VG-10

VG-10 is one of the best-known Japanese kitchen knife steels and remains a favorite among professional chefs to this day. Here are the key facts:

Origin: VG-10 ("V Gold 10", also known as V-Kin-10 in Japanese) was developed by Japanese steelmaker Takefu Special Steel in Fukui Prefecture — a region with a long tradition of sword and blade forging. The steel was created around 1959, roughly contemporary with the American steel 154CM, and was originally designed specifically for Japanese kitchen knives.

Composition: VG-10 consists of the following main elements:
Carbon (C): approx. 1.0%
Chromium (Cr): approx. 15.0%
Molybdenum (Mo): approx. 1.0%
Vanadium (V): approx. 0.2–0.3%
Cobalt (Co): approx. 1.5%
Manganese (Mn): approx. 0.5%
Silicon (Si): approx. 0.6%
Phosphorus (P): approx. 0.03%
Sulfur (S): approx. 0.03%

The cobalt addition is what sets VG-10 apart: it was one of the first stainless steels ever to include a cobalt alloy, mainly to boost temper resistance — the ability to retain hardness even at higher temperatures, such as during coating processes. The relatively low vanadium content also means VG-10 — unlike high-vanadium steels such as S30V or MagnaCut — sharpens and polishes fairly easily.

Hardness: typical range 60–61 HRC.

Toughness: solid but not exceptional — clearly below tougher modern powder steels like S35VN, though more robust than plain high-carbon blade steels.

Edge retention: roughly on par with 440C, marginally below it — respectable for a conventionally (non-powder) melted steel.

Corrosion resistance: good to very good thanks to roughly 15% chromium, comparable to the powder-metallurgy steel SG2 (also from Takefu). The cobalt addition itself contributes little to corrosion resistance — its role is specifically temper resistance.

Practical takeaway: VG-10 remains a favorite among professional chefs and is most commonly found as the core steel in Damascus-style chef's knives, such as Kai Shun — often wrapped in multiple thin, softer steel layers (san-mai or multi-layer cladding) that mainly improve looks and toughness, while the actual edge comes from the VG-10 core. Compared to 440C, it's considered a more modern, somewhat tougher alternative with better temper resistance. Of interest to collectors: cheaper knives are sometimes mislabeled as "VG-10" when they actually use the simpler VG-1 — worth checking manufacturer specs closely.