鋼 · Hagane
Knife steels
The knives we list use 17 core steels. Carbon steels take a keen edge but rust; stainless steels need less care.
Carbon steel
| Steel | Japanese name | Producer | Knives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shirogami #2 | 白紙2号 | Proterial (formerly Hitachi Metals) | 22 |
| Aogami #2 | 青紙2号 | Proterial (formerly Hitachi Metals) | 19 |
| Carbon (other) | 炭素鋼（その他） | Various | 6 |
| Shirogami #1 | 白紙1号 | Proterial (formerly Hitachi Metals) | 6 |
| Aogami #1 | 青紙1号 | Proterial (formerly Hitachi Metals) | 5 |
| Aogami Super | 青紙スーパー | Proterial (formerly Hitachi Metals) | 1 |
| Tamahagane | 玉鋼 | Various | 1 |
Stainless steel
| Steel | Japanese name | Producer | Knives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stainless (other) | ステンレス（その他） | Various | 77 |
| VG-10 | VG-10 | Takefu Special Steel | 63 |
| Molybdenum stainless | モリブデン鋼 | Various | 24 |
| Ginsan (Silver #3) | 銀三 | Proterial (formerly Hitachi Metals) | 17 |
| AUS-8 | AUS-8 | Aichi Steel | 6 |
| AUS-10 | AUS-10 | Aichi Steel | 1 |
Semi-stainless steel
Powder stainless steel
| Steel | Japanese name | Producer | Knives |
|---|---|---|---|
| SG2 / R2 | SG2 | Takefu Special Steel | 30 |
Unclassified steel
| Steel | Japanese name | Producer | Knives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swedish steel | スウェーデン鋼 | Various | 5 |