VG10 steel is very widely used because this knife steel is harder than most western knife steels and does not oxidize as quickly. Especially customers who are looking for a compromise between good performance and low maintenance often choose this steel. Due to the vanadium content of 0.5%, the steel has good strength and toughness.

This type of steel has an unbeatable advantage: ease of maintenance. This is due to the chromium content of 14.5 - 15.5%. At the same time, the addition of chromium and other components lowers the carbon content in the alloy, thus also lowering the hardness potential compared to traditional aogami and shirogami steels. VG10 steel reaches a hardness level of 59 - 61 HRC, whereas high carbon Japanese knife blades reach hardness levels of up to 66 HRC. However, this is not to say that VG10 steel is not hard - compared to Western knives, this steel is still far superior in terms of hardness. A VG10 blade is an excellent choice in terms of sharpening potential and ease of care, and is also ideally suited for beginners to the world of Japanese knives.