鋼 ·Knife Steel Guide

The Trade-off Map

Every steel we sell — edge retention vs. toughness, at a glance. Tap any steel for its spec; pick two to compare them head-to-head.

Reviewed June 2026 · primary-sourced where verified

Knife steel comparison

ApexUltra	Carbon	66–69	1.25%	1.5%	0.4%	—	2.6%	—	6.5	7	2	6.5	1
ATS34	Stainless	60–61	1%	13.5%	0.4%	4%	—	—	4.5	5	7.5	6	24
AUS-10	Stainless	58–60	0.95%	13%	0.15%	0.15%	—	—	5	6.5	8.5	7.5	11
AUS-8	Stainless	57–59	0.7%	13%	0.1%	0.1%	—	—	4	7.5	8.5	8	7
Blue #1 / Aogami #1 青一鋼	Carbon	61–64	1.3%	0.4%	—	—	1.75%	—	5.5	5.5	2	8	51
Blue #2 / Aogami #2 青二鋼	Carbon	61–63	1.1%	0.35%	—	—	1.25%	—	5.5	6	2	8	147
Blue Super / Aogami Super 青紙スーパー	Carbon	62–65	1.45%	0.4%	0.4%	—	2.25%	—	6	4.5	2	7	77
Carbon Steel 炭素鋼	Carbon	55–57	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	2
Chromax クロマックス鋼	Stainless	60–62	1%	5%	0.5%	1%	—	—	5.5	5	4.5	7.5	3
COSP (Cobalt Special) コバルトスペシャル鋼	Stainless	60–62	1.05%	16%	0.25%	1.5%	0.25%	2.5%	5	6.5	8.5	6	10
FAXR2	Stainless	62–63	not disclosed	not disclosed	not disclosed	not disclosed	not disclosed	not disclosed	6	6.5	8.5	5.5	24
German Steel ドイツ鋼	Stainless	56–58	0.5%	14%	0.1%	0.5%	—	—	—	—	—	—	0
Ginsan / Gin-3 / Silver #3 銀三鋼	Stainless	60–62	1.025%	13.75%	—	—	—	—	4.5	6.5	8.5	8.5	123
HAP-40 粉末ハイス鋼 HAP40	Semi-stainless	64–68	1.3%	4%	3%	4.8%	6%	8%	8	4.5	3.5	3	3
Inox ステンレス鋼	Stainless	57–59	0.5%	13.5%	0.2%	0.3%	—	—	—	—	—	—	16
MV (Molybdenum Vanadium) モリブデンバナジウム鋼	Stainless	54–60	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	12
SG2 / R2 スーパーゴールド2	Stainless	62–64	not disclosed	not disclosed	not disclosed	not disclosed	not disclosed	not disclosed	6	7	8.5	5	304
SK Steel SK材	Carbon	58–62	0.8%	—	—	—	—	—	4	6	1.5	9.5	5
SKD SKD合金工具鋼	Semi-stainless	62–64	1%	5%	0.35%	1%	—	—	5.5	5.5	4	7.5	18
SLD SLD鋼	Stainless	62–64	1.5%	12%	0.3%	0.9%	—	—	5.5	5	4	5	45
SRS-13	Stainless	63–64	1.3%	13%	1.5%	2.75%	1.25%	—	6	5.5	8	5.5	14
SPG STRIX	Stainless	63–65	—	—	—	—	—	—	6	6	8	5.5	13
V-Toku 1 V金1号	Carbon	62–64	1.25%	0.35%	0.2%	—	2.25%	—	5.5	5.5	2	7.5	0
V-Toku 2 V金2号	Carbon	62–64	1.05%	0.35%	0.2%	—	1.25%	—	5.5	5.5	2	8	14
VG1 V金1号	Stainless	58–61	0.95%	13%	—	0.3%	—	—	4	7.5	8	8	8
VG-10 V金10号	Stainless	59–61	1%	15%	0.25%	1%	—	1.55%	4.5	7.5	8	7	102
VG5 V金5号	Stainless	58–59	0.75%	14%	0.15%	0.3%	—	—	4	7	8.5	8	5
VG-MAX	Stainless	60–61	—	—	—	—	—	—	5	6.5	8	6.5	10
VG XEOS	Stainless	62–63	not disclosed	not disclosed	not disclosed	not disclosed	not disclosed	not disclosed	5	6.5	9	6	13
White #1 / Shirogami #1 白一鋼	Carbon	62–65	1.3%	—	—	—	—	—	5	6	1.5	9.5	7
White #2 / Shirogami #2 白三鋼	Carbon	60–64	1.1%	—	—	—	—	—	4.5	6.5	1.5	9.5	95
White 3 / Shirogami #3 白三鋼	Carbon	59–61	0.8%	—	—	—	—	—	4	7	1.5	10	10
YXR7	Semi-stainless	62–65	0.8%	5%	1.1%	5%	1.1%	—	5.5	6.5	3	4.5	0
ZA-18 ZA-18ステンレス鋼	Stainless	60–62	—	—	—	—	—	—	5	6.5	8.5	6.5	1
ZDP-189 粉末ダイス鋼 ZDP-189	Stainless	63–66	3%	20%	not disclosed	not disclosed	not disclosed	not disclosed	8.5	3.5	7	2.5	12
1095 ref	Carbon	58–62	0.965%	—	—	—	—	—	4	6	1.5	9.5	—
52100 ref	Carbon	61–64	1.04%	1.45%	—	—	—	—	5	7.5	2	9	—
26C3 ref	Carbon	63–66	1.25%	0.3%	—	—	—	—	5	5.5	1.5	9.5	—
AEB-L ref	Stainless	59–61	0.67%	13%	—	—	—	—	4	9	8.5	8.5	—
14C28N ref	Stainless	59–61	0.62%	14%	—	—	—	—	3.5	9	8.5	8.5	—
19C27 ref	Stainless	58–61	0.95%	13.5%	—	—	—	—	5	5	8	8	—
12C27 ref	Stainless	58–60	0.6%	13.5%	—	—	—	—	4	8	8.5	8.5	—
Nitro-V ref	Stainless	60–62	0.68%	13%	0.08%	—	—	—	4	8	8	8.5	—
X50CrMoV15 ref	Stainless	54–58	0.5%	14.5%	0.15%	0.65%	—	—	4	8	8	8.5	—
X55CrMoV14 ref	Stainless	54–58	0.54%	14%	0.1%	0.65%	—	—	3.5	8	8	8.5	—
X46Cr13 ref	Stainless	52–56	0.46%	13.5%	—	—	—	—	3	8	8	8.5	—
8Cr13MoV ref	Stainless	58–60	0.75%	13.75%	0.175%	0.2%	—	—	4	7.5	8	8.5	—
9Cr18MoV ref	Stainless	58–60	0.9%	18%	0.1%	1.15%	—	—	4.5	6.5	8.5	7.5	—

