The Shun Hiro SG2 Chef’s Knife is an in-between knife in size and weight that makes it perfect for most medium-sized kitchen tasks. In addition, it is smaller than a full-sized santoku, making this the right knife for cutting or chopping fruits, vegetables, and other edibles. It is sure to become your go-to knife for general kitchen use.
This chef’s knife combines traditional beauty with premium performance. The cutting core provides incredible edge retention, while the charcoal and red PakkaWood® handle offer Japanese styling and perfect balance.
About Shun
When you’re considering an expensive Japanese knife, you should know something about the company that produces it before buying one.
Since the 13th century, Seki City has been the heart of the Japanese cutlery industry. From Samurai swords to handcrafted culinary cutlery, skilled Japanese artisans handcraft these beautiful knives today in the Japanese tradition. For more than 112 years, Seki City has been the home of Kai Corporation, the makers of Shun cutlery.
The word ‘Shen’ is a time — the exact moment when a piece of fruit is at its best, a vegetable perfectly ripe, or meat is at its most flavorful.
While mindful of these handcrafted quality traditions, Shun uses premium, modern materials, and state-of-the-art technology to create excellent quality knives for millions of professional chefs and amateur cooks worldwide. The Shun name on each piece marks the company’s dedication to making cutlery that is always at the peak of its perfection.
Shun Hiro SG2 Knife Review
The Shun Hiro SG2 is a knife that combines beauty and performance. The word ‘Hiro’ in Japanese means ‘abundant,’ ‘generous,’ and ‘prosperous.’ The core of this Hiro knife is SG2 micro-carbide steel, which is incredibly hard and dense. This ultra-fine grained steel enables Shun to make thinner blades sharpened to a scalpel-like 16° cutting edge.
It’s an excellent knife for kitchen use due to its combination of durability and performance. Many consider SG2 to be the best blade steel for use in kitchen knives. Shun artisans put the blade through 150 steps so that every curve has been smoothed and rounded. They then ensure the cutting edge is precisely sharp.
Blade and Material
The Shun Hiro SG2 has a blade made of SG2 Japanese steel, which forms the core of this exquisite blade. There are 32 layers of micro-carbide steel on each side for a total of 65 final metal layers. The hammered Tsuchime finish to the Damascus nickel and stainless pattern adds to the knife’s aesthetics and helps prevent food from sticking to the blade.
SG2 steel is a powdered type of stainless steel that is famous for its superior wear resistance. This stainless steel is a high-carbon content and high alloy stainless steel. Powder metallurgy significantly improves the alloy. The knife’s hardness measures 64 on the Rockwell scale. The dense grain structure and purity enable the blade to take and hold a fine edge.
Edge
Shun’s Hiro collection, including the SG2 8” chef’s knife, features Shun’s finest steel for cutlery as it allows for a superb, thin, razor-sharp edge. The SG2 offers unmatched edge retention, so it excels in kitchen use. Furthermore, this ultra-fine steel enables Shun to make thinner blades sharpened to a 16° cutting angle. Most European and American knife blades are 22°. Therefore, you can see the appeal of this knife regarding edge sharpness.
The Shun Hiro SG2 Chef’s Knife is an ambidextrous knife, which means that the blade has edges on both sides. There are knives for right-handed cooks, and also, you can find knives for lefties. However, if you want a knife that both lefties and righties can use, you want a double-edge knife like this SG2.
Handle
PakkaWood® is a natural hardwood impregnated with resin. As a result, it becomes a robust and highly durable material, excellent for knife handles because of its density. In addition, it is more water-resistant than natural wood. Because of these properties, a PakkaWood® handle will hold up to daily wear and tear. As with natural wood, no two pieces are exactly alike.
Design
The all-purpose wide blade makes it handy when transferring your cut food from the board to the pan. With the curved belly, you can rock the knife back and forth through herbs and spices to create a fine mince.
Care and Maintenance
This is an investment that needs proper care and maintenance to always performs at an optimal level. It would be best if you never washed a Japanese knife in a dishwasher. Instead, hand wash it using a gentle dish soap but do not use a soap with citrus extracts or bleach, which can promote rust. After washing, it’s imperative to get all the moisture off the cutting edge.
Store your Shun Hiro SG2 Chef’s Knife in a wooden block, in-drawer knife tray, sheath, or knife case. However, do not store it unsheathed in a drawer.
It would be best not to use Shun knives on bones, joints, or frozen foods. These high-quality knives are designed for precision slicing rather than cutting through hard materials. Other knives perform these functions, but this is not one of them.
The cutting surface you use makes a difference in keeping your knife sharp. A good cutting board will help retain the knife’s sharpness substantially longer. Medium-soft woods, such as hinoki, are preferable; tile, ceramic, marble, granite, glass, or synthetic cutting boards can be very hard on your knife.
To sharpen your knife, you should use a whetstone instead of a honing rod.
Warranty
There is a limited lifetime warranty on all Shun knives. In addition, the company guarantees their knives against manufacturing defects in material and construction and that they will perform as advertised when properly used and maintained.
The limited lifetime warranty is non-transferable and does not extend to normal signs of wear, rust, damage, or breakage due to improper use, improper maintenance, accidents, loss, or theft. The company will repair or replace any product they determine to be defective solely at their discretion.
- An appealing look reflecting traditional Japanese authenticity
- Double bevel with the cutting angle of 16°
- 32 layers of micro-carbide steel on each side of the blade for a total of 65 final metal layers provide superior durability and edge retention
- The ambidextrous handle offers a comfortable grip for both left- and right-handed users
- Tsuchime hammering prevents foods from sticking to the knife while cutting
- It comes with a box to store it in
- Provides no sheath, only box
- Price may seem high to some people
FAQs on Shun Hiro SG2 Chef Knife
Why Should You Buy a Shun Hiro SG2 Chef’s Knife?
Shun makes this 8” Hiro knife with traditional Japanese manufacturing, using premium, modern materials and state-of-the-art technology. The Shun name on each piece marks the company’s dedication to making a knife that is always at the peak of its perfection. Shun artisans put the blade through 150 steps so that every curve has been smoothed and rounded and then ensure the cutting edge is precisely sharp. As a result, shun knives are not mass-produced.
Check out how the Shun Hiro SG2 compares to other chef’s knives, and we think you’ll see that this one has superior features and capabilities.
Is the Knife Strong Enough to Cut All Edibles?
The knife is suitable for cutting or chopping fruits, vegetables, and other edibles. However, you should use it to cut bone, joints, or frozen foods. This Shun Hiro SG2 Chef’s Knife is designed for precision slicing rather than cutting through hard materials.
Final Words
When you buy a Shun Hiro SG2 Chef’s Knife, not only are you getting a quality and precision cutting instrument, but you’re also getting a knife crafted in the finest Japanese tradition. As a result, it’s an excellent knife for kitchen use due to its combination of durability and performance.
This chef’s knife combines traditional beauty with premium performance. The cutting core provides incredible edge retention, while the PakkaWood® handle offers Japanese styling and perfect balance. It doesn’t get much better than that.
