Sharpen Your Skills With the Kai Shun Premier Utility Knife & Bamboo Magnetic Storage Disks
For those of you who enjoy slicing and dicing, Kai Shun is a cut above the rest. Kai Shun not only manufactures some of the highest quality knives, but has started offering a couple of interesting accessories as well. No, they haven’t (yet) made a knife sharpener.
We’ve previously spoke in glowing tones about the Paring Knife, and their excellent line done in conjunction with Bob Kramer.
They have partnered together with Master Bladesmith Bob Kramer, one of only 103 certified Master Bladesmiths in the world. The line is based on Kramer’s hand-forged Meiji knives which has a focus on precision cutting and slicing. Most recently, we had the pleasure of using the Kai Shun TDM0701 Premier 6 1/2 inch Utility Knife. We were still as fascinated by the looks of Damascus steel but the functionality of stainless steel clad with 16 layers of SUS410 high carbon-steel without any rusting problems.
This virtual “super steel” is composed of a group of well known elements you might have familiarized yourself with in, say, Chemistry. Welcome carbon, chromium, cobalt, silicon, manganese, molybdenum, and vanadium.
We were especially pleased with the easy grip handle that was made of PakkaWood in a “D” shape handle design. It was a cinch to cut and dice and easier to wield than most knife handles. The “D” shape allowed the knife to sit directly in the curve of our fingers as they curled around the handle which obliterated the need for band-aids in our case. These knives can be a bit hard to find, but we suggest looking at Sur La Table, Williams Sonoma, or online. You can find one for around $100.
Nothing hurts a chef’s heart like mistreating a knife. In olden days, knife blocks used to be the preferred way, but they end up dulling your knives. Professionals have long since turned to magnetic knife blocks, which happen to also do a better job of showing off your blade collection. And though many sizes are available, for the smaller kitchen or those without a large knife collection, we’re fans of the new Shun Bamboo Magnetic Storage Disks, which come in a set of 3. That way, you’re able to easily keep your knives within reach. And bamboo is a safe alternative to regular wood holders as it won’t damage or nick your blades. This can help prolong the life of your cutlery, and inexpensively to boot- they’re available for $20 on Amazon. We simply could adhere to any magnetic surface or use an optional adhesive that came included- and almost any knife looked sharp against these small bamboo disks.
