KORIN Japanese Trading
We Ship World Wide Korin Price Matches Register | Log In My Account Shopping Cart
( 0 Items )
Select a language
    
 

  • KNIVES & STONES
      NEW KNIVES & ACCESSORIES RARE & LIMITED KNIVES KNIFE SETS
      WESTERN KNIFE BRANDS
      • Togiharu
      • Korin
      • Misono
      • Suisin
      • Masamoto Sohonten
      • Nenox
      • Masanobu
      • Glestain
      WESTERN KNIFE STYLES
      • Gyutou | Chef
      • Santoku | All Purpose
      • Sujihiki | Slicer
      • Yo-Deba | Butcher
      • Boning Knife
      • Nakiri | Vegetable
      • Petty
      • Peeling & Paring
      • Sole Knife
      • Salmon Slicer
      • Pastry & Bread Knife
      • Chinese Style Cleaver
      • Child's Knife
      • Fruit Knife
      TRADITIONAL JAPANESE BRANDS
      • Korin
      • Kochi
      • Masamoto Sohonten
      • Suisin
      • Nenohi
      TRADITIONAL JAPANESE KNIFE STYLES
      • Yanagi
      • Kiritsuke
      • Takobiki
      • Deba
      • Mioroshi Deba
      • Usuba
      • Fugubiki
      • Sushikiri
      • Menkiri
      • Maguro Knife
      SHARPENING STONES & ACCESSORIES
      • Rough Stones & Diamond Stones
      • Medium Stones
      • Fine Stones
      • Two-Sided Stones
      • Stones Fixers
      • Sharpening Stones Bases
      • Honing Steels
      KNIFE ACCESSORIES
      • Knife Bags & Stands
      • Knife Care
      • Knife Saya Covers
  • KITCHENWARE
      NEW KITCHENWARE
      APPLIANCES
      • Rice Cookers, Warmers & Containers
      • Sushi Neta Cases, Refrigerators & Accessories
      • Super Freezers & Freezers
      • Sake Warmers, Towel Warmers, Tabletop Stoves, Roasters, Air Pots & Carafes
      • Sushi Robots
      COOKWARE
      • Hot Pots
      • Cooking Pots, Pans & Woks
      • Steamers & Stainless Molds
      DISPOSABLE ITEMS
      KITCHEN TOOLS
      • Rice Mixing Tubs, Containers & Spatulas
      • Tweezers, Clam Openers, Scalers, Meuchis & Moribashi Plating Chopsticks
      • Graters, Mortars, Pestle & Grinders
      • Sieve, Strainers & Colanders
      • Cooking Chopsticks, Ladles & Spatulas
      • Vegetable, Rice & Ice Molds
      • Pickle Makers
      • Disposable Food Prepware
      • Disposable Food Decor
      • Mandolins, Vegetable Turners & Slicers
      • Peelers, Cutters, Shavers, Scissors & Fruit knives
      • Stainless Trays, Containers & Brushes
      CUTTING BOARDS UNIFORMS CLEANING PRODUCTS COOKBOOKS
  • SUSHI BAR
      SUSHI APPLIANCES
      • Rice Cookers, Warmers & Containers
      • Sushi Neta Cases, Refrigerators & Accessories
      • Super Freezers & Freezers
      • Sake Warmers, Towel Warmers, Tabletop Stoves, Roasters, Air Pots & Carafes
      • Sushi Robots
      SUSHI TOOLS
      • Sushi Mats / Makisu
      • Rice Mixing Tubs, Containers & Spatulas
      • Tweezers, Clam Openers, Scalers, Meuchis & Moribashi Plating Chopsticks
      • Graters & Scrapers
      • Sauce, Condiments Containers & Brushes
      • Sushi Disposables
      • Rice Molds & Presses
      SUSHI SERVEWARE CUTTING BOARDS UNIFORMS SUSHI COOKBOOKS
      FEATURED ITEM

      Made of a soft polyvinyl acetate material, reduces the impact of the knife minimizing stress to not only your knife but to your hand as well. With a non-slip surface the cutting board allows for precise and accurate cuts!

