Featuring blue carbon steel, this traditional Japanese santoku is used for chopping, slicing and mincing. This is one of the most popular household knives in Japan today. The 6.5" blue steel is unique for the razor sharp edge it generates and the hardness of the blade.
Made in Japan by Tsukiji Aritsugu, a family-owned knife manufacturer and blacksmith with 16th century roots in swordmaking. They’re located in Tokyo’s famed Tsukiji fish market and bring 400 years of knife making experience to their product and offer great quality at moderate prices. Wipe and dry during use and immediately after washing.
Carbon steel is the traditional material used for creating Japanese knives. The key difference is that traditional japanese carbon steel knives are strong (literally harder than stainless steel) with a sharp edge that stays sharp for longer than stainless knives. Despite being a harder metal, carbon steel knives are also easier to sharpen (with a whetstone) than stainless steel knives, and a much sharper blade is possible.
Because of the alloys used, carbon steel knives may discolor, patina, and sometimes even rust if not properly washed and dried after use. Single bevel knives cannot be sharpened with a pull-through sharpener, so they must be sharpened with a whetstone.
Just like Tsukiji Aritsugu's White Carbon knives, Blue Carbon knives are made from the same low contaminant, high carbon steel known for its ease of sharpening and ability to take a very fine, razor sharp edge. More difficult to forge and temper properly, this type of steel is a testament to the skill of the craftsman. Beloved by sushi chefs for its super fine edge, but it is highly reactive and will oxide (rust) easily. In addition, this brittle steel will lose its edge more quickly and require additional sharpening to maintain its razor-sharp edge.
Unlike white carbon, blue carbon steel gets its name from the traditionally blue paper used to label it by Japanese factories. In addition to a base of low-contaminant high carbon steel, it contains small amounts of chromium, tungsten, and vandanium to reduce the brittleness and reactivity of the steel. This means that a blue carbon steel knife, while not containing enough chromium to be truly stainless, resists oxidation more than a white carbon steel knife and holds its edge longer. Although it cannot be sharpened quite as razor-thin as white carbon steel, it still can be sharpened much finer than stainless steel and is less high maintenance.
