Steel similar to VG10

gull wing

gull wing

Joined
May 4, 2002
Messages
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I have some knives in "super" steel and they are great, but find myself lately going back to the old VG10 knives because they are so easy to maintain an edge. I can strop my blade or use the Sharpmaker, if needed, anytime. I really don't need a blade that holds an edge till the cows come home.:)
WHAT OTHER STEELS PERFORM LIKE VG10?
 
gull wing said:
I have some knives in "super" steel and they are great, but find myself lately going back to the old VG10 knives because they are so easy to maintain an edge. I can strop my blade or use the Sharpmaker, if needed, anytime. I really don't need a blade that holds an edge till the cows come home.:)
WHAT OTHER STEELS PERFORM LIKE VG10?
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I find that there are a few other steels that are in the same tier as vg10. They may not perform exactly like it but they do in the sense that they are easily maintained and hold an edge quite well.

154cm/ats-34, n690, 14c28n
 
Lapedog said:
I find that there are a few other steels that are in the same tier as vg10. They may not perform exactly like it but they do in the sense that they are easily maintained and hold an edge quite well.

154cm/ats-34, n690, 14c28n
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This^^^^^ although I consider 14c28n a notch or two below.
 
I actually think that 154cm is a bit tougher as a blade steel. Not as easy to sharpen either, though not difficult.
 
Honestly D2 is pretty similar, except with less corrosion resistance. Some people will consider this heresy, but they really are close in terms of performance in my limited experience.
 
gull wing said:
I have some knives in "super" steel and they are great, but find myself lately going back to the old VG10 knives because they are so easy to maintain an edge. I can strop my blade or use the Sharpmaker, if needed, anytime. I really don't need a blade that holds an edge till the cows come home.:)
WHAT OTHER STEELS PERFORM LIKE VG10?
Click to expand...

For edge retention, VG10 is comparable to 154CM, ATS-34. and N690.
They sharpen with similar effort.
 
halden.doerge said:
Honestly D2 is pretty similar, except with less corrosion resistance. Some people will consider this heresy, but they really are close in terms of performance in my limited experience.
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I find D2 is much harder to bring back from true dullness or to reprofile.

However once you have a good edge on it, it is a steel that touches up pretty easily in my experience.
 
I've found VG-10 comparable to (but with better corrosion resistance than) 154CM.

Some might think this sounds crazy, but I also felt that the 440C in my Benchmade Axis TSEK and early Griptilians had some similarities to VG-10, except VG-10 holds an edge better. Both are very corrosion resistant and easy to bring back to excellent sharpness with little effort. But Benchmade's is the only 440C I've ever used to any degree, so I can't speak for 440C from other manufacturers.

Jim
 
Maybe I’m wrong about 154cm being tougher, the decrease in chromium and increase in molybdenum should, if ht’d properly give it the tendency to bend before breaking.
 
Yonose said:
Maybe I’m wrong about 154cm being tougher, the decrease in chromium and increase in molybdenum should, if ht’d properly give it the tendency to bend before breaking.
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Could well be right, but what’s coming out here is anecdotal, including my own love of VG10! What I do know is that corresponding ratios of trace elements don’t equate to equivalent qualities in the finished product, necessarily. It’s an horribly complex science. :)

Not my science, that is for sure. There are some really knowledgable people on this site who do know the score. Hopefully they will chime in.
 
Pilsner said:
Could well be right, but what’s coming out here is anecdotal, including my own love of VG10! What I do know is that corresponding ratios of trace elements don’t equate to equivalent qualities in the finished product, necessarily. It’s an horribly complex science. :)

Not my science, that is for sure. There are some really knowledgable people on this site who do know the score. Hopefully they will chime in.
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No doubt. When I hear terms like martensite, pearlite, austenite my eyes kind of glaze over. Someone in another thread called vg-10 a “cheap” steel, but exporting from Japan raises the cost. Whenever trade and market regulations/transportation costs factor into the final price, I prefer something made in the US, which is where I live. Which is why I rarely buy Japanese knives with
g-10 handles, since the increase in cost is due to the g-10 being shipped from us to Japan. I’m not knocking vg-10, I own many fixed blades and folders with the steel and love them, even really expensive fallknivens!
 
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