High carbon steels
High carbon steels are iron-carbon alloys with ~2.0% carbon. They lack corrosion resistance but boast exceptional sharpness, edge retention, and ease of sharpening. They need careful maintenance to prevent rust. For those willing to provide extra care, they offer unmatched performance.
Blue Steel No.1
A popular stainless steel produced by Aichi Steel Company. It offers excellent durability, rust resistance, easy sharpening, and better edge retention than most at a reasonable price.
HRC: 59-60
Blue Steel No.2
A solid entry-level steel that’s easy to sharpen, durable, rust resistant, and affordable. Produced by Aichi Steel Company, it’s similar to AUS10 but with slightly less edge retention.
HRC: 58-59
Blue Super
A popular stainless steel with high carbon content and fine grain structure. Also known as Ginsan, it offers cutting quality and ease of sharpening comparable to White Steel.
HRC: 59-61
Honyaki
A semi-stainless steel from Hitachi Metal Company that delivers exceptional edge retention and wear resistance, outperforming VG10 and AUS10, while requiring only manageable maintenance to prevent rust.
HRC: 60-61
White No.1
Takayuki Special Steel is a molybdenum-vanadium stainless steel alloy made by Sakai Takayuki. It delivers good sharpness, hardness, and durability, but requires more frequent sharpening.
HRC: 58-59
White No.2
A high-grade stainless steel manufactured by Takefu Special Steel Company, known for its excellent balance of hardness, durability, edge retention, and chip resistance.
HRC: 60-61.
Tamahagane
A stainless steel produced by Takefu Special Steel Company that shares much of the same qualities of its successor, VG10. However, the metallurgic content is different, making VG1 slightly softer.
HRC: 59-60
Stainless steels
Stainless steels resist staining and rust. Japanese stainless steels have higher carbon content than most, making them sharper with better edge retention, though slightly more delicate and less stain resistant. Sharp, reliable and built to last, these steels offer an effortless cooking experience with minimal maintenance.
AUS10
A popular stainless steel produced by Aichi Steel Company. It offers excellent durability, rust resistance, easy sharpening, and better edge retention than most at a reasonable price.
HRC: 59-60
AUS8
A solid entry-level steel that’s easy to sharpen, durable, rust resistant, and affordable. Produced by Aichi Steel Company, it’s similar to AUS10 but with slightly less edge retention.
HRC: 58-59
Silver Steel No.3
A popular stainless steel with high carbon content and fine grain structure. Also known as Ginsan, it offers cutting quality and ease of sharpening comparable to White Steel.
HRC: 59-61
SLD
A semi-stainless steel from Hitachi Metal Company that delivers exceptional edge retention and wear resistance, outperforming VG10 and AUS10, while requiring only manageable maintenance to prevent rust.
HRC: 60-61
TUS
Takayuki Special Steel is a molybdenum-vanadium stainless steel alloy made by Sakai Takayuki. It delivers good sharpness, hardness, and durability, but requires more frequent sharpening.
HRC: 58-59
VG10
A high-grade stainless steel manufactured by Takefu Special Steel Company, known for its excellent balance of hardness, durability, edge retention, and chip resistance.
HRC: 60-61.
VG5
A stainless steel produced by Takefu Special Steel Company that shares much of the same qualities of its successor, VG10. However, the metallurgic content is different, making VG1 slightly softer.
HRC: 59-60
VG1
A stainless steel produced by Takefu Special Steel Company that shares much of the same qualities of its successor, VG10. However, the metallurgic content is different, making VG1 slightly softer.
HRC: 59-60
VG-XEOS
A revolutionary alloy from Takefu Special Steel that combines exceptional corrosion resistance and hardness, delivering superior edge retention and durability for premium cutlery.
HRC: 63-65
ZA18
A complex stainless steel developed by Aichi Steel Company. It’s similar in composition to VG10 and N690, but contains more carbon, chromium, and other elements increases its overall strength, durability, and stain-resistance.
HRC: 61-62
Powdered stainless steels
Stainless steels resist staining and rust. Japanese stainless steels have higher carbon content than most, making them sharper with better edge retention, though slightly more delicate and less stain resistant. Sharp, reliable and built to last, these steels offer an effortless cooking experience with minimal maintenance.
Cobalt Special
A popular stainless steel produced by Aichi Steel Company. It offers excellent durability, rust resistance, easy sharpening, and better edge retention than most at a reasonable price.
HRC: 59-60
HAP40
A solid entry-level steel that’s easy to sharpen, durable, rust resistant, and affordable. Produced by Aichi Steel Company, it’s similar to AUS10 but with slightly less edge retention.
HRC: 58-59
SG2
A popular stainless steel with high carbon content and fine grain structure. Also known as Ginsan, it offers cutting quality and ease of sharpening comparable to White Steel.
HRC: 59-61
SRS13
A semi-stainless steel from Hitachi Metal Company that delivers exceptional edge retention and wear resistance, outperforming VG10 and AUS10, while requiring only manageable maintenance to prevent rust.
HRC: 60-61
ZDP189
Takayuki Special Steel is a molybdenum-vanadium stainless steel alloy made by Sakai Takayuki. It delivers good sharpness, hardness, and durability, but requires more frequent sharpening.
HRC: 58-59