Get your Shun Premier collection started right with the Shun Premier 5-piece Starter Set in our sophisticated, dark Slimline Block.

You get the three most-needed kitchen knives—the Shun Premier 8-inch Chef's Knife, the 4-inch Paring Knife, and the 6.5-inch Utility Knife. There's also a Premier Combination Honing Steel to help you maintain your edge. Everything fits in our solid wood Slimline Block with a handsome dark finish. You even have room expand your set; there's one additional knife slot, plus another one to accommodate a handy pair of kitchen shears. Yet the compact design of the Slimline Block means it won't take up too much room on your kitchen countertop.

The Shun Premier 5-piece Starter Set is part of the beautiful Shun Premier line, which calls to mind the hand-forged knives of ancient Japan. While each knife still takes at least 100 handcrafted steps to complete, the materials Shun uses are among the most advanced in the industry. Each blade has a cutting core of Shun's proprietary VG-MAX “super steel” to take and hold a precision edge. The layered Damascus cladding supports the core and provides additional stain resistance. Near the edge of the blade, where the steels meet, an undulating line is formed—similar to the hamon formed when samurai swords are tempered using a traditional clay-baking technique. The hammered tsuchime finish acts like a series of hollow-ground cavities to reduce drag. The handles nestle comfortably in the hand, while the embossed end cap adds balance and beauty.