A little early for an anniversary present...

[mdlbear]

...but they only had one in the store, and it was likely to be gone by the time we needed it. The fact that I'd been to the bank earlier this morning and knew what my balance was also contributed to the decision, along with the fact that our Kitchenaid mixer is still doing just fine after 25 years or so. Of course the fact that the saleslady knows me and the flower_cat well, and knows of our fondness for Japanese sharp pointy things...

Shun Elite 9-Piece Block Set - Exclusive We traveled to Japan to create a line of knives that would revolutionize kitchen cutlery--Shun Elite is the result. The blade begins with a unique core of SG2 'super steel' powdered metal that's hardened to 64-66 Rockwell (compared to the 56-58 Rockwell of most kitchen knives), resulting in an exceedingly sharp and smooth edge. It's then clad with two layers of SUS410--a softer stainless steel that provides strength, flexibility and corrosion protection--Elite knives stay sharp several times longer than comparable stainless cutlery. Handcrafted in Seki City, Japan, the center of ancient samurai tradition, the Elite's stunning design is directly inspired by the artful aesthetics of samurai swords, down to the smallest detail. Hand wash. Lifetime warranty.

Includes:

* 8" chef
* 9" yanagiba-style slicer
* 9" bread
* 6½" Santoku
* 4½" mini prep
* 3½" paring
* shears
* honing steel
* 11-slot bamboo knife block

I might also point out that the hilts are symmetric (unlike the Shun paring knife we have, which is distinctly right-handed) -- this is significant because we're both sinister. And the bread knife has an edge with broad, smooth-bottomed waves that won't tear up our nice maple cutting boards.

Happy 30th anniversary, love!