The third generation master blacksmith, Shosui Takeda has succeeded in forging blades from the high quality carbon steel, Aogami Super Steel (AS). The blades consist of "AS", forged in its entirety by hand, as it has been done for generations. These very light-weight knives are definitely one of our favorites, though we do not normally recommend them for beginners. Carbon steel is not stain/rust resistant and therefore should be kept as dry as possible and oiled when not in use.