Hitohira Kikuchiyo Izo Silver #3 Santoku Yakusugi Cedar Handle

The Kikuchiyo x Izo Silver steel line in an incredibly high quality stainless steel series. Silver steel is one of the few stainless steel that permits to be forged without too much difficulty. Still it requires a ton of knowledge and experience not many blacksmiths have. Kikuchiyo is an absolute master of this steel and paired with Izo’s sharpening it makes for one of the finest stainless steel series we carry. Izo his sharpening style can be best identified by its consistent convex grind and high grate polish. The symmetric convex grind offers an incredible smooth cutting feeling that glides through even the densest products. In addition, this series gets polished heels and spines and beautiful Yagusuki Cedar handles.
Silver steel #3 of this quality not only stays sharp for a long time but also allows it to be easily sharpened which are two qualities not often seen together in stainless steel. It possesses very carbon-like features due to the fine grained structure.

An equally all-round knife as the gyuto but more orientated to homestyle cooking. Incredibly versatile on its own, easy to use, nimble and suitable for a wide variety of cutting tasks. The bunka is a version of the santoku but with a Kiritsuke tip. This style tip will excel in more delicate work while it still retains the all-purpose functionality of the santoku. 

This is a stainless steel knife. It becomes stainless due to a certain amount (10-13%) of chromium and/or nickel in the alloy, it forms a film layer which acts as a barrier between metal and oxygen. Stainless steel is easy, practical and functional but not completely maintenance free. With very bad maintenance it can rust or show pitting, after all it’s called stainless not stain-free steel. The corrosion resistance varies with each stainless steel. In my opinion the same rules apply here as with carbon steel (non-stainless).

Store your knife dry and clean, never let it air-dry after washing, no dishwasher and avoid extremely hard products like frozen foods or bones ect. But a big difference to carbon steel is that your margin of error is much bigger, the rust resistance is much greater and thus easier and more worry free to maintain.

Please note that there are many different stainless steels, just like carbon steels, each with its own properties and characteristics. Each should be judged individually.