Kasumi knives are produced by Sumikama Cutlery in Seki,
Japan. Sumikama Cutlery specializes in producing knives from the most advanced
materials with the most advanced manufacturing techniques. Producing the
Kasumi V-Gold No. 10
Damascus Pattern Knives requires tremendous experience and knowledge in
order to be able to achieve the full benefit of the different stainless steels
that are used.
KASUMI V-GOLD NO. 10 DAMASCUS PATTERN
KNIVESThese knives are made from 33 layers of stainless
steel. Only the middle layer acts as the cutting edge, and it is made using
V-Gold No. 10 stainless steel. V-Gold No. 10 is a high carbon stainless steel
with cobalt, manganese, molybdenum and vanadium for added durability and ease of
sharpening. V-Gold No. 10 is a high quality steel developed exclusively for
knives and scissors. The addition of cobalt to this steel requires special
tempering in order to maximize the full benefit of this steel. Sumikama's
technique for this special tempering is a closely guarded secret.
The
layers on both sides of the V-Gold No. 10 core are made by repeatedly folding
together two different types of stainless steel and forge welding them by hand
until you have sixteen exceedingly thin alternating layers. These sixteen layers
are then forge welded to both sides of the V-Gold No. 10 core.
The edge
on a Kasumi knife is beveled like a western style knife. However, the bevel is
much larger than the bevel on a European or American brand. This larger bevel
creates a sharper edge. Kasumi knives do not have a bolster. They do have a
stainless steel ferrule that is forge welded to the blade to ensure that food
particles do not become trapped between the blade and the handle. They also have
a full tang. The handle is made from multiple layers of wood impregnated with a
plastic resin. The handle is riveted to the tang.
