In your kitchen, you need to be able to trust your tools. You should be so familiar and so comfortable with them, they should feel like an extension of your own hand. That’s why we recommend the Shun Kanso 5.5” Santoku SWT0727 to anyone that feels more comfortable with a smaller knife, but needs something that punches above its weight class to complete the job. The hollow-ground edge increases your slicing performance, reducing suction between the food and your blade, allowing your ingredients to simply fall away from the blade. If you’re looking for versatility in a knife, the Shun Kanso 5.5” Santoku is it. The Shun Kanso 5.5” Santoku SWT0727 is an Asian-inspired chef’s knife, and in this smaller form, it’s the perfect combination between a paring and a longer chef’s knife. It’s made to complete those medium-sized tasks. The Kanso series embodies simplicity in its most fundamental form, attained by eliminating anything that is non-essential. Shun has taken away anything that doesn’t matter and kept everything that does to create the Kanso line. With what they did keep, they honed to perfection. Exceptional steel, a remarkably sharp edge, a durable handle, and all the balance and precision you except from Shun. Keep your knife in great condition with a Combination Whetstone , Leveling Stone , and Knife Care Kit .