Shun Kanso 7" Asian Utility Knife

The Shun Kanso 7 inch Asian Utility Knife is a beautiful multi-tasking blade. From its sharp tip, which can be used to peel ginger, to its long, straight edge, perfect for portioning meat this knife is a multi-tasking workhorse. While it may look like a meat cleaver, it isn't. (You'll want a heavier cleaver for breaking bones.) Instead, the Kanso Asian Utility Knife is adept at processing quantities of vegetables for stir fry and thinly slicing meats. Use the flat to smash a garlic clove. Use the back to tenderize meat. Use the tip and razor-sharp edge for everything from skinning fish to shaving vegetables. Once you use it, you'll find yourself reaching for this precision knife more and more often.

Kanso is a design principle based on Zen philosophy. It means "simplicity", but simplicity that is achieved by eliminating the non-essential. In Kanso, we took away anything that doesn't matter and kept everything that does: high-performance steel, razor-sharp edge, perfect balance, and precision cutting control. The steel is Japanese AUS10A highly refined, high-carbon, vanadium stainless steel that takes a razor-sharp edge and holds it longer. Kanso's Heritage finish hides scratches and gives Kanso a rustic look that just improves with age. The handle is made of tagayasan wood, sometimes known as "iron sword wood." The handle contouring enables an easy chef's grip. Full-tang construction provides strength, balance, and easy cutting control. Like all Shun knives, Kanso is sharpened to a 16-degree cutting angle on each side to cut cleanly and help preserve food's freshness and best taste. While the blade is extremely strong and will hold its edge, Japanese Steel does not have flexibility so we do not advise using this knife on bone in meats, frozen fruits, or stone cutting boards.



In Japanese, the word "Kanso" means "simplicity". The Shun Kanso line brings out the simple necessities for a knife such as high-performance steel, razor-sharp edge, perfect balance, and precision cutting control. With a razor-sharp 16 degree edge that holds longer and a heritage finish that hides scratches, the Kanso line has a rustic look that improves with age. The handle is made of tagayasan wood, sometimes known as "iron sword wood", which gives you a textured yet comfortable grip. Hand-sharpened with a high-carbon, vanadium stainless steel blade. Handcrafted in Japan.