Due to the strong emphasis on sharpness, high-grade kitchen knives such as those used by professional chefs tend to be made from high-carbon steel (sold under the Proterial product name Aogami™) thanks to the high level of hardness they deliver. However, that high hardness has come at the price of corrosion resistance. On the other hand, stainless steel knives are the preferred material in knives for household use, but while these knives exhibit strong corrosion resistance, sharpness has proven challenging. For this reason, striking a balance between the hardness and corrosion resistance of conventional blade steel has been difficult.

Proterial has achieved a higher level of hardness and corrosion resistance by leveraging its expertise in texture and composition control technologies with a focus on metals, while also successfully developing the blade steel AIGAMI, which possesses superior grindability (ease of sharpening), and working to establish the necessary production technologies and a mass production workflow.

Proterial has now developed the production technology for AIGAMI 2, part of the revolutionary AIGAMI series of blade steel combining high hardness and corrosion resistance. Proterial has built a mass production workflow at our Yasugi Works and started sales. When used in knives, the material offers the sharpness desired by professional chefs while helping to achieve high-grade knives that are also resistant to corrosion. Moreover, the advanced properties of the AIGAMI series, which includes the AIGAMI 1 currently under prototype evaluation, have the potential to deliver superior performance across a wide range of applications beyond cooking that require sharpness combined with corrosion resistance, including outdoor knives, replacement razor blades and surgical scalpels.

AIGAMI represents a new category of blade steel that neither carbon steel nor stainless steel fills. With the launch of AIGAMI, Proterial will carve out a new chapter in the lineup of Yasugi Specialty Steel, an industry-leading brand of high-grade kitchen knife materials.

AIGAMI 1 delivers higher hardness than SUS440C stainless steel, combined with strong corrosion resistance on par with SUS420J stainless steel. AIGAMI 2 possesses extremely high hardness matching or exceeding Aogami 2, while delivering corrosion resistance on par with GIN^® 3 stainless steel. The AIGAMI 1 spec emphasizes corrosion resistance, while AIGAMI 2 favors hardness (sharpness).

Note that since the properties of AIGAMI differ from regular stainless steel, corrosion may occur depending on the usage environment, handling and manufacturing processes.

Yasugi Works, Proterial, Ltd. (Yasugi, Shimane Prefecture)