KAI | SKU: KAI-SHUNC-BR220

Shun Classic Bread Knife 22cm (9")

Name: Shun Classic Bread Knife 22cm (9")
Brand: KAI
SKU: KAI-SHUNC-BR220
Price: 199.95 AUD
Availability: OutOfStock

$199.95 $245.95

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St Peters, NSW —
2 Bishop St, Unit 2, St Peters NSW 2044
+61 2 8234 8818
Crows Nest, NSW —
107 West St, Shop 1, Crows Nest NSW 2065
+61 2 8234 8848
Pickup only
Prahran, VIC —
180 Commercial Road, Shop 1, Prahran VIC 3181
+61 3 8199 9948
Pickup only

Detailed Specifications

Line	Shun Classic
Profile	Bread Knife / Bread knife
Bevel Type	Double Bevel
Weight	201 g \| 7.1 oz
Edge Length	23 mm \| 29/32″
Heel Height	35 mm \| 1 3/8″
Width @ Heel	2.3 mm \| 3/32″
Width @ Mid	2.0 mm \| 5/64″
Width @ 1cm from Tip	1.7 mm \| 1/16″
Steel	VG-MAX \| Stainless
Blade Construction	Sanmai - Stainless Damascus Clad
Hardness (HRC)	60 - 61
Surface Finish	Migaki
Handle	D-shaped Pakkawood
Region	Seki
Best for	First-timers Pro chefs

Free shipping for knives over AU$200 Australia wide.
World-wide shipping via DHL Express, 3 to 5 days.

The Shun Classic is where it all started for a lot of knife enthusiasts — the knife that made people realise there's a world beyond the German block set. KAI's flagship line has been quietly converting home cooks for over two decades, and the current version with VG-MAX steel is the best it's ever been. VG-MAX is KAI's proprietary evolution of VG10 — a fully stainless core running at 60-61 HRC that holds a 16-degree edge longer than you'd expect from a factory knife at this price.

The 34-layer stainless Damascus cladding gives it that distinctive wave pattern that's become almost synonymous with “Japanese knife” in mainstream cooking culture. The blade is polished and well-ground — it's not the thinnest knife out there, but the geometry is sensible for an all-rounder, handling everything from onions to herbs to breaking down a chicken without feeling like you need to baby it. It's a workhorse, and it's designed to be treated like one.

The black Pakkawood D-shape handle is comfortable for extended use and works well for both pinch grip and handle grip users. The lineup covers the essentials — chef's knife (20cm), santoku (18cm), utility (15cm), paring (9cm), and bread knife (22cm). If there's a knock on the Classic, it's that VG-MAX can be a bit stubborn on the stones compared to simpler carbon steels — but that's the trade-off for a blade you can leave on a magnetic rack without worrying about rust. For someone stepping up from a supermarket knife, the Shun Classic is still one of the best entry points into Japanese knives.

Pros	Cons
Great OOTB Easy to look after Excellent fit and finish Workhorse grind	Relatively hard to sharpen Not the thinnest geometry

Care Instruction

Don't cut hard things! Japanese knives are brittle so bone hacking is a NO NO!
Wash with neutral detergent after use, and wipe dry;
Please don't wash knife with dishwasher, it will damage the wood handle;
Be careful not to leave the knife close to a heat source for a long time;
It is a lot more dangerous to cut with a blunt knife than a sharp knife!
It is best to sharpen a Japanese knife regularly on a waterstone.

KAI

KAI (貝印), a Seki blade company since 1908

KAI (貝印) is a Japanese blade company founded in Seki in 1908, when Saijiro Endo began making pocket knives there. Its head office is now in Tokyo, and its group maker, KAI Industries, has its factories in Seki and Gujō.

We stock two of its knife brands, Shun and Seki Magoroku. The Seki Magoroku name comes from the swordsmith Seki no Magoroku.

