VG10 Question

mikehopkins

mikehopkins

Joined
May 23, 2007
Messages
90
I have a Lahar spotted at my local Sportsmans Warehouse. I really like the feel and grind and G-10. Can y'all please educate me some on VG10? I know Spyderco uses it but what is it comperable to? 440C, CPM S30V, D2?
Can anyone refer me to a site where this steel is critiqued or tested?

Thanks
Mike
 
I am not a Steel Snob or Steel Aficionado, but I think it is similar to Sandvik. VG-10 is not American made, nor is the Lahar, but both are good products.

Try googling VG-10 steel
 
VG-10 is a great steel. holds an edge FOREVER and takes a wicked wicked edge. it is one of the super steels. i would compare it to ZDP-189 personally (i have the ZDP leek and the Lahar, so it makes sense. both are great.)
 
I love VG-10. Gets sharp, stays sharp, and with just a little bit of regualr maintainance (occasional touch ups on sharpmaker) it will slice and slice and slice! VG-10 is also easy to keep shiny and clean, very corrosion resistant.
You know you want it, now go down there and get it!!:D

Cheers,
Jon
 
VG-10 is a great steel. Corrosion resistance is good. Its superior to 13C26 in edge retention, but doesn't hold an edge as long as S30V. Much easier to sharpen than S30V though.
 
Yes, Jon, I want it and about 50% of their entire stock but I have to be very tight with the funds. Been trying to be a little selective. How is it compared to D2? Thanks All.
 
mmmm, D2! Now you're talking about one of my all time favorite steels. D2 isn't as corrosion resistant, but I've never had any problems. Regular maintainance keeps it looking just fine. I just really love the edge that my D2 blades get. They stay sharp about the same length of time as VG-10, at least roughly. Some say D2 is much more difficult to sharpen, but I stay on top of my edges and don't let them get dull, so that also is not a problem for me. Also, the look and feel of D2 is awesome, it's got a bit darker, earthier feel to it, whereas VG-10 is very bright and shiny (or course, some of that depends on how the blades are treated/finished). I highly recommend picking up AT LEAST one blade in D2 for your collection.

Cheers,
Jon
 
As OL said, VG 10 is amazingly easy to get sharp and sharper, and maintain that way. The Lahar represents, IMO, one of the best values for a knife anywhere. VG-10 was designed by Takefu Special Steel co.,Ltd, in Japan, and any blade made with this steel comes from Japan (I believe due to import restrictions).

If you go to the MT&E forum, there is an excellent stickied post by Joe Talmadge titled, "Steel FAQ". I believe it is a must read for everyone new to these forums. I even reread it from time to time just to keep current. There is a good description of VG 10 in there.

Alternatively, you could do a little research on your own and Google it like Giantsfan suggested. That way you could also come to your own conclusions as well.



Bookworm said:
what makes a steel super? edge retention/edge taking?
Click to expand...

Bookworm, you disappoint me. You said in an earlier post you were like a sponge, absorbed material quickly, and were a voracious reader. Surely you have been all over these forums and read the steel FAQ plus read numerous posts discussing "super" steels. You were kidding, right?

Rik
 
VG10 is made in Japan, and the Japanese won't allow it to be sold outside of Japan, to protect the Japanese knife industry.

It's a great steel, no question. But I won't buy a VG10 knife as long as the Japanese engage in economic protectionism, and try to under cut American knife makers.
 
VG-10 is a good all-around steel IMO. It has a relatively high carbide volume, which means it has decent wear resistance and the edge will hold up better than lower carbide steels when cutting more abrasive materials; not as well as D2 or S30V, for example, but it will generally take a finer, more acute edge than either of those, and most find it easier to sharpen.

For cutting not-so-abrasive materials like wood, low carbide content steels like 13C26 at similar hardness will hold an extremely fine edge longer than VG-10 ... but again, VG-10 excels at being an all-around performer, thus a good choice for an EDC blade that sees a range of uses.

Trivia: VG-10 was designed for use in gardening tools like pruners (IIRC) and as such it's reasonably tough for a stainless steel, and has IMO very good rust and corrosion resistance. When polished it has a characteristic, fine orange peel texture, which should be very subtle; my experience has been that if the orange peel grain looks deeper and larger, there was a problem with excessive carbide aggregation and/or grain growth during heat treat, and the blade won't perform like it should.

I would guess that a good part of Spyderco's success in recent years is because of their use of VG-10 with it's good balance of characteristics.
 
The Lahar has become my EDC of choice. VG-10 is very good steel, and I can't beat the ergonomics of the Lahar design.
 
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