The Tamahagane SAN TSUBAME brand of knives feature a 3-ply stainless steel construction. The core or middle layer is made of VG No. 5 stainless steel while the two outside layers are made of SUS410 stainless steel. The outer layers are more soft and stain resistant than the core/middle cutting edge and this layer protects the cutting edge.
The 3-ply stainless steel starts out with a thickness of 20mm and with a modern repeated rolling-forging technique, it is thinned to a thickness of 2mm. This rolling technique also removes all of the impurities in the steel resulting in a very hard, pure stainless steel. After the rolling process is completed, the VG No.5 cutting edge obtains a hardness of 61 minute degrees on the Rockwell scale with a final thickness of 0.65mm, while the outer layers each obtain a thickness of 0.675mm.
The edge on the SAN knives is a beveled edge with the angle being between 14 and 15 degrees. When you look at the awesome mirror polish and try cutting with it, then you will appreciate the quality of the edge. Kataoka has once again achieved the optimal balance between strength and sharpness with the SAN and SAN TSUBAME Knives edges.
The blade of the SAN TSUBAME is hand-hammered half way down from the spine. The whole blade is then sandblasted but this technique only affects the soft SUS410 stainless steel outer layers thus leaving this layer with a matte finish and the core VG No. 5 with a mirror finish. The sandblasting and hammering process gives the SAN TSUBAME a highly rich appearance.
The SAN TSUBAME knives are balanced with a stainless steel weight that attaches to the knifes� tang and is located at the heel of the handle. This not only adds to the beauty of the design, but also produces a fantastic balance.
The SAN TSUBAME Mikarta knives feature a handle that is made of a black resin layered with linen. This fashions look of natural black wood.