Recalling the hand-forged artistry of ancient Japanese knives, each handcrafted piece in Shun's masterfully designed Premier line takes at least 100 steps to complete--but is updated for the modern world using the industry's finest materials. Each blade has a core of Shun's proprietary VG-MAX "super steel" that's layered with Damascus cladding for added support, precision and stain-resistance, and perfected with a hand-hammered finish known as "Tsuchime" in Japanese. Contoured, comfortable walnut-finished PakkaWood handles beautifully complement the blades.