAI operates subsidiaries in the USA, Germany, China, and India. They've won numerous design awards and continue to push boundaries — from the VG-MAX steel developed specifically for Shun to eco-friendly paper razors. Love them or debate them, KAI's role in globalising Japanese knife culture is undeniable. They opened the door that many of us walked through.

“The world's gateway to Japanese knives — Shun, Seki Magoroku, and a century of Seki blade-making at global scale.”

Est. 1908 | 明治41年

Known for Shun premium knives, Seki Magoroku line, world's largest Japanese knife manufacturer

Website kai-group.com Read more about KAI

Profile

Santoku

The Santoku knife, embodying the meaning "three uses," is a cornerstone in Japanese kitchens, adept at slicing, dicing, and mincing. Esteemed for its versatility, it features a blade length typically between 15cm and 20cm (6 to 8 inches), catering to a wide array of culinary tasks. Distinguished by its less pointy tip compared to the Gyuto, the Santoku boasts a unique profile that contributes to its functionality and popularity. Its design is tailored to provide ease and efficiency in preparation, also because of its less aggressive prrofile, making it a preferred choice for home cooks.

Steel

VG-MAX

Manufacturer
- Hitachi Special Steel, Japan
Nature Stainless
Hardness60–61 HRC

VG-MAX is a proprietary stainless steel developed by Kai (the maker of Shun knives) as an upgraded version of VG10. It’s designed specifically for kitchen knives, balancing sharpness, durability, and corrosion resistance.

Construction

Sanmai - Stainless Damascus Clad

Sanmai(Three-Piece) is a common construction for double bevel knives where two pieces of softer cladding steel are forgewelded to each side of a harder core steel. The harder but more brittle core steel will form the hard cutting edge after heat treating, and the softer cladding will support the core to increase the overall strength of the blade.

Damascus Sanmai utilize damascus steel as the cladding material for the Sanmai construction, which adds aesthetic feature to the blade. On the Kitchen knives with stainless core steel, the damascus cladding will be stainless, this means they will also protect the carbon/semi-stainless core from rusting/discolouration.

The soft cladding enables the thinning process to be a lot easier than a honyaki or monosteel construction. However, when the cladding is made of damascus, whether etched, polished or mirror polished, the thinning process will take a toll on the cladding, meaning the damascus won't look the same as when it was taken out of the box.

Finish

Migaki

"Migaki" means "polished" or "shined" in Japanese, The term "Migaki finish" in the context of Japanese kitchen knives indeed does not exclusively refer to a mirror polish but encompasses a broader range of polished finishes that can vary from semi-gloss to a more refined, subtle sheen, rather than a highly reflective surface. The primary goal of a Migaki finish is to enhance the knife's functionality and aesthetic appeal, focusing on a smooth finish that improves resistance to corrosion and minimizes drag during cutting, rather than achieving a purely mirror-like appearance.

Handle

Handle Specs

Profile D Shape WA
Material
- Pakka Wood

Shun Classic D-shaped pakkawood handle offers traditional Japanese ergonomics with modern durability. Made from resin-infused hardwood, it provides excellent moisture resistance and strength. The contoured D-shape ensures a secure, comfortable grip and precise control, making it ideal for professional chefs and home cooks seeking a reliable Japanese kitchen knife handle.

Shun Classic Santoku Knife 18cm (7")