Carbon Steel
Carbon Steel
Carbon steel is reactive — it will rust quickly if not properly cared for. Always wash immediately after use, dry thoroughly, and apply a thin coat of food-safe oil (camellia, mineral) before storage. Over time it develops a patina that offers some natural protection and, for many users, becomes part of the knife's character. Rewarding to use, but not recommended if you want a "wash and forget" knife. Takefu Special Steel, Japan 🇯🇵
Carbon steel is reactive — it will rust quickly if not properly cared for. Always wash immediately after use, dry thoroughly, and apply a thin coat of food-safe oil (camellia, mineral) before storage. Over time it develops a patina that offers some natural protection and, for many users, becomes part of the knife's character. Rewarding to use, but not recommended if you want a "wash and forget" knife. Takefu Special Steel, Japan 🇯🇵
V-Toku 1 V金1号
Hardness
Rockwell C Hardness(HRC) measures how resistant a steel is to permanent deformation. For kitchen knives:
55–58 HRC — Soft. Easy to sharpen and forgiving of rough use, but dulls faster. Typical of most German knives.
59–61 HRC — Balanced. Good edge retention with manageable sharpening. Common in mid-range Japanese knives.
62–64 HRC — Hard. Excellent edge retention, holds a very fine edge. Requires more care and a fine stone to sharpen.
65+ HRC — Very hard. Exceptional edge longevity but more brittle — more prone to chipping if used roughly.
Higher is not always better — it depends on how you use and maintain your knife.
55–58 HRC — Soft. Easy to sharpen and forgiving of rough use, but dulls faster. Typical of most German knives.
59–61 HRC — Balanced. Good edge retention with manageable sharpening. Common in mid-range Japanese knives.
62–64 HRC — Hard. Excellent edge retention, holds a very fine edge. Requires more care and a fine stone to sharpen.
65+ HRC — Very hard. Exceptional edge longevity but more brittle — more prone to chipping if used roughly.
Higher is not always better — it depends on how you use and maintain your knife.
62–64
HRC
555759616365+
The V-Toku 1(V特1号, V-Special 1) is a Takefu Special Steel's take on the classic Hitachi Blue 1 Steel. As a alloy carbon steel, its chemical composition is very close to Blue 1 with some addition of Vanadium and about 1% more tungsten, combined with the higher claimed purity by Takefu, V-Toku 1 should have a slight improved wear resistance than the Blue 2.
V-Toku 1 have excellent hardenability, which allows it to be brought up to HRC64, many makers will take advantage of the hardness to produce razor-thin blade that will slice through food extremely well. As Takefu also produce laminated billets with copper or bronze layers, V-Toku can also be seen on knives from European and American makers, which allows many chefs to benefit from the excellent cutting experience of a carbon steel knife.
V-Toku 1 have excellent hardenability, which allows it to be brought up to HRC64, many makers will take advantage of the hardness to produce razor-thin blade that will slice through food extremely well. As Takefu also produce laminated billets with copper or bronze layers, V-Toku can also be seen on knives from European and American makers, which allows many chefs to benefit from the excellent cutting experience of a carbon steel knife.
Composition
V-Toku 1 Element Composition
Compare with
V-Toku 1
—
2.25%
1.7%
1.1%
0.6%
0
C
1.25%
Cr
0.35%
V
0.2%
W
2.25%
Mn
0.5%
Si
0.35%
P
0.03%
S
0.03%
Ni
0.25%
C — Carbon
Cr — Chromium
V — Vanadium
W — Tungsten
Mn — Manganese
Si — Silicon
P — Phosphorus
S — Sulfur
Ni — Nickel
Hardness
62–64 HRC
555759616365+
Knives in V-Toku 1
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