Japanese Kitchen Knives | Shop by Steel

The steel a knife is forged from determines its edge retention, hardness, toughness and ease of sharpening. Popular Japanese knife steels include Aogami Super (Blue Super) for exceptional edge retention, Shirogami #1 and #2 (White Steel) for easy sharpening, SG2/R2 powdered stainless for low-maintenance performance, and VG10 for corrosion resistance. Use our filters to compare steel types and find the right balance for your kitchen. Knives and Stones provides expert guidance on every steel we carry.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between carbon and stainless Japanese knife steel?

Carbon steels (e.g. Aogami, Shirogami) take a sharper edge, are easier to sharpen on whetstones and offer superior edge retention, but they can rust and discolour without proper care. Stainless steels (e.g. SG2, VG10, AUS-10) resist corrosion and are lower maintenance, though generally harder to sharpen.

What is Aogami Super steel?

Aogami Super (Blue Super Steel) is a high-carbon steel made by Hitachi Metals. It contains added tungsten and vanadium for exceptional edge retention and wear resistance, typically hardened to 63–66 HRC. It is one of the highest-performing carbon steels available for kitchen knives.

What is SG2 / R2 steel?

SG2 (also marketed as R2) is a powdered metallurgy stainless steel made by Takefu Special Steel. It offers excellent edge retention at 62–64 HRC with strong corrosion resistance, making it a popular choice for high-performance stainless Japanese knives.

Which steel should a beginner choose?

For beginners, VG10 or Ginsan (Silver #3) stainless steels offer a forgiving balance of sharpness, corrosion resistance and ease of sharpening. If you are comfortable with knife care, Shirogami #2 carbon steel is an excellent entry point for traditional Japanese performance.