Powder stainless steel · ProterialZDP-189 ZDP189
Also called: ZDP189 · ZDP 189
ZDP-189 is a stainless powder stainless steel made by powder metallurgy from Proterial (formerly Hitachi Metals): 3.00% carbon, 20.00% chromium, and a maker hardening hardness of ≥65 HRC. In Knife Steel Nerds’ CATRA edge-retention test it cut 718 mm of card at 65.1 HRC.
Composition
| C | Cr | Others |
|---|---|---|
| 3.00 | 20.00 | not disclosed |
Mass %. As published by the steelmaker (typical or representative values). Hardness: ≥65 (hardening hardness).
What the data says
ZDP-189 is Proterial’s powder-metallurgy stainless blade steel. The maker discloses only two elements — 3.00% carbon and 20.00% chromium — and lists the others as closed. Its hardening hardness is 65 HRC or over.
In Knife Steel Nerds’ CATRA test it cut 718 mm of card at 65.1 HRC, the most of any steel we list. The same source found its corrosion resistance significantly lower than other stainless steels in its testing, despite the high chromium figure.
Retailers quote extra elements (for example molybdenum, tungsten and vanadium) that Proterial does not confirm; we leave them out.
ZDP-189 compared with similar steels
| Steel | Type | C % | Cr % | Maker HRC | CATRA mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZDP-189 | Powder stainless · PM | 3.00 | 20.00 | ≥65 | 718 @ 65.1 |
| SG2 (Super Gold 2) | Powder stainless · PM | 1.25–1.45 † | 14.0–16.0 † | ≥62 | 522 @ 61.2 |
| HAP40 | Powder high-speed · PM | 1.27–1.37 | 3.70–4.70 | 64–66 or 66–68, depending on quench temperature | — |
| VG-10 | Stainless | 1.00 | 15.00 | ≥60 | 479 @ 61.6 |
See all 15 steels in the Japanese knife steel chart, or compare up to three at once in the steel explorer.
Care
ZDP-189 is a stainless steel, so occasional wetness will not rust it the way it rusts a carbon steel, but washing by hand and drying it keeps the edge and handle in good condition.
Buying a ZDP-189 knife from a shop in Japan? Japanese kitchen knives currently pay about 31% US import duty — use the import duty calculator to compare with a US retailer.
Frequently asked questions
- Is ZDP-189 stainless?
- Yes. ZDP-189 contains 20.00% chromium, above the roughly 10.5% that defines a stainless steel. Knife Steel Nerds nevertheless found its corrosion resistance lower than other stainless steels in their testing.
- How hard is ZDP-189?
- Proterial publishes a hardening hardness of ≥65 HRC. The hardness of a finished knife depends on the knifemaker’s heat treatment.
- Who makes ZDP-189?
- ZDP-189 is made by Proterial (formerly Hitachi Metals). It is a powder-metallurgy steel.
- ZDP-189 vs SG2: what is the difference?
- ZDP-189: C 3.00%, Cr 20.00%, maker hardness ≥65 HRC. SG2: C 1.25–1.45%, Cr 14.0–16.0%, maker hardness ≥62 HRC. In Knife Steel Nerds’ CATRA test they cut 718 mm and 522 mm of card.
Sources
Checked 2026-10-21. Found a better source or an error? Tell us.