  • RAMEN BAR
      RAMEN BOWLS RAMEN SPOONS & LADLES CHOPSTICKS RAMEN COOKING TOOLS
  • TABLEWARE
      NEW TABLEWARE TABLEWARE COLLECTIONS MELAMINEWARE
      PLATES
      • Ceramic Plates - Small (Under 6.75")
      • Ceramic Plates - Medium (6.8" - 12.75")
      • Ceramic Plates - Large (Over 13")
      • Glass Plates
      BOWLS
      • Ceramic Bowls - Small (Under 6")
      • Ceramic Bowls - Large (Over 6.25")
      • Lidded Ceramic Bowls
      • Wooden & Melamine Bowls
      • Glass & Stainless Steel Bowls
      SAUCE POTS & DISHES
      • Sauce Pots & Condiment Containers
      • Sauce Dishes
      CHOPSTICKS & FLATWARE
      • Chopsticks
      • Disposable Chopsticks
      • Chopstick Rests
      • Spoons, Forks & Ladles
      BENTO BOXES
      • Wooden Bento Boxes
      • Plastic & Lacquer Bento Boxes
      TRAYS & TABLEMATS TABLETOP COOKWARE
      • Hot Pots
      • Tabletop Stoves
      TEAWARE
      • Cast Iron, Ceramic & Melamine Teapots
      • Teacups & Teas
      • Teaware Accessories & Trivets
      BOOKS MENU HOLDERS GIFT IDEAS DECOR & IKEBANA FURNITURE SPECIAL ORDER
  • GRILLWARE
      KONRO GRILLS, NETS & BASES BINCHOTAN CHARCOAL & ACCESSORIES SMOKER POTS & SMOKEWOOD ISHIYAKI STONES & STEAK PANS GRILLING SKEWERS & CEDAR PAPER
      FEATURED ITEM

      White binchotan is chemical free, almost smoke free, and burns three times hotter than American charcoal for up to 4-5 hours. The incredibly high heat preserves the flavorful juices and adds a beautiful sear!

      GRILLING GUIDE

      New to Japanese grilling and don't know where to start?
      Check out out grilling item suggestions!

  • BARWARE
      KORIN STEMWARE COLLECTION ROCK GLASSES AND GLASS CUPS SAKE CUPS & BOTTLES SAKE & WINE BUCKETS HANDCRAFTED BARWARE SAKE WARMERS
      FEATURED BARWARE

      Elegant & Break-Resistant Glasses

  • SERVICES
      KNIFE SERVICES
      • Western Initial Sharpening
      • Uraoshi Sharpening
      • Complimentary Services
      • Sharpening & Repair
      • Left Handed Conversions
      • Custom Knife Engraving
      • Knife Demonstrations
      GENERAL SERVICES
      • Korin Membership Program
      • Gift Wrapping
      • Gift Cards
      • Custom Chopsticks
      THE JOY OF GIFTING

      Not quite sure what to get from Korin for your loved ones? Put a smile on their face with a Korin gift card!

      KORIN INDUSTRY MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM

      Are you a chef? A culinary student? Or a cook? Then you're eligible to join our program for free!

      Save 10% off Knives | 10% off knife accessories | 5% off tableware | 5% off kitchenware | 20% off knife services & more!

      Sign up today either online or in-store!

  • SALE
      ALL ITEMS KNIVES TABLEWARE KITCHENWARE

Elements of Steel



IRON - Primary element of steel
CARBON - The most important element for hardening, and for strength
MANGANESE - Grain structure of the steel, hardening and wear resistance
MOLYBDENUM - Prevents brittleness and maintains the steel’s strength at high temperatures
COBALT - For hardness and corrosion resistance
CHROMIUM - Important for corrosion resistance. Steel having 11.5% to 13% chromium is considered stainless
VANADIUM - Essential for giving the blade its ability to harden. Also for wear resistance and toughness of the blade, as well as the ability to take a very sharp edge.



