Knife Steel Guide

Which steel suits you? A plain guide to the carbon and stainless steels we stock — how keen they get, how long they hold an edge, how easily they sharpen, and how much care they need.

Japanese knife steels fall into two broad families — carbon steel and stainless steel — and you choose between them by balancing keenness, edge retention, ease of sharpening and resistance to rust.

Carbon steel

Takes the keenest edge and is the easiest to sharpen — the traditional choice. In return it is reactive: wipe it dry after use, and it develops a patina over time.

Stainless steel

Resists rust and asks for little care, so it is dependable for busy kitchens and everyday use. Modern stainless steels such as Ginsan and powdered steel now close much of the old gap in sharpness.

The steels we stock

White steel (Shirogami) — Carbon

The purest Japanese carbon steel, with very little added to it. It takes an exceptionally keen edge and is the easiest of all to sharpen on a stone — but it is the most reactive, so keep it wiped dry. A favourite of those who sharpen often and want the finest edge.

Blue steel (Aogami) — Carbon

White steel with chromium and tungsten added, which raise its wear resistance so the edge holds longer. It is a little harder to sharpen than white steel, and still a carbon steel that needs wiping dry. For those who prize long edge retention.

VG10 — Stainless

A high-carbon stainless steel from Takefu Special Steel, well balanced across sharpness, edge retention and rust resistance. It is often the core of Damascus and clad blades, and is easy to live with day to day.

Silver #3 (Ginsan) — Stainless

A high-carbon stainless steel from Proterial (formerly Hitachi Metals) whose sharpness and feel on the stone come close to white carbon steel — but without the rust. A popular way to get a carbon-like edge with easy care, and used even on single-bevel knives.

Molybdenum — Stainless

A rust-resistant, low-maintenance stainless widely used from home kitchens to professional lines. Tough and forgiving, it is the dependable everyday choice and excellent value.

Powdered high-speed steel — Powder steel

Made by powder metallurgy, it holds an edge far longer than ordinary stainless — but is harder to sharpen and asks for suitable stones and some skill. It is semi-stainless: far more rust-resistant than carbon steel, though it can still stain. For those who want the longest-lasting edge.

Construction (not the steel itself)

Damascus： A decorative pattern of layered steel folded around a core. The cutting edge is the core steel (often VG10); the pattern itself is cosmetic.
Clad (san-mai)： A hard core steel sandwiched between softer outer layers — pairing a keen edge with a more forgiving, often rust-resistant body.
Honyaki： Forged from a single piece of steel and differentially hardened — the traditional summit, the hardest to make and to maintain.
Kasumi： The more common build, in which a hard steel is forge-welded to soft iron (as opposed to honyaki's single steel).

At a glance

Steel comparison

Steel	Edge	Retention	Sharpening	Rust	Best for
White (Shirogami)	Very keen	Standard	Very easy	Reactive	Traditionalists who sharpen often
Blue (Aogami)	Keen	Long	Moderate	Reactive	Long edge retention
Molybdenum	Good	Standard	Easy	Resistant	Low-maintenance daily / pro
VG10	Keen	Good	Standard	Resistant	Balance; Damascus lovers
Silver #3 (Ginsan)	Keen (near carbon)	Good	Easy	Resistant	Carbon-like edge, easy care
Powdered HSS	Keen	Very long	Difficult	Fairly resistant (semi)	Longest edge life

How to choose

Everyday use with the least care → stainless (molybdenum, VG10).
The traditional keenest edge, and you enjoy sharpening → carbon (white, blue).
A carbon-like edge that also resists rust → Ginsan.
The longest edge life between sharpenings → powdered steel.

Whichever you choose, a Japanese edge is kept alive on a whetstone, and carbon steels want wiping dry after use. See the sharpening guide →

Try them in store

Not sure which steel is for you? Hold a few and test-cut at our Akihabara and Namba stores — one stroke tells you more than any spec sheet.

See the knives