Tamahagane

Sointu USA is the exclusive distributor for Tamahagane knives in the United States. Tamahagane knives are manufactured by Kataoka and Company in Niigata, Japan. The word tamahagane means precious steel. Historically, the word tamahagane has been known as a particular, very pure and high quality steel produced using traditional Japanese techniques. Today, Kataoka uses Tamahagane as the brand name for the exceptional knives it makes from similar quality steels produced using modern techniques. With their unsurpassed sharpness and edge retention, these knives are definitely precious steel.

TAMAHAGANE SAN KYOTO
The SAN KYOTO Tamahagane knives feature 63-ply stainless steel construction. The core or middle layer is VG No. 5. The core layer is the cutting edge and is 61 degrees on the Rockwell scale for hardness. There are 31 layers of SUS410 stainless steel on each side of the middle layer. These 31 layers on each side create a beautiful damascus pattern which make the knives very distinctive. The outside layers are softer and more stain resistant than the cutting edge and actually protect the cutting edge.

The 63-ply stainless steel has an original thickness of 20 mm and is thinned by repeated rolling to a thickness of 2 mm. You might want to look at this rolling process as a modern forging technique. Also, this rolling process removes all the impurities in the steel leaving you with a very hard, very pure stainless steel. After the rolling processes, the V-G No. 5 cutting edge reaches a hardness of 61 degrees on the Rockwell scale and a final thickness of .65 mm. The outside layers each reach a thickness of .675 mm.

There are several different VG stainless steels. Kataoka selected V-G No. 5 stainless steel for the SAN KYOTO knives, because V-G No. 5 can be hardened as hard as any of the other V-G steels but has superior edge retention. Using scientific testing equipment (CATRA), Kataoka was able to show that their knives stayed sharper longer than knives made from other VG steels.

The edge on the SAN KYOTO knives is a minute, beveled edge. The angle of the edge is between 14 and 15 degrees. To appreciate the quality of the edge, you must first look at its incredible mirror polish and then try cutting with it. Kataoka has achieved the perfect balance between sharpness and strength with the SAN edge.

The SAN KYOTO knives are balanced with a stainless steel weight which attaches to the tang and is visible at the heel of the handle. Not only does this add to the beauty of the design, it also creates fantastic balance.

The SAN KYOTO uses a black Mikarta handle which is resin laminated with linen. The handle shape is distinctive yet classic. The tang is completely concealed so that it cannot be a source of discomfort. The handle fits very comfortably in the hand.

TAMAHAGANE SAN AND SAN TSUBAME
The Tamahagane SAN and SAN TSUBAME knives both feature 3-ply stainless steel construction. The middle layer is VG No. 5. This layer is very hard and acts as the cutting edge. The two outside layers are made of SUS410 stainless steel. The outside layers are softer and more stain resistant than the cutting edge and actually protect the cutting edge.

Like the SAN KYOTO, the 3-ply stainless steel has an original thickness of 20 mm and is thinned by repeated rolling to a thickness of 2 mm. You might want to look at this rolling process as a modern forging technique. Also, this rolling process removes all the impurities in the steel leaving you with a very hard, very pure stainless steel. After the rolling processes, the V-G No. 5 cutting edge reaches a hardness of 61 degrees on the Rockwell scale and a final thickness of .65 mm. The outside layers each reach a thickness of .675 mm.

There are several different VG stainless steels. Kataoka selected V-G No. 5 stainless steel for the SAN and SAN TSUBAME knives, because V-G No. 5 can be hardened as hard as any of the other V-G steels but has superior edge retention. Using scientific testing equipment (CATRA), Kataoka was able to show that their knives stayed sharper longer than knives made from other VG steels.

Like the SAN KYOTO, the edge on the SAN and SAN TSUBAME knives is a minute, beveled edge. The angle of the edge is between 14 and 15 degrees. To appreciate the quality of the edge, you must first look at its incredible mirror polish and then try cutting with it. Kataoka has achieved the perfect balance between sharpness and strength with the SAN and SAN TSUBAME edges.

Like the SAN KYOTO, the SAN and SAN TSUBAME knives are balanced with a stainless steel weight which attaches to the tang and is visible at the heel of the handle. Not only does this add to the beauty of the design, it also creates fantastic balance.

The handle is made of a rich, dark laminated wood. The handle shape is the same as the SAN KYOTO. It gives you the tradition and warmth of wood without an exposed metal tang that can sometimes cause discomfort.

The differences between the SAN and SAN TSUBAME knives is the appearance, the taper of the blade and the weight. The blade of the SAN has a matte finish from spine to edge for a very clean and simple appearance. The blade of the SAN TSUBAME is hand-hammered about half way down from the spine. The whole blade is then sandblasted. The sandblasting only affects the softer SUS410 outside layers leaving the outside layers with a matte finish and the VG No. 5 core with a mirror polish. The hammering and sandblasting give the SAN TSUBAME a very rich appearance. The blade of the SAN tapers from the spine to the edge. The SAN TSUBAME starts to taper only after the hammered portion of the blade. Since the SAN TSUBAME is tapered less, the SAN TSUBAME is slightly heavier than the SAN.

TAMAHAGANE PRO

Tamahagane PRO knives are made of very pure molybdenum/vanadium stainless steel. The purity is superior to Swedish Steel which is commonly known to be quite pure.

Each PRO knife is receives a special heat treatment with quenching at 1050 degrees centigrade. Each knife is then cooled to below minus 73 degrees centigrade. This heat and cooling treatment enhances hardness, durability and edge retention.

To facilitate resharpening, the base blade of the PRO knives is wet honed with coarse and medium grindstones by skilled craftsmen prior to the formation of the primary blade. The final blade honing is also done by hand to insure that each knife will stay sharp long.

The PRO handle is made of anti-microbial compressed laminated black wood. This makes this knife perfect for commercial use as well as home use. The handle is a traditional 3 rivet design. All the edges of the handle are contoured for maximum comfort.

Care should be taken not to put the Tamahagane knives in the dishwasher. To learn how to care for these knives, please go to PRODUCT CARE. For sharpening the SAN knives, any of the MinoSharp products will work fine.