VG-10 anyone?

VG-10 is very close to N690 , the two are as best you can get without going to one of the super steels . Takes a fine edge quickly , easily . Nice balance of properties.
 
I love VG-10. It is very stainless, takes and holds a good edge, and it is easy to sharpen. What's not to love? With some factory edges, the belt grinding can burn the steel at the edge and it loses its temper. This is true with all steels. Steels will often chip and then some think the steel is "chippy." In reality, a good sharpening that gets through the factory edge down to fresh steel will cure these ills. VG-10 is not any more chip prone than other steels and less than most. Great stuff.
 
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JcyHunter said:
Hello all, so I went to my local gun store today to browse and came home with a Boker pro kwaiken. It is my first VG-10 bladed knife. Any thoughts on this particular steel? I'd post pics, but haven't figured that part out yet lol. Thanks for looking
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Where is vg-10 made? Is there a CPM-VG10 version?
 
GatorFlash1 said:
Where is vg-10 made? Is there a CPM-VG10 version?
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Here's a quote from Sal Glesser. I'm not sure if Takefu has a PM equivalent, but something like CPM154 would be kinda similar. ZDP-189 is a PM steel and I prefer Spydercos ZDP over VG10.

Sal Glesser said:
VG-10 was the best production stainless steel made in Japan that we tested, seeking edge retention, corrosion resistance and toughness. We had already used AUS-6 (Aichi), AUS-8 (Aichi), AUS-10 (Aichi), Gingami 1 (Hitachi), and ATS-55 (Hitachi). We introduced VG-10 (Takefu) in the late 90's. We've recently added ZDP (Hitachi) as a regular production steel in our Seki made product.

The Endura4 and Delica4 are good examples of an excellent steel in a modern high performance, ergomonic, moderately priced folder.

The Japanee made (Hitachi) ZDP-189 is now being used in production by a few companies and it seems to have even more of the desired properties.

VG-10 is a highy refined ingot steel. ZDP-189 is a steel made with a powdered metal process. Kinda like hydrogen power vs hybrid technology in automobiles.

sal
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I liked it in my experience with knives. I ended up with a Endura as a favorite for EDC and had an Al Mar Ultra Chef in the kitchen, sharpened nicely, and the Endura didn't rust in rain forest climate.
 
One of my favorite steels, in one of my favorite hard-use folders....

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It has all the characteristics of making a great blade - takes a scary edge without much effort, extremely stain resistant, and moderately wear-resistant (compared to the newer crop of super steels).
 
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If you've used a blade made of Bohler N690, then you have some experience with a stainless alloy very, very close to VG-10.

But these days VG-10 is such a mainstream knife steel that it really doesn't draw much special notice except, perhaps, in the world of higher-end kitchen knives. From my experience, VG-10 is a slight performance upgrade from the steels that good Victorinox, Henckels, or Wusthof kitchen cutlery are made from. In other words, there's nothing really "wrong" with it if you consider that your typical 6" to 10" household and restaurant kitchen knives are likely put to work much harder than your every day carry (EDC) personal folding knife.
 
Anyone has info on Boker's VG-10, and if they are by Takefu too? How about Kizer's VG-10?
Pretty sure Spyderco's Seki City VG-10 is from Takefu, but the rest?
 
I have a Boker Urban Trapper and numerous Spydercos in VG10 , it is impossible to tell any difference in edge retention performance between the two different makers .
I'm not a huge fan of VG10 , but it would not stop me from purchasing a knife if it was only available in that steel .
One thing that has been mentioned here and that I totally agree with is the ease in which you can achieve a " Scary Sharp " level of edge sharpness on a VG10 blade . It sharpens quickly and to a very high level , but doesn't hold that edge as long as some of the other Super Steels.

Ken
 
Chris "Anagarika";16795899 said:
Anyone has info on Boker's VG-10, and if they are by Takefu too? How about Kizer's VG-10?
Pretty sure Spyderco's Seki City VG-10 is from Takefu, but the rest?
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As in considering any purchase, you just have to take the manufacturer at his word to a major extent. Particularly regarding the exact steel used in a given model, the situation today is perhaps quite a bit better than the days when AUS-8 (or AUS-8A) was sold as 440C by a number of what are presently regarded as fairly reputable makers.

It also pretty much goes without saying, but how well a given make or model of knife actually cuts, holds its edge, and fits your hand (and hence whether you'll actually want to use it) depends a lot more than on the specific steel it's made of.

There is that cautionary (almost apocryphal) tale about a now defunct custom knife maker who had some blades of a highly alloyed stainless steel heat treated as if they were O-1 (or some other common carbon tool steel). His thinking went along the lines of something like: "Well, no harm done. My customers haven't got the smarts and resources to know or care." Sadly, he likely had the right of it.
 
ridnovir said:
VG10 is one of my favorites as well. Performs well and is easy to maintain.
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+1. The steel I've carried the most in the last decade or so is Spydercos VG10. The Delica 4 FFG (in various colors) has more pocket time then any other knife I own.
 
It's like today what 440c used to be when all the new higher end alloys were coming out. Not a "super-alloy", persay, but a great well rounded one. Holds an edge fairly well, reasonably "easy" to sharpen, takes a wicked sharp edge...
Someone else already mentioned, it's very close in composition to n690 (boehler), and personally I'm a fan. Done good by me so far when done by reputable manufacturers... I'm actually seriously considering a new kitchen set in vg-10, an upgrade from my current 4116 (krupp) set...

Any (reputable) makers wanna be takers?
 
JcyHunter said:
Hello all, so I went to my local gun store today to browse and came home with a Boker pro kwaiken. It is my first VG-10 bladed knife. Any thoughts on this particular steel? I'd post pics, but haven't figured that part out yet lol. Thanks for looking
Click to expand...

I like it. It's very maintenance-friendly, quick stroppings usually bring it back for me, and it holds its edge pretty well. I use my Spyderco Police (original, non-serrated) and my Police 3 serrated nearly every day for work stuff and it has served me well for my purposes.

Much prefer it to S30V Spydercos that I've owned & used in the past (PM2). I think obviously different steels are better for different purposes so sometimes it's hard to judge across the board...unless it's something that's plain out crappy from square one. Other Spyderco steel I enjoy is the ZDP.
 
i think vg-10 would be a great choice for a thick, long, hard use fixed blade. trouble is most knives in vg-10 are folders with thin-ground slicing blades.
 
VG-10 is a great steel....I have an Endura that I have had for years and have always like its performance.
 
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Wow I'm learning a lot, thanks guys for all the input. I ordered a Spyderco Police, non serrated yesterday, also in VG-10. I've always been a fan of a bigger blade I guess, I like to carry a case canoe, and a more "tactical" folder for heavier cutting
 
Vg10 gets double thumbs up from me. My go to knife for the kitchen is a hiro kaioh utility hunter with a thin dasmascus vg10 blade. Very very nice slicer. Altough on that subject i have used said knife to cut raw beef into cubes last weekend and when i washed the blade under warm water the blade blackened, like it had developped patina which seriously confused me as it never stained in any way before. Anyone else had that happen with vg10?

Ps: will post a picture later
 
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