Hinokuni Shirogami #1 Chuka Knife, Cherry Wood handle,
The young blacksmith Hinokuni san is only 31-year-old from Kumamoto prefecture who recently became independent after apprenticing for Nishida san. The steel he uses is Shirogami #1.
Shirogami (White) #1, a very pure carbon steel alloy, is almost identical to Blue #1 steel except for the absence of chromium and tungsten. Also known as Shiro-ko, this is a very popular steel for high-end Japanese cutlery. These knives take an extremely fine edge and are easy to sharpen. It is very reactive so wiping down and drying should be done after every use.