White Steel

Also known as "Shirogami". High-purity iron sand is used as the raw material, with small amounts of impurities such as phosphorus and sulfur mixed in with the iron and carbon. It has a sharp cutting edge and is the basic steel material for Japanese kitchen knives. Depending on the carbon content, there are White 1, White 2, and White 3 steels. [White 1 Steel] White 1 is made by adding more carbon to Shirogami 2. It produces the sharpest cutting edge of all steels, but its manufacturing process is difficult, and only a few skilled craftsmen can handle this steel. Therefore, it is very expensive and has high rarity value. [White 2 Steel] White 2 is made by further removing impurities from Yellow 2. It has good sharpness and is highly valued by chefs

< Blue Steel & White Steel >

Difference between Blue Steel and White Steel

Blue steel is an alloy carbon steel in which alloying elements are added to white steel to improve sharpness and durability. Therefore, blue steel has advantages over white steel, such as being "chip-proof" and "sharpen-proof. The price of knives made of blue steel is also higher because of the higher cost of raw materials.

	Advantages	Disadvantages
Blue Steel	Long-lasting sharpness Hard to chip Very hard and sharp cutting edge	More expensive than white steel Harder to sharpen
White Steel	Very hard and sharp cutting edge Less expensive than blue steel Easy to sharpen	Low tenacity and prone to chipping Low friction resistance, resulting in premature loss of sharpness

Difference between #1 and #2 in carbon steel type

The amount of carbon contained varies, with #1 and #2 being the most abundant in that order. The more carbon is contained, the harder the material is and the longer the sharpness lasts. However, it is also easier to chip.

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