Shining soft iron

Unlike steel, soft iron does not undergo hardening through quenching, so it doesn’t become harder. *This difference in hardness makes Kasumi knives easier to sharpen. As a result, even when sharpened with a finishing stone, they have a hazy finish. You could use machines to force a shine, but…

There is soft iron that can shine without using machines. This is ‘well-forged soft iron.’ When sharpened with a decent finishing stone, it will shine. There are mixed opinions about this shining soft iron, but I’ll leave it at that for now on the blog.

For those who have Kasumi knives, does your soft iron shine when you use a finishing stone? Does it become hazy? Or does it develop a luster?　

• 2010-08-06