Stainless Stainless Steel

"Stainless" means stain-resistant, not stain-proof. In kitchen use, the steel can still discolour or pit if exposed to acidic environments — citrus, vinegar, or salt water — for extended periods. Wash and wipe dry after every use, and avoid leaving the blade soaking in water. With basic care, a stainless knife is very low-maintenance and a great everyday choice. Takefu Special Steel, Japan 🇯🇵

VG10 V金10号

Hardness

59–61 HRC

555759616365+

Takefu VG10, is a high-end stainless steel celebrated for its exceptional edge retention and sharpness. It is a popular choice among Japanese kitchen knife makers and widely used in various types of knives, including kitchen knives, folders, and fixed blades.

VG10 achieves a hardness of around 60-61 HRC, with some makers pushing it to 62 HRC, ensuring good edge holding and stain resistance. The steel's composition includes 15% chromium (Cr) for corrosion resistance, 1% molybdenum (Mo), and 1.5% cobalt (Co) for matrix strengthening, leading to high hardness and durability. The addition of vanadium (V) refines its microstructure and, along with Cr and Mo, produces hard carbides that enhance wear resistance. VG10 is easy to sharpen, has good machinability, and supports secondary hardening with high-temperature tempering, making it suitable for blades that may undergo surface coating treatments up to about 450℃. Its well-rounded attributes make VG10 steel highly versatile, performing excellently in a range of applications from kitchen and general-purpose knives to machine blades.

Compare with

VG10

—

15.0% 11.3% 7.5% 3.8% 0

1.0%

15.0%

0.25%

1.0%

1.55%

C — Carbon Cr — Chromium V — Vanadium Mo — Molybdenum Co — Cobalt

Hardness 59–61 HRC

555759616365+

Steel

VG10

What's in VG10

What each element does in your knife.

VG10 element composition and spec ranges
Element	Spec range	What it does in your knife
CrChromium	14.5–15.5%	Raises corrosion resistance; at roughly 13%+ free chromium the steel qualifies as stainless. Also improves hardenability and wear.
CoCobalt	1.3–1.5%	Allows higher hardening temperatures for more hardness and wear resistance, and strengthens the steel matrix.
MoMolybdenum	0.9–1.2%	Improves hardenability and toughness, boosts corrosion resistance, and helps the steel hold hardness under heat.
CCarbon	0.95–1.05%	The primary hardening element. More carbon means a harder edge that holds longer — but past a point it trades away toughness and rust resistance.
MnManganese	0.5%	Aids hardenability and strength and acts as a deoxidiser in smelting. Too much can reduce toughness.
VVanadium	0.1–0.3%	Forms extremely hard vanadium carbides for superior edge retention, and refines the grain for a finer, tougher edge.
PPhosphorus	0.03%	An impurity from smelting. Even small amounts promote brittleness, so steelmakers keep it as low as possible.

Composition from zknives (K&S steel dataset) reference material. These ranges come from the K&S steel composition dataset, which is derived from zknives; maker figures are cited separately only when they are used on the page.

VG10 Buying Guide

Should you buy VG10?

Where it shines

“VG10 has 15% chromium (Cr), 1% molybdenum (Mo), and 1.5% cobalt (Co) which all strengthen the matrix, yielding high hardness, in addition to maintaining a long-lasting sharp edge.” — per Takefu Special Steel
“It also has good machinability and is easy to sharpen.” — per Takefu Special Steel
“With its excellent corrosion resistance and sharpness, it performs well in a wide range of uses” — per Takefu Special Steel

