Yoshikane Hamono

When a Japanese kitchen knife maker says "SKD," they almost always mean SKD11 — the JIS equivalent of AISI D2, with about 1.5 percent carbon, 12 percent chromium, 1.0 percent molybdenum, and 0.4 percent vanadium. The less common SKD12 (≈ AISI A2) is occasionally specified, but for kitchen knife purposes the safe assumption is SKD11.

In a knife from Yoshikane Hamono or any of the other Sanjō makers known for SKD work, the steel runs at 62–63 HRC, holds an edge unusually well for its class, and is corrosion-resistant enough to be functionally low-maintenance — though strictly speaking it is "semi-stainless" rather than fully stainless. Sharpening is harder than VG-10 but produces a noticeably more refined apex once burr management is dialed in. Toughness is moderate; thin geometries reward a careful user.

The Yoshikane SKD interpretation has become almost a separate reference point in the kitchen knife community — heat-treated higher than typical, ground thinner than typical, and sold at a price that reflects both. If a buyer asks for "an SKD knife," it is worth confirming the maker and the exact JIS number.

Shirogami #2 — White Paper #2 — is a hair less carbon-heavy than its sibling and substantially more user-friendly. About 1.05 to 1.15 percent carbon with the same restrictive impurity controls makes it the most-asked-for white paper in working kitchen knives, particularly in the Sakai and Tosa traditions.

For the cook, White #2 is the steel that defines what a clean carbon edge feels like: a fast burr that wipes off cleanly, a glassy refined apex, and the kind of feedback at the stone that most makers consider a benchmark for the apprentice. It runs at 62–64 HRC, holds an edge longer than 1084 but less than 52100 or Aogami #1, and is genuinely as easy to sharpen as any kitchen knife steel in current use.

It will patina readily and rust if neglected, and it is unforgiving of the dishwasher in the way every clean carbon is. In return, it offers one of the most direct, satisfying experiences a hand-finished kitchen knife can deliver. Among the makers Modern Cooking carries, Yoshikane Hamono, Masamoto Sohonten, and Hado Knives work in Shirogami #2. White #2 is — alongside Aogami #2 — the most representative of the Hitachi tradition.