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It says it's a 3 layer steel with a VG-10 core, so what are the other 2 layers?
Katamara
11
Mar 8, 2017
hotsteamyshowerNowhere seems to say, but presumably stainless steel.
KatamaraYeah, I would assume that too, but I'm just worried about some low quality skill on the outside with a "premium steel" price just for a core I'll never see.
Shenanigans
175
Mar 8, 2017
hotsteamyshowerThe outer layers are likely a fairly soft stainless steel. This is a very common construction technique and is done for a few reasons. A basic rule of metallurgy is that the harder you make steel, the more brittle it becomes. You want very hard steel for your cutting edge because that will allow it to both take a fine/sharp edge and to hold it for a long time. However, if you made the whole blade from that hard steel, it would be very fragile and could possibly snap where it to take some shock, torsion, or side-loading. The soft cladding acts as a support and shock-absorber and support for the core. This allows the blade to be thin, the core/ cutting edge very hard, but prevents the over-all blade from becoming too fragile. Another general rule is that it is very difficult and expensive to make a steel that is both very good at taking and holding a fine edge, but is also very stain-resistant. The soft cladding is also usually much more "stainless" than the hard core steel, so it also makes the over-all blade more resistant to corrosion/rust.
Lastly, the softer cladding also makes long-term maintenance and sharpening much eraser. Not only is it easier to polish out scuffs and scratches on the sides of the blade, but it is also easier to thin the blade in the area behind the edge in order to maintain the proper geometry as the edge worn down by sharping over time/ many sharpenings.
So, I really don't seen anything wrong (at least on paper) with the materials or construction of this knife, especially at the price point. However, the design/egros set off a few red-flags for me.
EdinNJ
271
Jun 19, 2017
ShenanigansExcellent description of why so many high end Japanese knives are made in layers. I've got a number of Japanese 3 layer knives by multiple brands, and the important thing to remember is something he mentions - the harder the steel, the more brittle. I've needed to sharpen(as opposed to just hone, or re-edge) my knives more than I've expected - over a few years, they develop little tiny divots from hitting bone or some other form of trauma. My old cheaper single layer stainless knives don't ever do that... on the other hand, nor will they literally fall through a tomato, with no pressure on the knife, like a properly sharpened 3-layer Japanese knife.
I think it's an absolutely fair tradeoff - just be aware that there IS a tradeoff. (Even more of a tradeoff than I initially imagined, because I remember there being a lot of commercial knife sharpening businesses in my community when I was growing up, but these days I have to ship them to someone who does the work.) And no, I'm not going to buy stones and oils and do them myself... I don't think a guy with five thumbs on each hand would get a good edge...