White #1 Steel Mizu-Honyaki knives

I received handwritten reviews from two customers who purchased White #1 Steel Mizu-Honyaki knives. Both gave glowing feedback, which makes me really happy.

Right now, I’m in the middle of doing Honbaduke on a 330mm yanagiba made of White #1 Steel Mizu-Honyaki. I’m using natural sharpening stones along the way, and in terms of sheer cutting ability, this steel might just be the best among carbon steels.

This particular knife was made by Togashi, and it has a really nice toughness to it. When I sharpen it, it almost feels like working with Blue #2 steel, but the cutting edge is undeniably White #1. You can just imagine how well it holds its edge.

White #1 Steel Mizu-Honyaki is said to be extremely difficult to make, and the reason is the heat treatment. The temperature range for quenching is incredibly narrow. And if that wasn’t challenging enough, the timing for pulling it out of the water is crucial too—they want to keep it in the water for as long as possible.

Hearing that, you might think, ‘Well, why not just leave it in the water longer? What’s so hard about that?’ But if you leave it in for too long, the Honyaki blade will crack. If that happens, the blade is ruined, and you have to start all over again.

It’s a delicate balance—wanting to leave it in the water but knowing you have to pull it out at the exact right moment. That’s where the real challenge lies. So instead of just making one knife at a time, they’ll often make three or four, to give themselves a few chances to push the limits.

Thinking about the fact that this knife is the result of that kind of dedication and challenge… it stirs something deep inside me. It’s a powerful feeling.

• 2012-06-04