Ginsan steel

Today, I sharpened a Ginsan steel Yanagiba. I had a trial sharpening request using a medium grit stone that I received as a sample, so I took my time with the process. The knife had a decent bite, and it sharpened effortlessly! Initially, I gave it a Hamaguri edge, completed the usual steps, and tested the sharpness by cutting through newspapers.

However, it felt like the sharpness was lacking a bit (^^;). To address this, I adjusted the Hamaguri’s apex to be closer to the Shinogi line, creating a base that’s more aligned with a flat grind. Naturally, the cutting performance (or rather, the blade’s flow) improved significantly!

Working on aspects like sharpening angles and blade structure is an ongoing experiment, but today, I truly sensed the depth of Ginsan steel. The fact that it’s Silver 3 steel crafted by Hitachi, a top Japanese steelmaker in the world of traditional Japanese knives, is evident in the hardness essential for Japanese blades. Ginsan steel can achieve the required hardness for Japanese knives, and crafting a Yanagiba with it undoubtedly results in a high-quality blade. The blend of Japanese craftsmanship and tradition is truly remarkable (＾＾)

hibishugyo

• 2007-11-07