VG-10. Am I missing something???

L

LikeHike

Joined
Feb 23, 2006
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Seems like S30V, 154CM, M-2, D2, etc. get most of the discussion and attention. VG-10 does not come up much. At the same time (to my limited experience & understanding) it seems to have some of the best qualities of the stainless steels without the controveries of S30V. My VG-10's seem to hold their edges well and to sharpen fairly easily even with my amateur sharpening abilities.

What's up? Am I missing something here???
 
It's an excellent steel. It might be my all-time favorite steel and I've owned many with S30V, ATS-34, ZDP. Don't get caught up in the hype.
 
Slatts said:
It's an excellent steel. It might be my all-time favorite steel and I've owned many with S30V, ATS-34, ZDP. Don't get caught up in the hype.
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Took the words right out of my mouth.

It's my favorite stainless; has been for quite some time
 
LikeHike said:
Seems like S30V, 154CM, M-2, D2, etc. get most of the discussion and attention. VG-10 does not come up much. At the same time (to my limited experience & understanding) it seems to have some of the best qualities of the stainless steels without the controveries of S30V. My VG-10's seem to hold their edges well and to sharpen fairly easily even with my amateur sharpening abilities.

What's up? Am I missing something here???
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Are you kidding? No one will shut up about VG-10.
 
my only experience with vg10 is with a spyderco endura and honestly i wasn't that thrilled. as a matter of fact at the time i had 2 enduras, one vg10 and the other was aus8a. i really preferred the aus 8 model. seemed to me that it took a better edge and held it better than the vg10. i'm sure the vg is a great steel and it gets plenty of press but in my experience i wasn't impressed. your results may vary. later,ahgar
 
Larrin said:
Are you kidding? No one will shut up about VG-10.
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Guess I am just not paying enough attention - won't be the first time the world seems to go by when I blink my eyes.
 
After buying into the S30V / ZDP hype I have come back to my senses and reallize that VG10 is my favorite steel for a small folder. I have been reprofiling most of my knives lately and have gained a great appreciation for VG-10. I can get it sharper than any of my other steels.

I have also noticed MUCH MUCH better consistency in hardness of my VG-10 blades. This has definately not been the case with S30V. Some come very hard (Manix) and some are coming very soft and are hard to sharpen because they gum up my stone - Huge variations. I find that S30V even varies in hardenss greatly within the same manufacturer.

Having seen S30V's potential in my Manix I believe it could be a great steel, but the inconsistency makes me reluctant to buy any more. VG10 on the other hand has earned my trust and almost always comes good and hard.

These are just my experiences and your results may be different. Also to be fair most of my knives are Spydercos and they are great with VG-10.

I am curious why this is. Is S30V harder to harden properly than VG10?
 
CMSpeedy said:
I have also noticed MUCH MUCH better consistency in hardness of my VG-10 blades.

....
I find that S30V even varies in hardenss greatly within the same manufacturer.
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That isn't uncommon.

Is S30V harder to harden properly than VG10?
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It has a much lower grindability. If the steel is much harder this usually isn't a problem, but at the same hardness, or worse, if it is softer, it tends to be very difficult to get very sharp. Plus it then doesn't stay there for very long anyway.

-Cliff
 
Cliff Stamp said:
That isn't uncommon.



It has a much lower grindability. If the steel is much harder this usually isn't a problem, but at the same hardness, or worse, if it is softer, it tends to be very difficult to get very sharp. Plus it then doesn't stay there for very long anyway.

-Cliff
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I read this several times and I am not sure I understand. Are you saying that it is more difficult to grind down the S30V and that if it is not substantially harder than the VG-10 it is difficult to sharpen and does not hold the edge very well???

If this is the case why would the lower grindability make it more difficult to sharpen if the steel is not as hard?

Thanks!
 
LikeHike said:
Are you saying that it is more difficult to grind down the S30V and that if it is not substantially harder than the VG-10 it is difficult to sharpen and does not hold the edge very well?
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Yes, with the qualification in the that edge retention comment depends on what is being cut. Edge retention is a very complex property because edges blunt by many mechanisms. They can deform, fracture, corrode or suffer abrasive/adhesive wear. Softer steels will deform easier but they can still have higher wear resistance if they have a lot of hard carbides. Thus you can see better edge retention for coarse slicing (which has a lot to do with wear) but worse edge retention for fine push cutting (which has a strong dependance on hardness).

If this is the case why would the lower grindability make it more difficult to sharpen if the steel is not as hard?
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The biggest problem in sharpening is getting the edge to form clean, commonly called removing the burr. This is debris (abrasive and steel bits) and deformed/fractured steel on the edge. If the steel has a low grindability this means it is hard to grind and thus tends to require more force on the stone. However if it is softer it will bend easily , thus a steel which is soft and full of hard carbides is very difficult to sharpen because the edge tends to deform rather than be cleanly cut. The situation is made worse because usually in order to make those steels softer they are made more coarse which also makes them more prone to burrs.

-Cliff
 
I am a knife nut so I get caught up in analyzing all the different steels in use in different models. Sometimes I give up and just have to say to myself, if a top notch maker like Spyderco or Benchmade wants to put their name on it, it's probably decent. If I get it and it doesn't suit me, lesson learned. 154CM is awesome for sharpness and edge retention, but sometimes it chips.
 
I have 2 VG 10 blades:A Fallkniven F1 and a Spyderco Native III.Both are very good and reliable blades.The F1 is a very sharp blade.Using a ceramic hone I've got it scary sharp,it's probably the sharpest knife in my collection and keeps it's edge very well.:thumbup:
 
VG-10 is a great steel. Don't get all caught up in the hype.

I like 154CM in my William Henry and as long as the steel gives me good service then it is a grerat steel for me. The VG-10 knives I have, Spyderco Mouse and Navigator, have served me well!
 
I guess I flunked steel snobery 101 . If blade and edge geometry is good , any of the better steels perform well .

Chris
 
The reason VG-10 isn't talked about is because there is nothing to talk about. It works, end of story.
 
HoB said:
The reason VG-10 isn't talked about is because there is nothing to talk about. It works, end of story.
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Agree totally. The balance of qualities you get with VG-10 - edge retention, ease of sharpening, corrosion resistance, etc. - is hard to beat for an all-around utility blade. Also manufacturers don't seem to have nearly the same difficulty heat treating VG-10 as they do certain other steels, for example S30V.
 
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