Best Steel for Chef Knives | Japanese Knife Steel Guide
Leigh BoysI am not going to list the composition of every steel type and pretend you understand the differences.
Even I don't!
Some steels sharpen easier. Some hold an edge longer. Some are tougher. Some rust if you look at them the wrong way. Every steel comes with trade-offs, and the “best” steel depends entirely on what you value most.
This guide is based on my experience using, sharpening, and selling Japanese knives—not just theory.
Whether you’re looking for your first Japanese knife or trying to decide between carbon steel and stainless steel, this should help point you in the right direction.
Leigh’s 2 cents:
Best first Japanese knife steel
👉 VG10
Best carbon steel overall
👉 Blue steel (all are great)
Best low-maintenance carbon alternative
👉 SLD
Best stainless performance steel
👉 SG2/R2
Best steel for knife nerds
👉 SG2 or Blue steel
| Steel | Edge Retention | Rust Resistance | Sharpening | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VG10 | Good | Excellent | Medium | Beginners & Chefs |
| Blue Super | Excellent | Low | Easy | Enthusiasts & Pros |
| SG2 | Excellent | Excellent | Hard | Performance & Enthusiasts |
| SLD | Very Good | Medium | Medium | Low-Maintenance Carbon Feel |
| Ginsan | Good | Good | Medium | Everyday Use |
| Blue #1/#2 | Very Good | Low | Easy | Enthusiasts & Pros |
| White Steel | Excellent | Low | Excellent | Knife Nerds |
Carbon steel vs Stainless steel
One of the most important factors to consider when choosing the best steel for chef knives is:
stainless or non stainless.
A non-stainless steel knife may hold a sharper edge for longer but may be prone to rust and corrosion, which can concern some people.
As an alternative, many stainless steels are popular for chef knives due to their corrosion resistance and easy maintenance.
Popular Types of Steel Used for Japanese Chef Knives
At first, steel names may seem confusing.
When you realise that there are only a few main types of steel used in Japanese knives, which are made mainly by two companies:
Hitachi & Takefu.
Hitachi
Blue, White, Silver3 and SLD steel + more.
Takefu:
VG-10, R2 & ZDP-189 + more.
Japanese Stainless Steels:
Silver 3/ Ginsan:
This is one of the most popular stainless steels with Japanese knife makers.
Very similar to white #2 in carbon content but with one main difference: Chromium! (%13-14.5) Chromium is the corrosion-resistant addition.
Easy to care for and one of the easier stainless steels to sharpen. This comes at a cost.
Although Ginsan steel is easier to sharpen than other stainless steel, it is still noticeably harder to sharpen than non-stainless steel alternatives. This is the price of corrosion resistance.
Conclusion: Stainless steel version of white steel.
Harder to sharpen than white steel. High-quality steel with corrosion resistance.
Pros
- Sharpness: Holds a sharp edge fairly well and is easier than most stainless steels to sharpen, although not as easy as white steel.
- Edge Retention: Good edge retention when heat treated correctly.
- Ease of use: Super easy to care for. Ginsan can still rust if poorly treated, but this is very uncommon.
Cons
- Sharpening: Ginsan is still noticeably harder to sharpen than non-stainless steels
- Durability: Fairly durable. Following knife care instructions is still advised.
- Price: Japanese knives with ginsan steel tend to be in the mid to high price point.
TL:DR
One of the best stainless steel made by Hitachi.
Recommended knives:
Hitohira S3 & Ohishi Ginsan
VG-10 Steel
VG-10 is a common, high-quality steel used in Japanese chef knives made by Takefu Special Steel Co., Ltd. VG-10 is one of the best stainless steels used by Japanese craftsmen. This steel is used in everything from a $150 knife like Tojiro to a $600 handmade knife.
It is similar to ginsan steel but with Molybdenum, Vanadium, Cobalt and Manganese, giving it excellent edge retention, corrosion resistance and more durability.
Conclusion: VG-10 steel is also relatively easy to sharpen, making it a great all-around steel for chef knives and fantastic for anyone new to Japanese knives.