KAI was established as a company in Seki, Gifu, in 1920, began making safety razor blades in 1932 and launched its Shun (旬) knives in 2000. Today KAI says it sells more than 10,000 products, covering cooking and grooming tools as well as medical and industrial blades.

Shun says each of its knives is crafted in Seki City through more than 100 steps, and that its Classic and Premier series use VG-MAX, a steel proprietary to Shun. Those are the two Shun lines we stock.

From Seki Magoroku we stock the Imayo (いまよう) line, which KAI describes as a series with a high-hardness blade and a three-step edge for long-lasting sharpness.

“A blade company founded in Seki in 1908, behind Shun and Seki Magoroku.”

Est. 1908 | 明治41年

Known for Shun and Seki Magoroku kitchen knives

Website kai-group.com Read more about KAI

Knife details

Profile

Bread Knife

パン切り

Bread knife · Double bevel

A narrow knife with a saw-like or wavy edge that cuts bread without crushing it.

60–61

HRC Hardness

Composition not published

Steel

VG-MAX

Stainless · Takefu Special Steel

Shun's own steel, built on the VG10 formula, per Kai USA; we list Shun Classic and Premier knives in it.

Construction

Sanmai - Stainless Damascus Clad

三枚ダマスカス

3 layers · damascus clad

Hard core between stainless damascus layers, bare at the edge. Thinning wears the pattern.

Finish

Migaki

Polished satin

Smooth polished surface, satin to soft sheen rather than mirror. Scratches show.

Handle

D-shaped Pakkawood

D Shape WA

Shun Classic D-section pakka wood, resin-infused and water-resistant. The D is handed.

Frequently asked questions

Can you sharpen a serrated bread knife?

Yes. A Japanese knife maker says its bread knives can be resharpened with a sharpener made for wavy edges.

The serrated edge is there for a reason: a Japanese dictionary describes the bread knife (パン切り包丁) as narrow, with a saw-like or wavy edge, so it cuts soft bread without crushing it.

How is VG-MAX different from VG10?

KAI, the company behind Shun, says VG-MAX builds on the VG10 formula with more carbon for strength and durability, additional chromium for wear and corrosion resistance, and increased tungsten, which it says makes the steel very fine-grained so the edge can be extremely sharp.

KAI attributes corrosion resistance and strength to molybdenum, and impact resistance and carbide formation to vanadium. KAI uses VG-MAX in its Shun Classic and Premier series.

Is Shun made by KAI, and how is it different from Seki Magoroku?

Yes, KAI launched its premium knife line Shun in 2000. KAI traces its history to 1908, when Saijiro Endo began making pocket knives, and the company was established in Seki, Gifu, in 1920.

Seki Magoroku is also a KAI brand. KAI says it carries the craft and spirit of the swordsmith Seki no Magoroku into modern knifemaking, fused with KAI's own technology, and its top tier is the Master Line.

What is the Seki Magoroku Imayo line?

Imayo (いまよう) is a series inside KAI's Seki Magoroku line. KAI describes it as a high-hardness blade body that takes a three-step edge, set up for sharpness that keeps going for a long time. It is one of the series on the Seki Magoroku knives page.

KAI's knives page lists Imayo alongside the all-stainless 10000ST and 匠創, the stainless three-layer 茜, the 10000CC in carbon steel, a 32-layer Damascus and the Master Line 要.

Can Seki Magoroku knives go in the dishwasher?

On KAI's Seki Magoroku knives page, only the 10000ST seamless all-stainless series is stated as dishwasher-safe. The same page says it can be boiled for disinfection as well.

KAI does not state dishwasher compatibility for the other series, Imayo included, so wash and dry those by hand. The 10000CC uses carbon steel.

Written by Knives & Stones

Shun Classic Bread Knife 22cm (9")

Availability

Detailed Specifications

KAI

Knife details

Bread Knife

VG-MAX

Sanmai - Stainless Damascus Clad

Migaki

D-shaped Pakkawood

Frequently asked questions

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Shun Classic Bread Knife 22cm (9")

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