Made up of Carbon: 1.25 – 1.35%, Manganese: .20 - .30%, Phosphorus: .025%, Sulfur: .004%, Silicon: .10 - .20% Almost identical to Blue #1 steel except for the absence of Chromium and Tungsten, this is a very pure Carbon steel alloy. Also known as Shiro-ko, this is very popular steel for high end Japanese cutlery especially in Honyaki blades. These knives take an extremely fine edge, but do not tend to have the edge retention of other alloys. It is very reactive so wiping down and drying should be done after every use.
