Abrasives
Grinding and Sharpening VG-10: Belt Recommendations & Technique
VG-10 grinds in the moderate, well-established range for premium stainless steels, easier than high-carbide CPM steels like CPM 20CV or S30V, but slightly…
Knife steel
VG-10 knife steel
A Japanese stainless steel famous for high-end kitchen cutlery, using a cobalt addition to reach high hardness and a fine, precise edge without giving up too much toughness.
Also known as
At a glance
How VG-10 behaves
The four meters are relative to the rest of the database. Composition is the published nominal analysis, not a mill certificate for your bar.
Working properties
- Toughness
- 3
- Edge retention
- 4
- Corrosion resistance
- 4
- Ease of grinding
- 3
- Composition
- Best uses
The signature steel behind premium Japanese kitchen knives (santoku, gyuto, and beyond), and a solid choice for EDC folders that want a fine, precise edge. Browse more entries in the Knife Steel Database, and see the Heat Treating Guide for the full stage-by-stage process.
- Sources
At the bench
What each property means for this steel
Open the property you are worried about. Every note is written for the blade in your hand, not for a spec sheet.
Toughness
Adequate for kitchen and EDC use; the cobalt addition helps it hold toughness at a higher hardness than its composition alone would suggest, though it is not built for hard-use abuse.
Edge retention
Very good edge retention with a fine, precise bite, which is exactly why it became the standard steel for premium Japanese kitchen knives.
Corrosion resistance
15% chromium gives it excellent stainless performance, well suited to kitchen use where the blade is washed constantly.
Grinding and machinability
Reasonably easy to grind and finish for a vanadium-bearing stainless steel, which has helped it stay popular in high-volume Japanese cutlery production.
The full reference
More on VG-10
VG-10 is a Japanese stainless steel from Takefu Special Steel that became the signature steel of high-end Japanese kitchen cutlery, and later found its way into Western EDC folders as well. A cobalt addition lets it reach high hardness without sacrificing much toughness, which is a big part of why it takes such a fine, precise edge.
VG-10 FAQ
What hardness does VG-10 reach?
Properly heat treated, VG-10 typically lands at 60-62 Rc. See the heat treat details further up this page for the full recipe.
Is VG-10 hard to sharpen?
No, it sharpens well with standard sharpening stones and does not require diamond or CBN abrasives. See the full grinding and sharpening guide.
Is VG-10 a good kitchen knife steel?
Yes, it is the signature steel behind premium Japanese kitchen cutlery, prized for taking an exceptionally fine, precise edge.
How does VG-10 compare to 154CM or AEB-L?
VG-10 holds a modest edge-retention advantage over 154CM while being marginally harder to grind, and offers better edge retention than AEB-L at the cost of toughness and ease of grinding. See the full breakdowns: VG-10 vs 154CM and VG-10 vs AEB-L.
Head to head
Compare steel data for VG-10
Every matchup VG-10 appears in, dimension by dimension.
Keep reading
Guides that use this steel
MetallurgyWhat Alloying Elements Do: Carbon, Chromium, Vanadium & More
Every knife steel is iron plus a specific recipe of other elements, and each of those elements pulls the steel’s behavior in a particular direction…
MetallurgyCarbide Size and Sharpening: Why Some Steels Feel Different
Two steels with similar hardness numbers can feel completely different under a sharpening stone, one glides along smoothly, another feels like it’s…
Same bench
Grind VG-10 on a machine that holds still
Whatever the steel, the grind is only as flat as the platen behind it. I machine the parts, hand-assemble and test Torus grinders in Sterling, Illinois.
Nova 2×72 Aluminum Belt Grinder
Current dual-axis platform with a fiber-laser-cut 6061 chassis and single-knob tracking.
Starts at$1,395
Corvus Edition · Only 14 remain.Torus Nebula 2x72 - Corvus Edition
Current dual-axis platform with a steel chassis, more mass and less vibration.
Starts at$1,495
Torus 2×72 Classic Aluminum Belt Grinder
Prior-design aluminum chassis, 90-degree tilt and 1.5-inch tooling arms.
Starts at$1,095
One-man shop
Thinking about VG-10?
Tell me what the blade is for and how you heat treat. I will tell you whether this is the steel I would use, and what I would use instead.