Pros
- Sharpness: Holds a sharp edge fairly well and is easier than most stainless steels to sharpen, although not as easy as white steel.
- Edge Retention: Good edge retention when heat treated correctly.
- Ease of use: Super easy to care for. It's tough to rust.
Cons
- Sharpening: Slightly more challenging to sharpen than Ginsan in my experience. VG-10 is still noticeably harder to sharpen than stainless steel.
- Durability: Very durable for a Japanese knife. Following knife care instructions is still advised.
TL:DR
Amazing steel. This steel is used in everything from a $150 knife like Tojiro to a $600 handmade knife.
Recommended knives:
Tojiro & Hitohira HG Damascus & Nao Yamamoto
SG2/R2
A steel made by Takefu Special Steel Co., Ltd. Unpopular yet very underrated steel with great edge retention and durability, considering the high heat treatments possible with this steel.
Conclusion: One of the best stainless steels on the market by far (if not the best!)
Pros
- Sharpness: Holds a sharp edge extremely well.
- Edge Retention: Extremely good edge retention when heat treated correctly with very high heat treatments possible.
- Ease of use: Stainless steel. Super easy to care for.
- Durability: Better than most Japanese steels. Following knife care instructions is still advised.
- Unmatched: This steel makes people rethink what they know about sharpness and edge retention in stainless steel.
Cons
- Sharpening: SG2 is still noticeably harder to sharpen than non-stainless steels. Older knives are a pain to sharpen.
- Price: One of the most expensive steels, which is also very difficult to produce.
TL:DR
Amazing steel. Possibly one of the best or the best stainless steel on the knife market.
Expensive to produce.
Recommended knives:
Takeshi Saji
SLD Steel
A semi-stainless steel made by Hitachi.
Like SG2, SLD steel is extremely underrated. It has a very high carbon content with fantastic performance that rivals/surpasses ginsan. SLD is classed as a semi-stainless with %12 chromium and can be subject to corrosion if not cared for correctly.
Pros
- Sharpness: Holds a sharp edge fairly well and is easier than most stainless steels to sharpen.
- Edge Retention: Good edge retention when heat treated correctly.
- Ease of use: Almost stainless steel. It is easier to care for than most non-stainless steels.
Cons
- Sharpening: Slightly harder to sharpen than most non-stainless steels.
- Price: An expensive steel.
- Semi-stainless: Not stainless yet, not a carbon steel- Rust spots are a common complaint with SLD steel. A Rust Eraser is advised when making purchases of this steel.
TL:DR
Amazing steel when used correctly. A halfway point between stainless and Carbon steel. Can tarnish and spot rust.
Recommended knives:
Ohishi SLD Steel
Damascus Steel (Not really a steel type)
Damascus steel is a cladding for 95% of blades on the market.
It is put on the outside of another core steel and used for aesthetic purposes.
Damascus purists say “wootz” is the real Damascus. That may be so, but not many knife makers use Wootz in knife making, and it is extremely rare.
Recommended knives:
Nao Yamamoto & Hitohira HG Damascus
Japanese Non-stainless Steels:
Shirogami Steel (White Steel):
White steel comes in numbered variations: 1, 2 and 3. The main difference between the variations is White #1 has the most carbon, and as you progress down, 2 and 3 have less and less carbon.
None of this matters: You rarely see anything but white #1!!!!!
White steel #1 is known for taking a crazy sharp edge and being accessible to sharpen. With little other than iron and carbon, this knife may rust easily without knife care. It tends to be more brittle. Compared to other steels made by Hitachi, white steel tends to chip, crack, and snap more easily.
White steel is still super popular with knife nerds worldwide who know how to take care of their knives and love it for its ease of sharpening and wicked edge retention, even if it comes at the cost of durability.
Pros
- Sharpness: Holds a crazy sharp edge and is very easy to sharpen
- Edge Retention: Some of the best edge retention when heat-treated correctly.
Cons
- Rust and Staining: High carbon steel is susceptible to rust and staining if not properly cared for. It is essential to clean and dry the blade after each use and to store it in a dry place to prevent rust.
