However, AUS-10 is praised for its toughness and ease of sharpening, making it a competitive alternative to VG-10. It's also compared to 440C for its corrosion resistance and edge-holding capabilities but surpasses 440C in toughness.
Anyone familiar with 440C steel will transition to AUS10 steel because the elements are identical. Whereas the levels are not similar, the two steel types' effectiveness is very similar.
It's not my favorite steel but it does the job. AUS10A is pretty easy to sharpen and it's relatively tough. It seems to be their go to steel for their more affordable range of knives at the moment which up until recently was CTS-BD1.
AUS10/AUS8: A very common, tested and tried stainless steel for kitchen knives. Is a great introduction steel to Japanese knives, in which, it is easy to sharpen, very durable, rust resistant, and is usually reasonably priced. AUS10 has better performance than AUS 8, better edge retention and holds a sharper edge.
AUS 10 vs D2
However, D2 is not as corrosion resistant as AUS-10, making it less suitable for environments where moisture is a concern. AUS-10 offers a more balanced approach, providing adequate edge retention while ensuring superior toughness and corrosion resistance.
Aogami Super, or Blue Super Steel, includes all Blue Steel #1 elements, plus molybdenum and vanadium for added corrosion resistance and strength. With a 61-65 HRC hardness, its enhanced carbon and chromium levels make it the premier Yasugi steel, offering superior hardness and abrasion resistance.
A sharpening stone, also known as a whetstone is a kitchen essential used by professional chefs across the globe.
The hardness of AUS-10 steel is mostly caused by the incredibly high carbon-content of approximately 1.05. As a result the knives can easily be sharpened leaving you with razor-sharp results. This, however, also means that the knives are relatively fragile.
Medium grit stones: Medium grit stones, typically in the range of 400-800 grit, are used for general sharpening and refining the edge of a blade. They remove less material than coarse grit stones and are great for maintaining the edge of a knife.
Your Australian (AU) size is the same as the UK size. If you are unsure of your size, you can measure your foot length with our guide to determine what your size should be. See how to measure your feet below.
The hardest tool steels are those with a high vanadium content. The tool steel category with the highest percentage of vanadium is the cold working tool steel, which has excellent wear resistance.
Due to a difference in forging techniques, Japanese steel blades contain much more carbon than German blades, making them harder, but also more fragile. Because Japanese-style steel is harder, it's capable of holding an edge longer and doesn't need to be sharpened quite as often as German knives do.
Steels with very high vanadium content like Vanadis 8, CPM-10V, K390, CPM-15V, etc. have extremely high edge retention.
Rust resistance: AUS10 steel contains alloying elements such as chromium and vanadium, which provide excellent rust resistance. With proper maintenance, it is relatively resistant to moisture and oxidation, and is said to be rust resistant.
CPM S30V is a martensitic stainless steel designed to offer the best combination of toughness, wear resistance and corrosion resistance. Its chemistry has been specially balanced to promote the formation of vanadium carbides which are harder and more effective than chromium carbides in providing wear resistance.
Electric pull through sharpeners remove way too much metal and shorten the life of your knife by years. Ceramic wheel sharpeners tend to take chips and chunks out of thin Japanese blades. Because of the mechanics of use, it is impossible to apply the same amount of pressure throughout the blade.
“A sharpening stone or whetstone is used primarily by professional chefs to sharpen knives, razors, scrapers and more. They can be designed to require either water or oil for lubrication, which also helps to clear or wash away the metal that comes off the edge of the implements during sharpening,” he explains.
Blade geometry has more impact on edge retention than blade alloy does. So to make a valid comparison the edge angles need to be the same. AUS 10 has better abrasion resistance than AUS 8.
SG2 (or R2) is a high-carbon high alloy content stainless steel that has been powderized into a very fine grain and then sintered back together. This process allows for a very consistent gran structure in the steel which makes the blade easier to sharpen and very durable.
SG2 steel has better edge retention, ease of sharpening and corrosion resistance. On the other hand, VG10 is more versatile(all-purpose), lighter and cheaper.