10Cr15CoMoV Steel: What It Is and How It Compares with VG-10

Every Takumi knife has a core of 10Cr15CoMoV steel, wrapped in layers of Damascus steel. Here's what that means for the knife in your hand.

What is 10Cr15CoMoV steel?

It's a stainless knife steel. The name lists what's in it: about 1% carbon (the 10), about 15% chromium (Cr15), plus cobalt, molybdenum and vanadium (Co, Mo, V). Carbon gives hardness and edge holding, chromium resists stains, and the other three add toughness and a fine grain.

How does 10Cr15CoMoV compare with VG-10?

VG-10 is a Japanese stainless steel with a very similar recipe: about 1% carbon and 15% chromium, with cobalt, molybdenum and vanadium. The two are often treated as close equivalents. In practice, how a steel is heat-treated matters as much as its recipe. Our knives use 10Cr15CoMoV, and we don't call it VG-10.

How hard is it?

Our supplier specifies 60 ± 2 HRC on the Rockwell scale. That's hard enough to hold a thin edge for a long time without being brittle in normal kitchen use. The edge is ground to 9–12° per side, finer than the 15–20° common on Western knives.

What do the Damascus layers do?

The Damascus layers (67 on Abalone and Glacier, 37 on Obsidian) wrap and protect the core and give each blade its pattern. The cutting edge itself is the 10Cr15CoMoV core. More layers don't make a knife sharper.

Does 10Cr15CoMoV rust?

It's stainless, not stain-proof. Left wet, it can spot. Wash and dry it after use: our Damascus knife care guide covers the rest.

How do I sharpen it?

Use a whetstone: around 1000 grit to restore the edge, then 3000 to 6000 grit to refine it, holding the 9–12° angle. Pull-through sharpeners grind a wider angle and wear away the fine edge.

See the steel in the Abalone, Glacier and Obsidian collections.