Tamahagane is the root of the Japanese Samurai Sword and the name was used only on very high quality swords. SAN 3-ply steel blade and also San Kyoto 63-ply steel blade are made by repeated rolling and trained many times. Tamahagane produces in an ancient way with the modern technique by repeating rolling process, all impure materials in the alloy are extracted from the material and the blade becomes harder and more durable.
For more than 600 years Japan produced the well-known sword called Katana. SAN Knives are made with the knowledge that had been accumulated since then. The characteristics of the steel are modified, using plural clad material which makes the knives very easy to re-sharpen.
During the lastest years of the Edo era from A.D 1680 to 1850 in Japan, people could enjoy a peaceful life as there was no war and the Samurai hardly used his sword. At that time, it was very popular to decorate or trim the words by various ways of etching, stamping, etc., in addition to the function of its sharpness. There are many beautiful Katanas which were made during this period. Incorporating this fashion into the SAN Knives gives another artistic feature to make the knives even more beautiful.
The Japanese symbol SAN means brilliant and radiant in English, thus the knives will shine proudly in your kitchen creating historic and artistic ambience.
The Nakiri is a double bevel edged knife with thin blade profile and popular throughout Japan, its mostly used for quickly and efficiently slicing, chopping, and mincing vegetables, fruits, and it became popular among vegetarians.
The SAN range of Tamahagane knives features 3 ply stainless steel construction. The core or middle layer is V-G 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.
- Manufactured by Kataoka and Company in Niigata, Japan.
- 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 58-60 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 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 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 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 SAN design, it also creates fantastic balance.
- The handle is made of a rich, dark pakkawood. The handle shape is distinctive yet classic. The handle fits very comfortably in the hand. It gives you the tradition and warmth of wood without an exposed metal tang that can sometimes cause discomfort.
Professional delivery is available for every product we sell. We would be happy to coordinate delivery for you.
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