Ginsan-ko Honyaki

Sakai Akazawa’s Ginsan-Ko Honyaki line sports a blade steel crafted out of Silver Steel No. 3, a popular stainless steel with favorable wear-, stain- and rust-resistant properties that is easy to maintain. The HRC of the blade steel in this line is 61 making it harder than average and therefore difficult to sharpen but allotting it a better edge retention. Additionally, the blade steel in this series is of a “Honyaki” variety. A “Honyaki” blade steel is crafted solely out of high-carbon steel and isn’t bonded with soft iron. “Honyaki” knives require a highly-skilled blacksmith with advanced forging and tempering knowledge to craft correctly and are therefore considered high-quality, luxury knives. The knives in this series require an individual with good sharpening skill. The knives in this line come equipped with a Western-style Pakkawood handle embedded with a stainless steel bolster.

Recommendation: Sakai Akazawa’s Ginsan-Ko Honyaki line is best for chefs and intermediate-level cooks with good sharpening skills. Even though Silver Steel No. 3 is a stainless steel, it is of that variety that is harder than many other stainless steels, and so good sharpening ability is required in order to maintain its edge sharpness.