About the Brand

In Japan, the blade is more than a tool; it’s a tradition. From legendary samurai swords to the handcrafted culinary cutlery of today, the exquisite craftsmanship of Japanese blades is admired worldwide.

In the 13th century, Seki City was considered the heart of the Japanese cutlery industry, and still is today. Since 1908, it has also been home to the makers of Shun fine cutlery. Inspired by the traditions of ancient Japan, today’s highly skilled Shun artisans produce blades of unparalleled quality and beauty. Shun is dedicated to maintaining this ancient tradition by continuing to handcraft each knife in our Seki City facilities. Each piece of this fine kitchen cutlery takes at least 100 individual steps to complete.

While we maintain these ancient traditions of handcrafted quality, we also take advantage of thoroughly modern, premium materials and state-of-the-art technology to provide Shun quality to millions of professional chefs and avid home cooks throughout the world.

Our brand name comes from the Japanese culinary tradition of “shun.” Shun is a time—the exact moment when a fruit is perfectly ripe, a vegetable is at its best, or meat is at its most flavorful. Home cooks and professional chefs alike celebrate shun in their kitchens, awaiting each season’s bounty and serving every ingredient in its proper time. The Shun name honors this tradition of seasonal, mindful eating and is a mark of our dedication to making kitchen cutlery that is always at the peak of its perfection, too.