Also called Shirogami #2 and White Paper #2, Hitachi White #2 steel is made up of Carbon: 1.05 – 1.15%, Manganese: .20 - .30%, Phosphorus: .025%, Sulfur: .004%, Silicon: .10 - .20% Almost identical to Shiro-ko this alloy has a slightly lower Carbon content. This is a very popular steel for high-end Japanese cutlery. These knives take an extremely fine edge but do not tend to have the edge retention of other alloys. It is very reactive so wiping down and drying should be done after every use.