I do have a bar of 40-layered high-carbon steel from Nippon Steel and another one of white-paper-and-low-carbon-steel with a iron (!) core from Hitachi in the b

I do have a bar of 40-layered high-carbon steel from Nippon Steel and another one of white-paper-and-low-carbon-steel with a iron (!) core from Hitachi in the basement waiting to be forged into swords. So, going from that, I think the Japanese (!) management should be fine, the local US management might different so. Thanks for the link, some great resources on that site!