Hagane is the Japanese term for the steel that forms the hard core and edge of traditional knives. It is used to refer to both carbon steels (such as Shirogami and Aogami) and certain high-quality stainless steels. Hagane is responsible for the knife's cutting ability and durability, and is often wrapped in a softer outer layer (jigane) on laminated knives to provide strength and ease of sharpening.
