VG-10
VG-10 is very popular stainless steel from the Japanese manufacturer Takefu. VG10 steel is stainless steel with very fine carbide structure and high carbon content. Thanks to this, it is resistant to corrosion, achieves a very high sharpness and is relatively easy to sharpen. It typically reaches a hardness of 60-61 HRC. It is slightly prone to pitting, so we recommend keeping VG-10 knives dry and clean. It is important not to wash in the dishwasher or leave in the sink. If spot corrosion appears, it must be sanded or polished so that it does not spread further.
VG-10 steel kitchen knives are usually made of laminated steel. VG-10 steel forms a hard core that is sandwiched between two sheets of soft stainless steel. This process produces three-layer steel. A combination of VG-10 steel core and Damascus steel side plates is also often used. This is how, for example, the popular 67-layer Damascus knives are created - a combination of two sheets of 33-layer Damascus and a VG-10 core.
Steel composition: 1% carbon, 14,5 - 15,5% chromium, 1,2% molybdenum, 1,5% cobalt, 0,5% manganese, 0,3% vanadium, 0,03% phosphorus