Types of Japanese Steel


While edge design, blade shape and handle construction are important features of the knives in the Korin collection, the distinctive element of each knife is the steel used to make it. Japanese knife makers have always chosen their materials carefully, and today’s chef knives are forged with similar methods that were used by traditional sword craftsmen for generations. The knives in Korin’s collection are forged out of many different types of steel- from hard high carbon shiro-ko steel to stain resistant steel. We encourage you to browse through our collection to find the type of knife most suited to your needs.


Carbon Steel


Carbon steel knives are made of iron combined with 0.1-2.7% Carbon. Carbon is the key ingredient as iron cannot be tempered, or hardened without it. Although carbon increases steel’s hardness, it reduces rust resistance, and makes steel more fragile than stain resistant knives. Steel is made up of iron, carbon, and small percentages of other elements such as silicon, manganese, phosphorus and sulfur.


Stain Resistant Steel


Adding at least 12% chromium-oxide to the basic mixture of iron and carbon produces the stain resistant steel commonly used by Japanese knife brands. A chromium-oxide film forms on the metal’s surface that prevents the iron from coming into contact with oxygen and water. However, stain resistant knives must still be washed after each use as salt and acidic ingredients can erode the chromium-oxide film and reduce the knife’s rust resistant.


As Technology advances, new types of steel are being developed that increase the performance of carbon steel with practical benefits of stain-resistant steel. High-carbon, stain resistant steels such as Ginsan-ko, Inox, VG-10, and 8A are becoming increasingly popular with professionals and are used in the production of both traditional and western style knives.


Cobalt


Cobalt is a naturally occurring inclusive mineral found in various ores used in the preparation of magnetic, wear-resistant, and high strength alloys. Knife manufacturers who are forging knives from metals such as VG-10 and Ginsan-ko have an added benefit due to the cobalt content already present in these two types of steel.


Shiro-ko & Ao-ko Carbon Steels


Shiro-ko steel is highly refined carbon steel that does not have additional compounds, though it may contain varying levels of impurities, phosphorus, and sulfur. Adding chromium and tungsten to shiro-ko steel creates ao-ko steel, which makes the knife more durable and capable of maintaining a longer edge retention than a shiro-ko blade.


Tamahagane Steel



Tamahagane is a rare and precious metal that is used to forge the katana. Tamahagane steel is only produced two to four times a year due to the tremendous amount of the labor, material and wasted material that is required to make a very small amount of it. 13 tons of iron sand and 13 tons of coal must be smelted, then hammered for three days and three nights to produce a mere 2.8 tons of raw steel (kera). Once the kera is produced, less than 1 ton of the kera is considered tamahagane steel. The 1 ton of tamagane steel is controlled by the Society for Preservation of Japanese Art Swords, which is sponsored and established by the Japanese Government. The tamahagane steel is sold exclusively to katana craftsmen a few times a year. However, even within the 1 ton of tamahagane steel only 200 kg is considered usable high quality A1 steel, and katana craftsmen are limited to 10 kg of this A1 steel.


 

HISTORY OF JAPANESE KNIFE CRAFTING ABOUT TRADITIONAL JAPANESE STYLE KNIVES ABOUT WESTERN STYLE KNIVES ABOUT KNIFE CRAFTING ABOUT KNIFE CARE ABOUT KNIFE SHARPENING ABOUT ELEMENTS OF STEELS KORIN YOUTUBE CHANNEL
ABOUT KORIN PRESIDENT'S PROFILE KORIN KNIFE MASTER'S PROFILE OUR CUSTOMERS
FAQ CONTACT US ORDER INFO & POLICY KORIN PRICE MATCH
KORIN BLOG KORIN CHEF INTERVIEWS KORIN MEDIA COVERAGES EVENTS AT KORIN CAREER OPPORTUNITIES DOWNLOAD CATALOGS
SIGN UP FOR THE KORIN NEWSLETTER

Contact Us: 1-800-626-2172 | Store Hours - Weekdays: 10am-7pm (EST) Saturday: 10am-7pm (EST)

Location: 57 Warren Street, New York, NY 10007

© 2017 Korin Japanese Trading Corp. All Rights Reserved.