Characteristic of Knife Steel

When it comes to the world of culinary knives, Japanese knife steel is highly renowned for its exceptional quality and craftsmanship. But what exactly is Japanese knife steel?

Most of Japanese knives are made from high quality of stainless steel or carbon steel.

Common Japanese stainless steel are VG10,Ginsan(Silver steel),AUS8,SG2/R2,ZDP189

Stainless steel knife is very handy because it doesn’t rust or stain easily compared to carbon steel one. It is easier to look after than high-carbon steel.

Common Japanese carbon steel are Aogami (Blue steel) and Shirogami (White Steel).

Carbon steel knife has excellent sharpness and can hold an edge longer. However, it can rust easily. Most of Japanese knives have 3 layers of steel to fix this issue. The outer layer is stainless steel and the core is carbon steel.

The below chart shows more details regarding the characteristics of Japanese steels.