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White Steel No. 2, also known as Shirogami or “White Paper,” is used to create many of the traditional Japanese knives that are available here at Hasu-Seizo. It has long been considered to be the closest comparison to the traditional tama-hagane steel that had been utilized in Japan for centuries, and it is known for its incredible sharpness due to its purity and high carbon content.
White Steel No. 2, also known as Shirogami or “White Paper,” is used to create many of the traditional Japanese knives that are available here at Hasu-Seizo. It has long been considered to be the closest comparison to the traditional tama-hagane steel that had been utilized in Japan for centuries, and it is known for its incredible sharpness due to its purity and high carbon content.
White Steel No. 2 is essentially identical to White Steel 1, but it contains slightly less carbon, which makes it less brittle and less prone to chipping. The downside of having less carbon is that it does not retain its edge for as long. That said, White Steel 2 knives still rank among the sharpest knives, only outmatched by White Steel 1.
White Steel and other high carbon steels such as Blue Steel 2 have similar structures in terms of how much carbon they contain. But several things set them apart. For starters, kitchen knives made out of White Steel Number 2 will typically be easier to sharpen than those that contain additional elements like molybdenum, tungsten, and other metals. These additions make knives more durable than knives with White Steel 2 and less prone to corrosion. The generally have better edge retention as well, but the tradeoff is they are harder to sharpen and do not get as sharp.
