The Japanese-Steel Provenance Test

Score any supplier’s transparency before you pay a Japanese-steel premium. Tick each box the supplier can answer in writing.

1. Is the exact steel grade named? (VG10 / 440C / ATS-314 — “Japanese steel” is not a grade)Yes

2. Is the steel source disclosed? (e.g. VG10 = Takefu; ATS-314 = Proterial, formerly Hitachi Metals)Yes

3. Is hardness published with a method? (HRC by grade, Rockwell C / ASTM E18)Yes

4. Can they produce a third-party hardness / material report on request?Yes

MATSUOPRO answers all four: named grades, disclosed steel source, published HRC by grade, and third-party reports on request.