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What is a Japanese Forged Chef Knife?

       A forged Chef Knife, or a forged blade, is a blade which is made of
one piece of steel, usually Carbon Steel, which is heated up in a forge (oven),
almost to its melting point, and the beaten with a hammer to form the
blade shape.

       What is so special about the Japanese Forged Chef Knife?

       First of all the material.

       Forging steel will not necessarily make it strong. There is a huge
importance to the steel compound that is forged, shaped and sharpened.

       In the 13th century, when blade forging was used for the making
of the Katana (Samurai Sword), --  see History of the Japanese Forged
Chef Knife -- Japanese sword smiths used to experiment with different
kinds of  steel compounds to get maximum strength and flexibility
for their blades.

       After Centuries of experiments, the best compounds that were
available, and still used to this day in the making of Japanese Forged
Chef Knives are Carbon Steel compound which include Chromium,
Vanadium, Molybdenum and Cobalt.

       The metal that is used today is called VG-10. It is only found in
Japan, and the Japanese government does not allow it to be exported
as raw material. Only as finished products.

       The next thing that was discovered in the forging of the Japanese
blade, was that folding the Carbon Steel metal while hammering it, gave
the blade more steel fibers.

       That allows for more strength and flexibility.

       The best Katana swords, were folded up to 800 times, making them
the most expensive and sought after weapons in the far east.

       Folding steel while forging it into a blade takes a lot of time and
experience. That is why a good Japanese forged chef knife may cost a
few hundred dollars today.

       Each fold added to the blade, adds carbon steel fibers by 2 to the
factor of the number of folds:

                                           X (the number of folds)
The number of fibers = 2

       While each fiber gives the blade more flexibility and more strength.

       A forged Japanese chef knife usually has between 16 to 32 folds.

       The better knives have 67 folds and up.

A traditional Japanese Forge can heat up to 1200° C.

 

 For more information go to the Sakura Order Page

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