I do realize that when a person says she’s obsessed with her knife, it may raise some concerns. But facts are facts: there are very few things I enjoy using more than my 8 inch Shun classic chef’s knife.

I stumbled into buying one by accident. I was in fact looking for a knife, but I hadn’t really done any research and was wandering aimlessly in a fancy cookery store, being distracted by tiny Le Creuset pots and Peugeot pepper mills. In the knife section, it was love at first sight: it was beautiful, it was Japanese and it felt wonderful in my hand, so I bought it on the spot. I’m sure expensive Japanese knife brands are delighted to have me as a customer.

For the next days and weeks, chopping became my favourite thing. If you haven’t owned a proper knife for a while (the side effects of moving abroad) and you do a fair amount of cooking, suddenly getting a good blade will improve your quality of life immeasurably. I took photos of my knife. I talked about it to guests. I just wouldn’t stop.

It was only later that I discovered that Shun isn’t, in fact, a small obscure Japanese brand, but a very well known knife manufacturer. Shuns are known for their many layers of steal that create a pretty pattern on the knife and their thin and very sharp edge (this video is a bit annoying, but explains it all well). I also discovered, much later, that some knife aficionados consider Shuns to be too mainstream and too expensive for what they are.

Shun knives are not cheap. No, let’s rephrase that: Shun knives are expensive. I understand that not everyone can afford them. But for those for whom this is an option, I can say that the Shun is a pleasure to use and more-or-less the only knife in our household. We have a nondescript small knife for detailed work that is too inconvenient to do with the Shun and the only other job for which I would need a different knife is carving the chicken. Everything else, from slicing bread to chopping vegetables and even filleting fish, the Shun can handle.

The only downside – in addition to the price – is that you need to take proper care of a knife like this. You have to hone and sharpen (with a whetstone) it regularly, otherwise it’ll not be quite the same knife soon and you might even ruin it for ever. I’m not saying I’m perfect in the caretaking department, but I never put this knife into the dishwasher and I do usually clean it right after use, especially if I have cut anything acidic. It’s remarkable what love can make you do.