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The experience with the San Tsubame and Take knives was a clear trigger for the decision to offer our clients the best of both series. TAMAHAGANE San knives are a kind of combination of the exceptional attributes of the mentioned series. It is no coincidence that in Japan, the term San refers to brilliance.
With Japanese knives of the western type, we most often encounter a three-layer blade. The core that forms the blade itself is always made of very hard steel. This is so that the blade, which is grounded at small angles, lasts without sharpening for as long as possible. These materials are, of course, very expensive and are therefore only used in places where they have their justification /hagane/. For example, the handle core of the full tang types is made of conventional stainless steel.
The TAMAHAGANE brand produces the cores of its knives from VG-5 steel, which is known for its high vanadium content. This element affects the refinement of the internal grain size of the steel, thus contributing to its homogeneity. At the same time, it forms carbides, which ensure high abrasion resistance. The result is a respectable hardness of 61 HRC. Molybdenum in VG-5 reduces fragility. The 0.65 mm core is lined on both sides with a layer of SUS 410 steel. Its 13% chromium content makes it stainless steel. The softer outer layers add complexity to the blade, facilitate grinding and provide corrosion protection. The total thickness of the blade is reduced from the original 20mm to the final 2mm during production by gradual folding and rolling. This process removes unwanted impurities from the material.
While the San knives "borrowed" the blades from the Take line, in the case of the handles, they were inspired by the San Tsubame type. They are made of stabilized pakka wood material. Their attractive brown color will captivate you at first glance and the pleasant feeling of warm wood is an important bonus.
Just as the good sports car is balanced in a 50:50 ratio, so the TAMAHAGANE San knives are based on this concept. You will appreciate their exemplary ergonomics especially during longer work effort.
Come and try knives with an unbeatable ratio of price-value.
©2010-2018 Copyright Roman Ulík, Nippon Knives, www.japonskenoze.sk, all rights reserved. Photographs and texts are protected by copyright, and their use is not possible without the consent of the author.
About producer
Tamahagane is the designation of first-class steel, which was primarily intended for the production of the highest quality swords of Japanese samurai. Only real katanas boasted tamahagane steel blades. The reason was the high price, which corresponded not only to uncompromising quality, but also to a demanding production method.
Tamahagane /tama = gem, hagane = steel/ is produced in Tatara clay "baths" with dimensions of 1200x3700x1200mm. Tatara is gradually layered with iron ore sand /10t/ and charcoal /12t/. After 72 hours of burning, a Kera "steel flower" weighing about 2.3 tons is created. It contains 3 products with different carbon content. Hocho-tetsu is a softer steel with a lower carbon content, while Nabe-gane and Tamahagane contain 1-1.5% carbon, which guarantees their high hardness. Only about 1t of tamahagane is obtained from the entire production cycle. Today, only one steel mills in Japan produce tamahagane steel in this traditional way, and only once a year.
The manufacturer of exclusive kitchen knives from the city of Tsubame, located on the northern coast of Niigata prefecture, borrowed the name tamahagane for its products. However, the Japanese strictly adhere to traditions and moral obligations, so Mr.Kataoka constructs its knives according to proven old recipes.
©2005-2018 Copyright Roman Ulík, Nippon Knives, www.japonskenoze.sk all rights reserved. Photos and texts are protected by copyright law and their use without the author's consent is not possible.
