Steels
Developed by Hitachi Metals in Japan, the Aogami (Blue) series steel has a high amount of carbon meaning good edge retention. Special care must be taken as knives made with these steels are prone to rust.
Developed by Hitachi Metals in Japan, the Aogami (Blue) No. 1 steel is a high-carbon steel. The steel has a bit higher hardness and longer edge retention than Aogami #2 given a slightly more carbon content. Special care must be taken as knives made with this steel is prone to rust.
Developed by Hitachi Metals in Japan, the Aogami (Blue) No. 2 steel is a high-carbon steel. The steel has a very high hardness therefore long edge retention. Special care must be taken as knives made with the Aogami Steel No. 2 is prone to rust.
Developed by Hitachi Metals in Japan, the Aogami (Blue) Super steel has the highest amount of carbon among the Aogami steels meaning the greatest hardness and edge retention. Many knife makers see this steel as one of the best steels to work with. Special care must be taken as knives made with this steel is prone to rust.
Developed by Hitachi Metals in Japan, ATS 314 is a stainless cobalt alloy steel with great hardness and wear-resistance. More commonly found in high-end salon shears though some knife makers do work with it.
Developed by Hitachi Metals in Japan, ATS 34 is the Japanese version of 154CM steel. The steel resists to rust with 14% of chromium and typically heat-treated to 60-61 HRC.
Developed by AICHI Techno Metal in Japan, the AUS 10 steel has a higher carbon content than AUS 8, giving it a higher wear resistance. Typically heat-treated to 58-61 HRC.
Developed by AICHI Techno Metal in Japan, AUS 8 has vanadium added to increase its hardness. Typically heat-treated to 58-59 HRC.
Developed by AICHI Techno Metal in Japan, AUS 8A steel, also known as 8A, is a type of stainless steel. It’s part of the AUS series, which includes AUS 4, AUS 6, AUS 8, and AUS 10. The hardness of AUS-8A steel depends on the heat treatment process. It has a Rockwell hardness of 58-59 HRC and can reach up to 60HRC with proper heat treatment. The edge retention of the steel is influenced by its hardness. The harder the steel, the better it retains its edge. At about 59 HRC, the edge retention of AUS-8A stainless steel is considered above average.
Chromax steel is more resistant to corrosion compared to high-carbon steels, but it’s still classified as semi-stainless. This means it’s less likely to rust, but can still develop a patina over time and react with acidic foods like fruits and vegetables. In terms of sharpening, it behaves much like a high-carbon steel. It can be hardened to a remarkable hardness of 65 HRC. The composition of Chromax steel includes 1% Carbon, 5% Chromium, 0.9% Manganese, 1.2% Molybdenum, and 0.5% Vanadium.
Developed by Takefu Special Steel Company in Japan, the Cobalt Special is a super high-grade stainless steel as Cobalt (Co) strengthens the matrix and is effective in maintaining a long-lasting sharp edge.
Developed by Hitachi Metals in Japan, the Ginsan (Silver #3) is a carbon steel and what makes it special is that it is stainless at the same time. Ginsan is easy to sharpen and has a hardness similar to the Shirogami steels, making it ideal for users who want an easy to maintain steel.
Developed by Hitachi Metals in Japan, HAP-40 is a powder metallurgy High Speed Tool Steel. Capable of being heat treated to 68 HRC, HAP40 offers excellent edge retention. It is considered as semi-stainless, meaning it is still prone to rust but easier to maintain than carbon steel.
Molybdenum refers to steel that is alloyed with molybdenum (Mo), which increases the strength of the steel at high temperatures, making it more resistant to wear and tear. It also improves the grain structure of the steel, which enhances its resistance to corrosion. This makes molybdenum steel a popular choice for kitchen knives, as these properties are highly beneficial for a tool that is frequently used and exposed to various elements.
Developed by Kobe Steel in Japan, the R2 steel is a powered steel well known for excellent wear resistance. The steel is believed to have the same composition as the SG2 steel - when distributed by Takefu Special Steel.
