Shen 165mm Broad Blade Chinese Vegetable Knife An iconic blade: this is the only knife in the I.O. Shen family which has a practically straight cutting edge. This facilitates shredding like no other blade as there is no rocking movement, just a deft slicing action. It is also perfect for dicing and chopping. For many years, knife manufacturers have been trying to use increasingly harder steel to achieve the ultimate cutting edge. The hardness of stainless steel is measured on the Rockwell Scale, with 62° being the highest grade commercially available. However, the brittleness of such hard steel has always been a limiting factor. Shen has overcome this problem by using an inner core of super hard Rockwell 62° steel protected by two layers of softer, shock absorbing Rockwell 10° stainless steel on the outside to produce the ultimate cutting edge. They call this Triplex Steel Technology. All of the knives in the I.O. Shen Mastergrade range use the very latest technology to construct blades which are not only amazingly sharp but which will also retain their edge for a phenomenal amount of time. They have been hand sharpened to a 15° angle, which allows for wonderful slicing and portion control. The unique handle design distinguishes I.O. Shen Mastergrade knives from all others. It is an essential factor in achieving balance and stability. The Tai Tang is not simply an embellishment, it is an integral part of the handle. The handles are produced from a synthetic material called ebonite which is both durable and heat resistant, although dishwasher cleaning is not recommended. Shen Care Instructions document above.