White Steel No.1 is made by further refining White Steel No.2 and adding more Carbon. The extra Carbon allows it to achieve a slightly higher HRc. than White Steel No.2, but also makes it a bit more brittle. White No.1 is very popular with professional chefs who make traditional Japanese cuisine because it can be sharpened to an exceedingly fine edge, has very good edge retention and is easy to re-sharpen.

The knife bears visible impressions of the hand-forging process (round hammer dents on the blade), which gives it a beautiful finish and also prevents food from sticking to the blade.