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