Developed by Takefu Special Steel Company in Japan, SG2 or Super Gold 2 is a high-end stainless powdered tool steel alloy which is capable of being treated to a hardness of 64 HRC.
Developed by Hitachi Metals in Japan, the Shirogami (White) series steel is very popular steel among Japanese knife makers. Reasons behind its popularity include easy to sharpen and good edge retention. Special care must be taken as knives made with these steels are prone to rust.
Developed by Hitachi Metals in Japan, the Shirogami (White) Steel No. 1 is a very popular steel among Japanese knife makers. The steel has a slightly more carbon than the more common Shirogami #2 which makes it a bit harder. Special care must be taken as knives made with this steel is prone to rust.
Developed by Hitachi Metals in Japan, the Shirogami (White) No. 2 steel is a very popular steel among Japanese knife makers. Reasons behind its popularity include easy to sharpen and good edge retention. Special care must be taken as knives made with this steel is prone to rust.
Developed by Hitachi Metals in Japan, the Shirogami (White) No. 3 has a lower carbon content, making it softer and easier to sharpen. It rates at 58–61 HRC.
Developed by Hitachi Metals in Japan, the SK series (SK-5, SK-4, SK-3) is a lower end carbon steel with the lowest carbon content (#5 with the least carbon content while $3 with the most) among other offerings from the same manufacturer.
Developed by Hitachi Metals in Japan, SKD is a high carbon – high chromium air hardening cold work tool steel, heat treatable to 60-64 HRC.
Developed by Nachi-Fujikoshi in Japan, SRS13 is a Powdered High Speed Tool Steel which can be heat treated to 64 HRC.
Swedish steel, which could be the AEB-L, Sandvik 19C27, or UX-10 used by Misono. They are generally easy to sharpen and popular among some makers due to its predictable nature.
TUS Steel, or Takayuki Special Steel, is a special steel produced for the Sakai Takayuki brand. It has a Rockwell rating of 57-59 HRC.
Developed by Takefu Special Steel Company in Japan, VG XEOS is a special steel with a fine microstructure created by a special melting method that improves wear resistance, strength, and quenching properties. Typically heat-treated to 61-62 HRC.
Developed by Takefu Special Steel Company in Japan, VG1, also known as V Gold 1 steel, is a high carbon stainless steel. It’s not the same as VG-10 steel. VG1 steel is known for its fine carbide structure and offers high toughness, excellent corrosion resistance, and good edge retention.
Developed by Takefu Special Steel Company in Japan, VG10 is also called V Gold 10. A stainless steel with high-carbon content which is very hard and tough, with great edge retention. Typically has an HRC of 60-61.
Developed by Takefu Special Steel Company in Japan, VG10W is a variant of VG10 steel, made by adding tungsten (W) to VG10. This addition of tungsten precipitates and disperses hard, fine carbides, which contribute to improved wear resistance and ease of sharpening. Furthermore, the addition of tungsten also enhances the hardenability of the material.
Developed by Takefu Special Steel Company in Japan, VG7 steel is a high alloy steel with significantly higher tungsten content than for example VG10W. It has excellent wear resistance, yet its toughness is still high. It is widely used for cutting shears, kitchen knives, and general purpose knives. It also keeps the sharpness better than most and is a little harder than VG10 with a typical hardness of HRC 61.5≦.
ZA-18 is a type of cobalt stainless steel developed by Aichi Steel Corp. It was designed to outperform its rival, Takefu VG10 steel. The steel is used in the knife industry to make high-end Japanese kitchen knives, but its properties are also suitable for folding and fixed knives due to its excellent edge retention and corrosion resistance.
Developed by Hitachi Metals in Japan, ZDP189 contains extremely high carbon - 3% and chromium - 20% content, making it extremely hard with superior edge retention. It is capable of being head treated to up to 68 HRC. With its extreme hardness, ZDP189 is known for difficult to sharpen and forge, resulting a lower popularity among knife makers despite outstanding performance.