Aogami Super (Blue Super Steel) represents the pinnacle of Hitachi's traditional Blue Paper steel lineup. Building upon Aogami #1, it contains higher carbon content along with increased tungsten, chromium, and molybdenum. This composition delivers significantly improved wear resistance and edge retention while maintaining the fine-grained characteristics that Japanese craftsmen value. Aogami Super is capable of achieving extremely high hardness levels while retaining remarkable cutting efficiency. It is frequently found in premium handcrafted Japanese kitchen knives where long-lasting sharpness is a top priority. Although it offers outstanding performance, it requires careful maintenance due to its non-stainless nature and can be more prone to chipping than tougher steels.
Comparable Steels:
Aogami Super > Aogami #1 in edge retention and wear resistance
Aogami Super > Aogami #2 in hardness and cutting longevity
Aogami Super ≈ ZDP-189 in edge retention, but easier to sharpen
Aogami Super > 52100 and 1095 in wear resistance
Aogami Super < CPM-S90V and M398 in extreme wear resistance
Aogami Super > VG-10 in cutting performance and edge stability
Aogami Super < CPM MagnaCut in corrosion resistance and toughness
Blue Steel Family Ranking:
Aogami Super > Aogami #1 > Aogami #2 in edge retention and wear resistance.
Aogami #2 > Aogami #1 > Aogami Super in toughness and forgiveness.
Aogami Super is generally considered the flagship traditional Japanese carbon steel for maximum cutting performance.