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What steels does Kisuke Manaka work with?

Q: What steels does Kisuke Manaka work with?

White #2 or Blue #2 under stainless he forge-welds in-house, Blue #1 in hon-warikomi construction, ATS-34 with an 18Cr stainless jigane, and a ZDP-189 line announced in 2025.

The 貴輔 SUS series uses White #2 or Blue #2 as the cutting steel under stainless cladding the workshop forge-welds in-house rather than buying as clad stock. The Blue #1 knives are hon-warikomi: soft iron split with a chisel, Blue #1 set in, the blade forge-welded and water-quenched, listed by the maker at approximately HRC 64.

The ATS-34 series carries an 18Cr stainless jigane in warikomi construction with sub-zero treatment, at the same maker-listed hardness. In 2025 the workshop announced a ZDP-189 line named BEAST, and its catalogue also carries the 琰-ENN- and 黒琰-KOKUENN- lines.

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Reviewed by James Zhang

We trust this information is correct at the time of writing, but it is not an official document and details may change without notice. If you spot an error, tell us and we'll fix it.