Where it doesn't

Masutani

Masutani Sekka VG10 Nashiji Damascus Santoku 170mm Western Handle

Sakai Takayuki

Sakai Takayuki VG10 Bunka 160mm 33-Layer Hammered Damascus

Sakai Takayuki

VG10 · V金10号

VG10 Element Composition

Where it shines

Where it doesn't

Knives in VG10

Masutani Sekka VG10 Nashiji Damascus Santoku 170mm Western Handle

Sakai Takayuki VG10 Bunka 160mm 33-Layer Hammered Damascus

Sakai Takayuki VG10 33 Layer Damascus Santoku 170mm Teak Handle

Takeshi Saji VG10 Rainbow Damascus Gyuto 240mm

Takeshi Saji VG10 Rainbow Damascus Etched Sujihiki 270mm

Takeshi Saji VG10 Gold Damascus Sujihiki 270mm

Sakai Takayuki VG10 Butcher Knife 210mm (8.9") 33 Layer Hammered Damascus

Shigeki Tanaka VG10 Damascus Sakimaru-Takobiki 300mm w/ Saya

Higonokami VG10 Steel Folding Knife - Pocket

Higonokami VG10 Steel Folding Knife - Medium

Tsunehisa VG10 Damascus Sujihiki 240mm WA handle

Hatsukokoro Hayabusa VG10 Tsuchime Sanmai Bunka 150mm Ebony

Tsunehisa VG10 Damascus Sujihiki 240mm

Takeshi Saji VG10 Rainbow Damascus Etched Bunka 165mm

Takeshi Saji VG10 Rainbow Damascus Etched Paring 90mm

Takeshi Saji VG10 Rainbow Damascus Etched Santoku 165mm

Masutani Kokuryu VG10 Damascus Nakiri 165mm Black Chacate Handle

Takeshi Saji VG10 Rainbow Damascus Sujihiki 240mm

Masutani Kokuryu VG10 Damascus Slim Nakiri 165mm Western Handle

Sakai Takayuki VG10 33 Layer Damascus Petty 150mm

Sakai Takayuki VG10 33 Layer Damascus Santoku 170mm Gold

Sakai Takayuki VG10 33 Layer Damascus Santoku 170mm Aka

Sakai Takayuki VG10 33 Layer Damascus Santoku 170mm Green

K&S VG10 Tsuchime Damascus Nakiri 180mm

K&S VG10 Tsuchime Damascus Petty 150mm

K&S VG10 Tsuchime Damascus Gyuto 210mm

Sakai Takayuki VG10 33 Layer Damascus Santoku 180mm Limited Blue Handle

Masutani Kokuryu VG10 Damascus Tsuchime Santoku 170mm WA Handle

Takeshi Saji VG10 Rainbow Damascus Gyuto 240mm

Takeshi Saji VG10 Rainbow Damascus Kurozome Gyuto 210mm

Takeshi Saji VG10 Rainbow Damascus Gyuto 180mm Ebony Handle Mosaic Pin

Takeshi Saji VG10 Rainbow Damascus Nakiri 165mm Ebony Handle Mosaic Pin

Mcusta Zanmai Hybrid VG10 Petty 150mm

Mcusta Zanmai Hybrid VG10 Sujihiki 240mm

Takeshi Saji VG10 Rainbow Damascus Bunka 165mm Ebony Handle Mosaic Pin

Takeshi Saji VG10 Rainbow Damascus Santoku 165mm Ebony Handle Mosaic Pin

K&S VG10 Tsuchime Sanmai Petty 150mm Western Handle

EOFY2025 SPECIAL: Saji VG10 Rainbow Damascus Petty 130mm with Cosmic Swirl Handle

Tojiro DP3 Yo-Deba 240mm F-815

Tojiro DP3 Gyuto 270mm F-810

Saji Damascus Sujihiki 270mm VG10 Ironwood

Tojiro DP3 Petty 150mm F-802

Tojiro DP3 Gyuto 180mm F-807

Hatsukokoro Hayabusa VG10 Tsuchime Sanmai Bread Knife 210mm

Hatsukokoro Hayabusa VG10 Tsuchime Sanmai Petty 150mm

Hatsukokoro Hayabusa VG10 Damascus Tsuchime Sujihiki 270mm Ebony Handle

Tojiro DP VG10 F-803 Honesuki 150mm

Sakai Takayuki Kurokage VG10 Kengata K-tip Gyuto 190mm Wenge

Sakai Takayuki VG10 33 Layer Damascus Petty 150mm Limited Blue Handle

Sakai Takayuki VG10 33 Layer Damascus Gyuto 210mm Blue Handle

Nigara VG10 Damascus Tsuchime Gyuto 240mm Black Chacate

Hatsukokoro Hayabusa VG10 Tsuchime Sanmai Santoku 180mm Ebony

Hatsukokoro Hayabusa VG10 Tsuchime Sanmai Nakiri 180mm Ebony

Hatsukokoro Hayabusa VG10 Tsuchime Sanmai Gyuto 210mm

Tojiro DP3 Gyuto 210mm F-808

Hatsukokoro Hayabusa VG10 Damascus Tsuchime Santoku 180mm Ebony Handle

Hatsukokoro Hayabusa VG10 Damascus Tsuchime Petty 150mm Ebony Handle

Hatsukokoro Hayabusa VG10 Damascus Tsuchime Gyuto 240mm Ebony Handle

Hatsukokoro Hayabusa VG10 Damascus Tsuchime Gyuto 210mm Ebony Handle

Satoshi Nakagawa VG10 Left-handed Kamagata Usuba 210mm Mirror Polish

Satoshi Nakagawa VG10 Left-handed Kamagata Usuba 180mm Mirror Polish

Satoshi Nakagawa VG10 Sakimaru Takobiki 270mm Mirror Polish

Satoshi Nakagawa VG10 Yanagiba 270mm Mirror Polish

Satoshi Nakagawa VG10 Yanagiba 300mm Mirror Polish

Satoshi Nakagawa VG10 Yanagiba 330mm Mirror Polish

Tojiro DP3 Petty 120mm F-650

Tojiro DP3 Bonning 150mm F-827

Tojiro DP3 Paring 90mm F-800

Tojiro DP3 Sujihiki 270mm F-806

Nigara VG10 Damascus Tsuchime K-tip Gyuto 240mm Black Chacate Handle

Nigara VG10 Damascus Tsuchime K-tip Gyuto 210mm Black Chacate Handle

Nigara VG10 Damascus Tsuchime Gyuto 210mm Black Chacate Handle

Nakagawa VG10 Sakimaru Takobiki 270mm Mirror Polish

Satoshi Nakagawa VG10 Kiritsuke (K-tip) Yanagiba 330mm Mirror Polish

Satoshi Nakagawa VG10 Kiritsuke (K-tip) Yanagiba 300mm Mirror Polish

VG10 V金10号