Stainless
Stainless Steel
"Stainless" means stain-resistant, not stain-proof. In kitchen use, the steel can still discolour or pit if exposed to acidic environments — citrus, vinegar, or salt water — for extended periods. Wash and wipe dry after every use, and avoid leaving the blade soaking in water. With basic care, a stainless knife is very low-maintenance and a great everyday choice. Takefu Special Steel, Japan 🇯🇵
"Stainless" means stain-resistant, not stain-proof. In kitchen use, the steel can still discolour or pit if exposed to acidic environments — citrus, vinegar, or salt water — for extended periods. Wash and wipe dry after every use, and avoid leaving the blade soaking in water. With basic care, a stainless knife is very low-maintenance and a great everyday choice. Takefu Special Steel, Japan 🇯🇵
VG XEOS
Hardness
Rockwell C Hardness(HRC) measures how resistant a steel is to permanent deformation. For kitchen knives:
55–58 HRC — Soft. Easy to sharpen and forgiving of rough use, but dulls faster. Typical of most German knives.
59–61 HRC — Balanced. Good edge retention with manageable sharpening. Common in mid-range Japanese knives.
62–64 HRC — Hard. Excellent edge retention, holds a very fine edge. Requires more care and a fine stone to sharpen.
65+ HRC — Very hard. Exceptional edge longevity but more brittle — more prone to chipping if used roughly.
Higher is not always better — it depends on how you use and maintain your knife.
55–58 HRC — Soft. Easy to sharpen and forgiving of rough use, but dulls faster. Typical of most German knives.
59–61 HRC — Balanced. Good edge retention with manageable sharpening. Common in mid-range Japanese knives.
62–64 HRC — Hard. Excellent edge retention, holds a very fine edge. Requires more care and a fine stone to sharpen.
65+ HRC — Very hard. Exceptional edge longevity but more brittle — more prone to chipping if used roughly.
Higher is not always better — it depends on how you use and maintain your knife.
62–63
HRC
555759616365+
A new grade of steel for blades that combines high corrosion resistance and high hardness at a high dimension, which had been difficult to achieve in the past, with a fine microstructure created by a special melting method that improves wear resistance, strength, and quenching properties.
VG XEOS Composition
What's in VG XEOS
What each element does in your knife.
| Element | Spec range | What it does in your knife |
|---|---|---|
| CrChromium | 18.0–19.0% | Raises corrosion resistance; at roughly 13%+ free chromium the steel qualifies as stainless. Also improves hardenability and wear. |
| MoMolybdenum | 1.85–2.0% | Improves hardenability and toughness, boosts corrosion resistance, and helps the steel hold hardness under heat. |
| CCarbon | 0.7–0.8% | The primary hardening element. More carbon means a harder edge that holds longer — but past a point it trades away toughness and rust resistance. |
| MnManganese | 0.68% | Aids hardenability and strength and acts as a deoxidiser in smelting. Too much can reduce toughness. |
| VVanadium | 0.35–0.45% | Forms extremely hard vanadium carbides for superior edge retention, and refines the grain for a finer, tougher edge. |
| SiSilicon | 0.25–0.3% | Strengthens the steel matrix and acts as a deoxidiser, improving hardness and resistance to oxidation. |
| NiNickel | 0.12% | Improves toughness and ductility without sacrificing hardness, and adds a small boost to corrosion resistance. |
| WTungsten | 0.11% | Forms hard carbides for wear resistance and edge stability, and keeps the steel hard even at elevated temperatures. |
| CuCopper | 0.08% | A minor player in knife steel — a small lift to corrosion resistance, and often present only as a residual rather than a deliberate addition. |
| NbNiobium | 0.01–0.02% | Forms some of the hardest carbides in steel — even finer than vanadium's — for wear resistance and strong grain refinement. |
Composition from zknives (K&S steel dataset) reference material. These ranges come from the K&S steel composition dataset, which is derived from zknives; maker figures are cited separately only when they are used on the page.
Knives in VG XEOS
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Yu Kurosaki
Kurosaki Gekko VG XEOS Gyuto 270mm Ebony Handle
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Kurosaki Gekko VG XEOS Gyuto 270mm, Birch Wood Gold Color Spacer Handle
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Kurosaki Gekko VG XEOS Gyuto 210mm - Turquoise Ring
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Kurosaki Gekko VG XEOS Santoku 165mm - Turquoise Ring
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Kurosaki Gekko VG XEOS Bunka 165mm - Turquoise Ring
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Kurosaki VG XEOS Gekko Petty 130mm - Turquoise Ring
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Kurosaki Gekko VG XEOS Santoku 165mm
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Kurosaki VG XEOS Gekko Petty 150mm Ebony Handle
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Kurosaki VG XEOS Gekko Petty 130mm Ebony Handle
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Kurosaki Gekko VG XEOS Gyuto 270mm
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Kurosaki Gekko VG XEOS Nakiri 165mm
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Kurosaki Gekko VG XEOS Sujihiki 240mm
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Yu Kurosaki
