China
Sixty-seven layers, and a claim about how they were made
Five knives and one pair of shears, and a consistent argument running through all of them.
Both the 20 cm (7.9 in) Damascus knife and the 18 cm (7.1 in) santoku state that their 67-layer pattern is genuinely forged and not laser-etched. That distinction is invisible in a photograph and it is the whole difference between a laminated blade and a printed one. Stating it is unusual.
10Cr15MoV cores at a stated 62 HRC on the Damascus pieces; German 1.4116 at a stated 55+ HRC on the three-knife set; 5Cr15MoV at up to 55 HRC on the shears. Every one is named, and the hardness figures are consistent with those steels.
Hardness is stated by the maker, not measured here. A 62 HRC blade holds an edge longer and chips more readily than a 55 HRC one — that is the trade, and it is the reason the set and the Damascus pieces carry different numbers.
The 18 cm (7.1 in) santoku, for the combination of a named core steel, a stated forged pattern and a 12° edge.
Set of 3 · German 1.4116 stainless · stated 55+ HRC · full tang · ergonomic handles
Three knives in German 1.4116 stainless at a stated 55+ HRC, full tang — the only set in this hub that publishes both its steel designation and its hardness.
Best for: Someone who wants three knives that are specified rather than eleven that are not.
≈ $90
21.3 cm (8.4 in) · 5Cr15MoV steel, stated up to 55 HRC · titanium coating · reinforced rivets · take-apart · dishwasher safe
The most completely specified shears here: 21.3 cm (8.4 in) in named 5Cr15MoV steel at a stated hardness, titanium-coated, reinforced with strong rivets, and they come apart.
Best for: Poultry, and any kitchen where shears meet raw meat regularly.
≈ $47
20 cm (7.9 in) blade · Japanese 10Cr15MoV core · stated 62 HRC · 67 forged layers · stated not laser-etched
A 20 cm (7.9 in) Damascus chef’s knife that publishes everything that matters: a Japanese 10Cr15MoV core at a stated 62 HRC, 67 forged layers, and an explicit statement that the pattern is not etched.
Best for: A cook who sharpens their own knives and wants a hard, keen main blade.
≈ $70
18 cm (7.1 in) blade · Japanese 10Cr15MoV Damascus core · 67 forged layers · stated genuine, not etched
A Damascus-clad santoku with a 10Cr15MoV Japanese core and 67 forged layers, and a maker who states explicitly that the pattern is forged rather than laser-etched.
Best for: Someone who wants a beautiful knife and wants to know what is underneath the pattern.
≈ $90
18 cm (7.1 in) · Damascus core with 67 forged layers · stated 12° per side · genuine forged pattern
The top of this hub: an 18 cm (7.1 in) Damascus fillet knife with 67 forged layers, a stated 12° edge per side, and a maker who states the pattern is forged rather than etched.
Best for: A cook who fillets often, sharpens their own knives, and wants a beautiful one.
≈ $90
