How to Care for Your Shun Classic Knives
How to Care for Your Shun Classic: Keep Your Knife Performing for a Lifetime
There's a reason the Shun Classic has become one of the most loved Japanese knives in Australian kitchens. The combination of a VG-MAX steel core, 68 layers of Damascus cladding and a D-shaped Pakkawood handle makes it a genuine pleasure to cook with. But that same precision engineering that makes it exceptional also means it needs a little more attention than the German knife sitting next to it on the magnetic strip.
Look after a Shun Classic properly and it will outlast you in the kitchen. Here's exactly how to do that.
The One Rule That Matters Most: Hand Wash Only
This is non-negotiable. The dishwasher is the single fastest way to ruin a Shun Classic and the damage is irreversible.
The harsh detergents, high heat and rattling around against other items will degrade the Pakkawood handle over time, cause the steel to corrode, and dull the edge in ways that no amount of sharpening will fully recover. It takes thirty seconds to wash a knife by hand. It takes years to save up for a replacement.
Wash with warm soapy water, rinse and dry immediately with a soft cloth. Don't leave it sitting wet on the bench, and don't leave it soaking in the sink, even briefly.
Store It Properly
A knife block, magnetic strip or blade guard are all fine. A kitchen drawer full of utensils is not.
When a Shun Classic rattles around loose in a drawer, the edge is making contact with metal, other tools and whatever else is in there. You're essentially micro-dulling the edge every time you reach in to grab it. A magnetic wall strip is ideal. It keeps the edge away from everything, and frankly a Shun Classic looks incredible displayed on one.
If you do use a knife block, make sure the blade goes in edge-up. Edge-down slots cause the same gradual dulling problem as a drawer.
Use the Right Cutting Surface
Hard surfaces are the enemy of a fine edge. Glass, ceramic, marble and stone boards will damage the edge of a Shun Classic noticeably fast. Even those tempered glass boards that look sleek on a benchtop, avoid them entirely.
Stick to wood or plastic. A quality end-grain timber board is ideal. It's gentler on the edge, self-healing to a degree, and ages beautifully. Edge-grain timber and good quality plastic boards are also perfectly fine. When in doubt, if it feels harder than the knife, don't cut on it.
Honing vs Sharpening: Know the Difference
This is where a lot of people go wrong with Japanese knives, and it's worth getting straight.
Honing realigns the edge and does not remove steel. A honing rod is used regularly (ideally every few uses) to keep the edge performing between sharpenings. For a Shun Classic, you need a ceramic honing rod or a fine leather strop. Do not use a standard ribbed steel honing rod. The teeth are too aggressive for the fine VG-MAX edge and will cause micro-chipping over time.
Sharpening actually removes a small amount of steel to create a new edge. This should be done far less frequently, perhaps once or twice a year depending on how heavily you cook. Shun recommends a sharpening angle of 16 degrees per side for the Classic range.
For sharpening, you have a few options. A quality whetstone in the 1000/3000 grit range followed by a 6000/8000 finishing stone will give you a beautiful edge if you're comfortable with the technique. If you're not, send it to a professional sharpener who has experience with Japanese knives. Not every sharpening service understands the geometry involved, so it's worth asking.
A Note on What You're Cutting
A Shun Classic is a kitchen knife, not a multi-tool. It's designed for food preparation: vegetables, meat, fish, herbs. It is not designed for cutting through frozen food, cracking bones, opening packaging or prying things apart.
The hardness that gives VG-MAX steel its incredible edge retention (around 60/61 on the Rockwell scale) also makes it more brittle than a softer German steel. Lateral force, twisting, prying or using the flat of the blade to smash garlic the aggressive way, can cause chipping. Use the right tool for the job and your Shun will reward you.
The Simple Routine
If all of the above feels like a lot, it really comes down to four habits:
- Hand wash and dry immediately after use
- Store on a magnetic strip or in a block, never loose in a drawer
- Cut on wood or plastic only
- Hone regularly with a ceramic rod, sharpen occasionally with a whetstone or professional service
Do those four things consistently and a Shun Classic will stay sharp, stay beautiful and stay in your kitchen for decades. It's a knife worth taking care of.
At Chef & a Knife we stock the full Shun Classic range, along with ceramic honing rods, quality whetstones and everything else you need to keep your knives performing at their best.