Hattori vs. Kasumi damascus kitchen knife

I'm looking for a damascus Santoku knife. I'm looking at Hattori and Kasumi.

If I'm understanding correctly....

Hattori: 63 Layers. Nickel Damascus with core edge of VG-10 Molybdenum/Vanadium/Cobalt stainless steel.

Kasumi: 32 Layers. VG-10 high carbon stainless steel.

I'm assuming the more layers, the better - or at least stronger. Can anyone shed any ideas on which would be the better knife of the 2? Darned if I know what Vanadium is.

Sounds like a cosmetic thing going on here. 'Damascus' on the outside and stainless steel for the actual knife edge? :/

The worst set up posible from my point of veiw, which is 'very narrow and asinine' -Mom

I don't know how many layers do what but since the damascus in this situation is cosmetic it's what appeals to the buyer in terms of looks. :/

Vanadium is an expensive metal alloy that could improve just about every steel if it could be afforded to do so, (market place) good thing it doesn't take much to make a big improvement!

Cobalt, same thing, only makes an improvment in a whole different way, takes more to do that tho.

Molybdenum is a cheaper alloying agent than some others that do the same thing, but in stainless steel it's there mostly to help the chromium make the steel more rust resistant, along with nickel -or- silicon.

Are you looking for a stainless knife? Are you looking for a true 'damascus' knife?

I prefer the low alloy rustable steels myself for edge holding.

Carbon is the one alloy that iron needs to make a good knife, the other alloys can improve it if added in the right amounts, the problem with stainless is they added in the amounts to make it corrosion resistant and ignored the amounts optimum for edge holding.

But that's just me.

Alvin in AZ

Stainless forge welded stainless steel. Damascus is perhaps a poor description.

Not always. There are some advantages of forge welding hard and soft steels together. The hard steel lends edge holding and the soft steel lends toughness to the mix. That seems to be the case with these knives.

In this case they are the same thing.

Take care.

Fred Knife Outlet

The Damascus is in all practicality cosmetic - and will show no practical advantage in strength - unless you intend to do serious prying with your $150+ kitchen knife.

The stainless steel damascus _is_ indeed beautiful - I have a 7' chef's knife it appears by Hattori - the knife and box that it came in looks like the Hattori kitchen knives in the photos on the various web sites.

My knife has a very fine thin edge - so much so that sometimes I feel it may be too fine/thin when cutting it will bite into the cutting board - especially on the hard plastic boards where the blade will make an almost pinging scraping sound like the edge had just snapped, but obviously it has not snapped.

I am not a kitchen knife expert - but to me this is like a delicate cutting knife - very, very sharp, but meant for fine cutting, rather than hacking through bones and cartilage.

I think for a real using knife one could do better with a standard 6' to 8' chef's knife from

Forschner/Victorinox chef's knife with Rosewood handles #40029 6 inch blade #40024 7 inch blade #40026 7.25 inch ($19.25) #40020 8 inch blade ($27.31)

chef's knife with Fibrox handles #40570 6 inch ($12.06) #40523 7.5 inch ($12.81) #40520 8 inch ($18.63)

or Chicago Cutlery - if you can still get their old USA made 'Walnut Tradition' knives (Chicago Cutlery knives are now made in China) 6' chef knife (41S) ($15??) 8' chef knife (42SP) ($32.95)