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Carbon Steel Carbon Steel

Carbon steel is reactive — it will rust quickly if not properly cared for. Always wash immediately after use, dry thoroughly, and apply a thin coat of food-safe oil (camellia, mineral) before storage. Over time it develops a patina that offers some natural protection and, for many users, becomes part of the knife's character. Rewarding to use, but not recommended if you want a "wash and forget" knife.
히타치 특수강, 일본

백1강 / 백1강 白一鋼

Hardness ? Rockwell C Hardness(HRC) measures how resistant a steel is to permanent deformation. For kitchen knives:

55–58 HRC — Soft. Easy to sharpen and forgiving of rough use, but dulls faster. Typical of most German knives.
59–61 HRC — Balanced. Good edge retention with manageable sharpening. Common in mid-range Japanese knives.
62–64 HRC — Hard. Excellent edge retention, holds a very fine edge. Requires more care and a fine stone to sharpen.
65+ HRC — Very hard. Exceptional edge longevity but more brittle — more prone to chipping if used roughly.

Higher is not always better — it depends on how you use and maintain your knife.
62–65 HRC
555759616365+
백1강(Shirogami #1)은 뛰어난 순도와 성능으로 고급 일본 칼날 소재 분야에서 두각을 나타냅니다. 백2강을 더욱 정제하고 탄소 함량을 높여 개발된 고급 버전으로, 증가된 탄소 덕분에 백2강보다 약간 높은 경도(HRC)를 달성하여 매우 날카로운 절삭력을 구현합니다. 다만 탄소 함량 증가로 인해 취성도 다소 높아졌습니다. 그럼에도 불구하고 백1강은 탁월한 절단력 유지와 재연마의 용이성 덕분에 전문 셰프, 특히 전통 일식 셰프들에게 큰 사랑을 받고 있습니다. 청지강 계열과 달리 크롬이나 텅스텐을 포함하지 않고 오직 최고의 날카로움 추구에 집중하여, 비교할 수 없는 절삭력을 제공하는 대신 반응성이 높아 사용 후 즉시 닦고 건조하는 등 부식 방지를 위한 세심한 관리가 필요합니다.
Composition

백1강 / 백1강 Element Composition

Compare with
    백1강 / 백1강
    1.3% 1.0% 0.7% 0.3% 0
    C Carbon 1.3%
    Primary hardening element. Raises hardness and wear resistance — but too much increases brittleness and corrosion susceptibility. As a reference: German 1.4112 (~0.5%) sits at the low end; VG-10 (~1.0%) is a common mid-range; SG2 (1.25–1.45%) and ZDP-189 (~3.0%) represent high and extreme ends respectively.
    C
    1.3%
    Mn Manganese 0.25%
    Aids hardenability and strength. Acts as a deoxidiser during smelting. Excess can reduce toughness.
    Mn
    0.25%
    Si Silicon 0.15%
    Strengthens the steel matrix and acts as a deoxidiser. Improves hardness and resistance to oxidation.
    Si
    0.15%
    P Phosphorus 0.025%
    Impurity from the smelting process. Even small amounts cause brittleness — steelmakers keep this as low as possible.
    P
    0.025%
    S Sulfur 0.004%
    Impurity that reduces toughness and promotes brittleness. Intentionally added only in free-machining steels.
    S
    0.004%
    C — Carbon Mn — Manganese Si — Silicon P — Phosphorus S — Sulfur
    Hardness 62–65 HRC
    555759616365+
    Steel
    백1강 / 백1강
    Category
    Carbon
    Manufacturer
    히타치 특수강, 일본
    Hardness
    62–65 HRC