- Durability: Not recommended as a first knife! Many people consider this steel to be very brittle.
- Potential for chipping: Often chips even with recommended knife care.
TL:DR
Chips, breaks and snaps too easily. Don't buy this unless your a salty knife nerd like me. Often ends in customer disappointment.
Recommended knives:
*I no longer stock white steel due to customer disappointment.
Aogami Steel (Blue Steel):
Blue steel, like white steel, comes in a few different variations: 1 & 2.
It is the same deal as white steel; #1 has more carbon and tends to be more brittle than #2 (with the same amount of carbon respectively).
However, blue steel generally has many more bits and pieces in its composition.
It has a tiny bit of chromium, which makes it a tiny bit more resistant than white.
It also has tungsten(only in #2) phosphorus & Sulphur! These additions make the steel slightly more durable but less easy to sharpen.
Most people prefer blue steel over white steel. The trade-off is that you gain a lot of durability and lose a tiny bit of edge retention and ease of sharpening. Blue steel has the same carbon content with a few additions, making this steel easier to use and more durable.
Pros
- Sharpness: Holds a sharp edge well and is easy to sharpen, although not as easy as white steel.
- Edge Retention: Excellent edge retention when heat treated correctly.
Cons
- Rust and Staining: High carbon steel is susceptible to rust and staining if not properly cared for. It is essential to clean and dry the blade after each use and to store it in a dry place to prevent rust.
- Durability: Blue steel tends to be a lot more durable than white steel. Following knife care instructions is advised.
- Price: More expensive than most steels
TL:DR
Great steels. Highly recommended carbon steel. All of them.
Recommended knives:
Ohishi Nashiji & Ohishi Kuro
Aogami Super (Super Blue Steel):
Super Blue has more carbon blue #1
More Chromium than white steel (and the same as blue steel) means a little more corrosion resistance. More Tungsten than blue steel and an addition of Vanadium, making it stronger. Slightly harder to sharpen than white and blue steel.
Conclusion: Regarded as Hitachi’s best carbon steel.
Pros
- Sharpness: Holds a sharp edge very well and is easy to sharpen, although not as easy as white steel.
- Edge Retention: Excellent edge retention when heat treated correctly.
- High Quality: Regarded as Hitachi’s best carbon steel.
Cons
- Rust and Staining: High carbon steel is susceptible to rust and staining if not properly cared for. It is essential to clean and dry the blade after each use and to store it in a dry place to prevent rust.
- Durability: Super Blue steel tends to be much more durable than white steel. Following knife care instructions is still advised.
- Price: Super blue also tends to be one of the most expensive steels.
TL:DR
Same as Blue 1&2. Great steels. Highly recommended carbon steel.
Recommended knives:
Fujiwara, Mutsumi, Akifusa & Hitohira SB
Side quest - Don't get confused! Japanese names vs English names
Shirogami - White paper steel, commonly called white steel.
Aogami - Blue paper steel or blue steel. Aoi is blue in Japanese: Blue steel.
Ginsan - Gin meaning silver, and san is the number 3. Also called silver3 steel: Ginsan steel.
Other Steels and Unpopular Steels
AUS-10 Steel:
- A high-carbon stainless steel made very similar to VG10.
Hap 40:
- I have only used this steel a little, but I would guess it is somewhere between stainless steel and carbon steel with only 3.70-4.70% chromium.
- Potentially vulnerable to rust and corrosion with high heat treatments possible.
- Very different to many steel compositions.
ZDP189:
- Extremely high carbon content at 3%.
- High in chromium also at 20%.
- Extremely high heat treatments possible up to 67RHC!
- Older knives are an absolute pain to sharpen.
Swedish Stainless Steel:
- A good quality steel that isn't as expensive as other steel types. Normally found in mid-tier range knives.
- Easy to use and care for.
- Better than most stainless steel on the market.
The steel used in Japanese kitchen knives offers many advantages and is suitable for various skill levels - from beginners to experts. Everyone from cooking enthusiasts to seasoned chefs has a deep appreciation for the aesthetics of Japanese steel, the cutting power of the Japanese blade styles, and the unique make of each knife.