Shun’s Kanso series is designed based on a Zen philosophy meaning Simplicity. To make this series, Shun eliminated everything that was not essential to creating an excellent knife. According to Shun, the necessities for making a high quality knife are: high-quality steel, a razor-sharp edge, perfect balance, and precision cutting control. Kanso blades are made from a highly refined, high-carbon, vanadium Japanese stainless steel that is capable of taking a razor-sharp edge and holding it longer than other blades. The blades have a Heritage finish designed to hide scratches and give the knife a rustic look that just gets better with age. The handles are made from tagayasan wood and are contoured to fit comfortably in your hand. These knives have a full tang that gives the knives strength and perfect balance. Paring knives are like miniature chef’s knives due to their versatility. They are ideal for peeling, trimming, decorating, coring, and other detail work, but they can also be used to chop small foods like garlic and ginger.