Purchase steel from Japan?

PEU

PEU

Gaucho Knifemaker
Joined
Aug 6, 2006
Messages
1,184
Hi guys, anyone tried to purchase steel from Japan?
I saw they have VG10, ATS34, SG2, ZDP189 and others and the prices and sizes are interesting.
Any feedback will be appreciated!

Pablo
 
Last edited:
why bother other then zdp189 and maybe just maybe SG2 the other grades are made right here in the USA or at least so close that they can be interchanged?
 
butcher_block said:
why bother other then zdp189 and maybe just maybe SG2 the other grades are made right here in the USA or at least so close that they can be interchanged?
Click to expand...


My first guess, butchie, is that he's in Argentina, not the US. ;)

I see where butch is heading, though, and I tend to agree. As fun as it is to experiment with unusual and exotic steels, it's awfully difficult to obtain optimum heat treat and geometry if it's tricky to get stuff with any consistency. There are so many excellent steels that we here have available to us, it's hard to justify buying from a supplier that's hard to get from, except for the excitement of 'different'.

Can't offer any other input, man - sorry. Like butch, I found stuff I really like and just tend to stick with it.
 
I purchased many times from Bill Burke japanese steel and plan to continue doing so, but I found 1.5mm (1/16") VG10 sanmai that is not available thru Bill and for kitchen knives its one of my dream combinations.

Pablo
 
The last VG-10 suminagashi I got was from either Dictum or Workshop Heaven. Haven't ordered it in years, though.

ZDP-189 would be nice if easily available and the price wasn't crazy, but the extra chromium carbides (+1.5%C and +6%Cr) for the price just don't gain enough for me to not use CPM-S35VN. In my opinion, the extra V in S35VN makes up for it.
http://www.zknives.com/knives/steels/steelgraph.php?nm= S35VN, ZDP-189&hrn=1&gm=0

Years back one of the USA suppliers ( Jantz?, Alpha?) used to carry ZDP, Cowry X, and Cowry Y.
 
looked and can't find Japanese steel at any US knife making distributor. in past discussions AKS and NJSteel Baron both talked about the frustration of trying to import Japanese steel. Dictum and Workshop Heaven have a small selection of Japanese steel. but the prices charged are sometimes double or triple equivalent European made steels.
https://www.workshopheaven.com/hitachi-yasuki-blue-paper-steel-no2.html is 49 Euros while https://www.schmiedeglut.de/tungsten-steel-knifesteel_2 is 20 Euros
 
Well it seems I will need to risk some $$ and order from Japan, will take time for sure, hopefully it works out.

Made a Cowry-X Neocriollo knife time ago ;)

20170212163228-ed51921b-me.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top