KASANE Knives

KASANE Knives – The Material

Blue Paper Steel

The blades of KASANE knives are 3-layered and made of blue paper steel, wrapped in iron. The name of the steel type, blue paper steel, is historically based: in the past, different steel qualities were wrapped in differently colored paper for easier identification. This tradition gave rise to the names still used today for various steel types. In addition to blue paper steel, there is also white paper steel or silver paper steel. Blue paper steel (Japanese: “ao-gami”) represents the highest quality. The cutting core of KASANE knives has a hardness of 62-63 HRC.

The Blade

The carbon steel of KASANE blades is traditionally black-forged. The Japanese term for this is "kurouchi", which roughly translates to "raw forged". With KASANE knives, only the cutting edge is sharpened and polished, removing the black forging skin that forms during production. The upper part of the blade retains the matte black, slightly scaly residue of the forging process. This forging skin gives KASANE knives their authentic, rustic appearance. A "kurouchi" finish is a quality feature and an impressive sign of the artisanal manufacturing process of KASANE knives.

The Handle

The ergonomically shaped handles of KASANE knives are made of noble and robust cherry wood. This type of wood is excellent for knife handles and embodies the Japanese cherry blossom, one of the most important symbols of Japan, celebrated annually between March and May.

KASANE Knives – the shapes

The collection of KASANE knives includes four different knife shapes:

• - Utility knife | Blade length: 15 cm
• - Chef's knife | Blade length: 21 cm
• - Santoku | Blade length: 17 cm
• - Nakiri | Blade length: 16.5 cm

You can find interesting information and usage tips for the Santoku and Nakiri knife types in our magazine article “Japanese knife shapes”.

KASANE Knives – Care Instructions

As the cutting core and the casing of KASANE knife blades are made of carbon steel and iron, KASANE knives are not rustproof. Therefore, please clean the blade gently by hand shortly after use, carefully dry it and then let it dry completely. From time to time, we recommend treating the blade with a special knife oil, such as camellia oil, to protect it from rust. You can find a high-quality oil from the Sinensis brand here at the Butch Shop: Dictum – pure Chinese camellia oil.