The Shun Kanso Bread Knife cuts through bread quickly and easily, whether they're crusty or tender, and with less crumbing. The secret is our wide serrations. Instead of smaller "sawtooth serrations," Kanso's wide, undulating serrations gently glide through bread so there's less tearing and less crumbing. Cakes and pastries benefit from the Shun Kanso Bread Knife's smooth cutting capabilities, too. Shun Kanso is a design principle based on Zen philosophy. It means "simplicity", but simplicity that is achieved by eliminating the non-essential. In Kanso, we took away anything that doesn't matter and kept everything that does: high-performance steel, razor-sharp edge, perfect balance, and precision cutting control. The steel is Japanese AUS10A, highly refined, high-carbon, vanadium stainless steel that takes a razor-sharp edge and holds it longer. Kanso's Heritage finish hides scratches and gives Kanso a rustic look that just improves with age. The handle is made of a wood called tagayasan or wenge, which is sometimes known in Japan as "iron sword wood". The handle contouring enables an easy chef's grip. Full-tang construction provides strength, balance, and easy cutting control. Like all Shun knives, Kanso is sharpened to a 16° cutting angle each side to cut cleanly and help preserve food's freshness and best taste.