How Does VG-10 Compare?

JSMcustoms

JSMcustoms

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Feb 2, 2012
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VG-10 seems like a good steel to me and I have no real issues with it from my limited experience. How does this steel stack up against some of the other common ones? I've heard it put in the same group with ATS-34 and 154CM as far as overall performance goes. Is this pretty accurate?
 
VG-10 is a decent steel, but ignoring factors like Heat treatment and Edge Geometry is not any kind of real world comparison.


Buying a knife from a trusted maker, designed to handle the cutting tasks you have in mind, is a much better way to buy a knife then just looking at it's steel designation.





Big Mike
 
I really like VG10. I it is my favourite stainless steel.

I also think that far too much emphasis is put on steel sort and far too little on edge geometry.
 
The only experience I have with it is on my Delica 4 FFG where it seems to do really well. Of course all of Spyderco's blades seem to have a top notch heat treat.
 
Excellent steel, good 'bite', I suspect due to the carbide content. A bit tougher to get the burr off than high carbon steel, but holds an edge as well as Carbon V (blade to blade comparison when skinning a black bear). I would trust my F1 in VG-10 anywhere.
 
VG-10 is a great steel for EDC. Holds a good edge, and sharpens up very easily taking a nice keen edge.

In my opinion it takes a keener edge than 154cm.
But 154cm will hold its edge for just a little longer. Not really a noticeable amount longer.

I don't have personal experience with ATS-34.
 
BladeChick nailed it in my opinion. VG-10 for me is a great EDC steel. Sharpens easy and keen. 154cm does the same but not as keen but does stay sharp for a good while. Never used ATS-32. I thought it was along the same lines as 154cm?
 
I find that I can flick open VG10 blades as well as other steels without issue. I find it holds up well in the safe too...
 
I've used my Spyderco Police serrated with the VG10 and so far it's been incredible. No signs of dulling.
 
Good stuff, decent edge retention and not too difficult to sharpen. I have a slight preference for VG-10 over 154cm or ATS-34, but it's based on use without solid data.
 
I have used all 3, and all are good steels. From my experience vg10 is the easiest to sharpen of the group but they seem to preform the same
 
I personally much prefer S30V to VG-10 or 154cm. I even took a FFG Endura to what was probably ~25 inclusive, and it couldn't keep an edge as well as one of my old S30V Sage 2's with a ~35 inclusive edge. Additionally, in my experience VG-10 rusts easier than S30V as well, but I have no real experience with either 154cm or ATS-34. I had a brief encounter with ATS-34 and it seemed roughly the same as 154cm, though I do believe it polished a little easier than 154cm.

It's not a bad steel by any means, I just prefer other steels for EDC. As others have said, it is fairly easy to sharpen. Much will depend on how skilled you are at sharpening and how much sharpening you are willing to do.
 
JSMcustoms said:
VG-10 seems like a good steel to me and I have no real issues with it from my limited experience. How does this steel stack up against some of the other common ones? I've heard it put in the same group with ATS-34 and 154CM as far as overall performance goes. Is this pretty accurate?
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Your statement is accurate. VG10 performs pretty similar to ATS-34 and 154CM, if all are hardened to the same hardness.
 
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Kabanstva said:
I've used my Spyderco Police serrated with the VG10 and so far it's been incredible. No signs of dulling.
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That may be because serrations don't dull as fast as a regular plain edge knife. They last way longer (In my experience). They should be fairly fast to sharpen as well.
 
allyourblood said:
Wait, why would it? Or did you mean to reverse those numbers?
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Nope, the Endura was thinner than the Sage 2. Typically the thinner the geometry (to a certain point where the edge just collapses), the longer the edge lasts. I had expected the Endura to hold an edge longer than the Sage 2 but it ended up being the other way around. To be fair though, I was cutting ceiling tiles so it probably wasn't the greatest of tests. Additionally, at another time, I was cutting zip ties and the plastic on the bumper of my car to put a license plate on and the edge dulled much more quickly that I am used to with S30V on the same tasks with my Military.
 
Cynic2701 said:
Nope, the Endura was thinner than the Sage 2. Typically the thinner the geometry (to a certain point where the edge just collapses), the longer the edge lasts. I had expected the Endura to hold an edge longer than the Sage 2 but it ended up being the other way around. To be fair though, I was cutting ceiling tiles so it probably wasn't the greatest of tests. Additionally, at another time, I was cutting zip ties and the plastic on the bumper of my car to put a license plate on and the edge dulled much more quickly that I am used to with S30V on the same tasks with my Military.
Click to expand...

Ah, my brain wasn't wrapping itself around that one. I get it now. I've got to remember to start thinking fourth dimensionally! ;)
 
In my experience VG-10, N690, 154CM are about the same .My kitchen knives are VG-10 and that's an excellent application for that type of steel. !
 
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