The Shun Premier blade's core is fashioned from extremely hard VG Max steel and is enveloped in 32 layers of Damascus steel. This combination of different steel grades makes the blade both hard and flexible at once. The double-sided blade is easy to use because it its light weight and guarantees a clean and precise cut. The incorporation of a hammered surface - known in Japan as Tsuchime - underlies not only aesthetic reasons, but also serves the release of material from the blade thanks to the resulting air pockets.