The high cutting performance and high-quality secrets of Japanese cutting tools are closely related to high-quality blade steel. We will introduce you to the popular main blade steel materials and provide detailed and efficient information. It may be a bit complicated.
Relying solely on high-quality steel cannot guarantee the high quality of the blade, as the microstructure of the steel is significantly influenced by the forging technology, forging temperature, and heat treatment methods used in the manufacturing process. Various tool steels also have different characteristics, so they may not be suitable for specific blade geometries or cutting tasks. A secret behind the sharpness and cutting performance of Japanese knives lies in the traditional forging and heat treatment techniques used by knife makers, many of which have been in use for hundreds of years and were originally developed by Japanese knife makers. Similarly, the geometric shapes of the blades they manufacture are usually based on traditional forms that have withstood the test of time and, in some cases, hundreds of years. The knives we sell are manufactured by experienced knife makers and craftsmen who understand how to extract the best characteristics from the steel they use, as well as which forging techniques, heat treatment procedures, and blade geometries are suitable for each different type of knife they produce. Production. They pay special attention to forging, grinding, and heat treatment processes because they know that poor technology or improper methods may cause irreversible damage to the blade steel, or have a negative impact on the sharpness, retention force, toughness, or difficulty of blade grinding. All of our craftsmen make every effort to produce excellent tools in all aspects.
As you can see from our selection of high-quality Japanese knives, there are many types of steel used for making kitchen knives. On this webpage, we would like to discuss the different characteristics of each type of steel commonly used for manufacturing Japanese kitchen knives. Below, we will divide these steels into three basic groups:
Carbon steel (an alloy of iron and carbon, where the main interstitial alloy component is carbon)
Stainless steel (steel with a chromium content of at least 10.5% by mass)
Powder metallurgy steel/powder high-speed tool steel (steel made of powder metal)
We hope to read the following information to help you identify steel that meets your specific requirements. Our new website will allow you to quickly and easily find all the specific steel cutting tools we offer that interest you. But first, let's take a look at the various elements added to steel alloys and how they are formed to change the properties of the alloy.
Elements added to steel alloys and their typical effects
Just like seasoning changes the taste of food, the properties of steel alloys can be changed by adding different chemical elements and compounds. If used carefully, this technology can produce tailored steel alloys for specific applications, but caution must be exercised as negative and positive effects may arise depending on the volume or quality of the elements added to the alloy. In addition, the effects produced by an element may vary greatly depending on which other elements are included in the steel alloy and the percentage of these elements in the alloy.
Metallurgy is a very complex science, so please consider the information provided here only as a basic guide.
Carbon (C)
Improve achievable edge retention, tensile strength, and hardness.
Chromium (Cr)
Increase hardness, tensile strength, and toughness. Improve corrosion resistance. It can also improve the wear resistance of complex steel alloys.
Cobalt (Co)
Increase strength and hardness. Quenching at higher temperatures is allowed. Strengthen the individual effects of other elements in more complex steel.
Molybdenum (Mo)
Improve strength, hardness, hardenability, and toughness. Improve machinability and corrosion resistance.
Tungsten/Tungsten (W)
Increase strength and toughness. Improve hardenability.
Vanadium (Va)
Improve strength, wear resistance, and toughness. Limit grain size.