Santoku 18 cm Sakai Takayuki Ginga ZA-18

KNIFE CARE

The basic principle of maintaining stainless steel knives is to wipe them dry. Leaving a wet knife to dry on its own will result in the appearance of small spots of rust. It is completely unacceptable to wash the knives in a dishwasher, chemicals and high temperature will negatively affect the handle and the blade, it can also lead to permanent damage to the knife. The knife is used only for cutting soft, boned and non-frozen products. If the blade comes into contact with the bone, it can chip. When cutting, do not twist the knife from side to side, as it may break the tip if the knife is jammed in the product. The wood and plastic boards recommended by us, cutting on glass or stone boards is prohibited, it will lead to an accelerated process of blunting the knife and possible nicks. The knife should only be used as a cutting tool, the thin, sharp design perfectly cuts the products, but when you try to open the jars, the blade may chip.

STEEL

ZA-18

Composition:

• Carbon: 0,95-1,20 %
• Chromium: 17,00-18,00 %
• Molybdenum: 1,00-1,50 %
• Cobalt: 1,80 %
• Vanadium: 0,10-0,25 %
• Manganese: 0,00-1,00 %
• Silicon: 0,00-1,00 %
• Phosphorus: 0,04 %
• Sulfur: 0,03 %

The steel was created as a result of the cooperation of Osaka Clad Co. Ltd of Aichi Steel Corp. The alloy was developed to compete with and even outperform VG10 steel. It is also compared to the N690 steel. Just like the aforementioned VG 10, it is stainless steel. In the field of the content of elements, it exceeds VG10 with the content of carbon (VG 10 - 1.05%, ZA 18 - 1.20%), chromium (VG10 - 15.5%, ZA 18 - 18%), molybdenum (VG 10 - 1.2 %, ZA 18 - 1.5%) and cobalt (VG10 - 1.5%, ZA 18 - 1.8%). These elements extremely increase strength, hardness and corrosion resistance. In some cases, ZA 18 steel is the core of the knife with a fitting, for which e.g. steel of AUS 2 type can be used, this treatment allows for incredible bending and breaking resistance. In general, ZA 18 alloy is equal to all the advantages of VG10 steel, and at times it pierces them: it sharpens well, exceeds a hardness of 62 HRC, has an amazing cutting aggression. Considering its incredible potential, many manufacturers decide to use this steel for the production of their blades, incl. Kanetsugu uses it in his Pro-J series of kitchen knives. Any demanding user using this steel will surely be very pleased with its outstanding performance.