Talk to any professional chef or cook and you'll hear how important exceptional cutlery is to good kitchen work. So much so, that a quality paring knife and chef's knife are always listed first as the two most important tools in any kitchen. With this in mind, I went sleuthing for the best of the best in terms of knives. Hands down, the Shun products kept popping up - especially the Shun Classic Chef Knife.

Here's what I read about why to buy a Shun knife:

"Born of the ancient samurai-sword-making tradition and hand-finished for precision and beauty, Shun Classic is an ideal choice for anyone buying their first top-quality chef's knife or their 50th. Shun knives are preferred by professional chefs and home cooks alike. Produced in the widest variety of specialized styles, the Classic line features both traditional European blade shapes and innovative cutting-edge designs.

"Shun Classic's amazingly sharp blade is famous for both edge retention and ease of sharpening. Each blade has a core of VG-10 "Super Steel" with a Pattern Damascus cladding of 32 layers of high-carbon stainless steel - 16 layers on either side. While the wood grain pattern enhances the knife's beauty, it also adds durability and stain resistance, and reduces friction when cutting."

While this seems like mostly marketing baffle-gab to me, my son, Paul, who is a professional chef, verified it's much more than marketing hype. Take edge-retention and sharpening ease, for instance. According to Paul and other chefs I talked to, these features are HUGE deals. So the Shun claims carry some weight. And to anyone who likes a smooth and efficient chop, their claim to reduced friction when cutting, is another important piece to the quality-knife-puzzle.

When looking for the Shun online, I found this on amazon.com: "Made from VG-10 stainless steel, Shun knives are specially constructed to be harder, less brittle, but also more flexible than traditional steel formulations. The VG-10 core is then clad with 16 full layers of SUS410 high-carbon stainless steel on each side, for a total of 33 layers. These layers not only protect the VG-10, they create an exquisitely-detailed surface, the kind once used for Samurai swords. As a result, the knives are simply stunning to look at. As an additional benefit, the slight patterning helps slice rather than crush delicate foods and keeps cut food from sticking to the blade." [I like that idea - I know I waste time always scraping what I'm chopping off the blade.]

"The large 8-inch blade of this Shun chef's knife makes it ideal for versatile slicing, chopping, dicing, and more. Like many Asian-style knives, the knife's handle is especially suited to smaller users. In contrast to the traditional round profile, however, Shun's are D-shaped to prevent the knife from twisting in the hand, providing extra stability and a firm grip.

The handle is made from ebony-colored PakkaWood, a fused blend of hardwood veneers imbued with waterproof resin that combines the warmth and traditional look and feel of wood with the strength and durability of plastic. The offset stainless steel bolster is designed for ergonomic comfort and maximum safety, while a stainless-steel end cap provides the finishing touch. As sturdy as it is lovely, the chef's knife is officially safe to put in the dishwasher - although it's so good-looking you might find yourself hard-pressed to do so. Shun knives carry a limited lifetime warranty."

OK, I'm SO sold, but what do we have to pay for such a majestic knife? Back to amazon.com, I found the above-mentioned 8-inch Shun Classic for $169.95, with free shipping. It is listed regularly at $213.00, so this is a 20% savings ($43.05). And of course, some styles are more, some are less. The Shun Classic Paring Knife was around $99.00.

But when it comes to quality knives, Shun prices are in the ballpark. For instance, I found the Wusthof Classic Knife set (pictured) for $999.95 on everythingkitchens.com (listed regularly at $1872.00). A cutting board and 2-stage knife sharpener was included.

Here's the deal, then. I'm a big believer in the "less is best" philosophy, so if all we really need for efficient kitchen work is a quality paring knife and chef's knife, then these uber-expensive knives aren't really that far from a reality. 2 knives at about $190 (tax included) for both. Sure, it may take awhile to save up for them, but back to the advice from cooking professionals: Over the long haul, the cost is very worth it. Maybe it's time we think about taking our kitchen cutlery to professional standards!