ZA-18 Steel
ZA-18 is a cobalt-bearing stainless designation used in Saki and Shihan hair shears. Saki attributes its development to Osaka Clad and Aichi Steel, but the mill origin and exact recipe remain unconfirmed by a mill datasheet. Saki lists 61–63 HRC for its finished Precision shear; that is a model claim, not a universal hardness for ZA-18.
Read a steel claim as a four-layer record
A grade can be useful evidence, but a finished shear adds maker execution, geometry, condition, and service history. Apply to ZA-18 Steel
- 01 Identify the grade Use a producer or traceable maker designation.
- 02 Name the source layer Separate mill data, maker data, seller copy, and measurement.
- 03 Record execution Heat treatment, geometry, assembly, and finished-blade values stay model-specific.
- 04 Keep the history Condition, use, care, impacts, and service affect the working edge.
Do not inferOne element, HRC value, country adjective, price tier, or steel name cannot rank sharpness, toughness, corrosion resistance, or service life.
ZA-18 Steel
What is documented
Saki’s Precision product page says its shear uses ZA-18, attributes the material to Osaka Clad and Aichi Steel, and compares its carbon, molybdenum and cobalt content with VG-10. Saki does not publish exact composition percentages there. The claim is evidence about Saki’s product and attribution, not an independently verified mill specification.
Aichi Steel’s blade-steel catalog does not list ZA-18 among its named grades. No Osaka Clad datasheet was located for this review. Retailer percentage tables should therefore not be treated as a public recipe.
Choosing and caring for a shear
Shihan also sells models labeled ZA-18, including the Sensei. Compare the exact model’s blade, handle and maker-stated hardness instead of assigning Saki’s figure to every ZA-18 shear. For service, follow the maker’s cleaning, tension and sharpening guidance; a material label alone cannot predict an interval between sharpenings.
Sources
- Saki Shears: Precision hair cutting shear: ZA-18 attribution and finished-product claim.
- Aichi Steel: Blade steels: catalog checked for the designation.
- Shihan Shears: Sensei: a named ZA-18 model.
See Also
Frequently Asked Questions
3 answers you can open one at a timeWho makes ZA-18?
Saki Shears attributes development to Osaka Clad and Aichi Steel. The mill origin remains unconfirmed because no ZA-18 mill datasheet or Aichi catalog listing was located in this review.
Is 61–63 HRC a specification for every ZA-18 scissor?
No. Saki states 61–63 HRC for its Precision shears. That is a finished-product claim and should not be applied to all ZA-18 blades.
Is ZA-18 an upgrade from VG-10?
Saki says its ZA-18 material has more carbon, molybdenum and cobalt than VG-10, but no mill composition or controlled scissor comparison establishes a universal ranking.
Comments & questions
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