What are Damascus steel knives and why VG-10 steel?

October 17, 2023

We'll guide you through.

When considering a kitchen knife, the type of steel is an important factor - as certain types of steel are only suitable for specific knives. An example is flexible fillet knives, which require a relatively soft steel, designed for cutting fillets from fish.

Damascus steel, on the other hand, is incredibly hard and can become incredibly sharp - ideal for slicing and cutting tasks. Therefore, here's an overview of VG-10 and Damascus steel.

Learn more about the japanese steel.

VG-10 was developed in Japan by Takefu Special Steel Co. in the 1980s, and the VG-10 designation may only be used when it is produced in Japan by Takefu Special Steel Co. Be aware of this when looking for VG-10 steel.

Explore the full story.

VG-10 steel was developed in response to the need for a high-performance stainless steel that could meet the demands of professional chefs and knife enthusiasts and quickly became known for its ability to retain sharpness and resist corrosion.

The "VG" in the name stands for V Gold - which literally means Gold quality and VG-10 is generally considered the ultimate type of steel for kitchen knives.

VG-10 contains iron, carbon, chromium, molybdenum, vanadium, cobalt, and manganese - and Takefu's special composition of these elements has created a stainless steel that maintains sharpness for a long time and is preferred by not only the best knife makers but also by many professional chefs.

What is Damascus Steel?

Damascus steel or damascening refers to the special production method used to process the steel for the knife. In damascening, layers are built around the core steel (VG-10) to achieve strength and flexibility (in Endeavour, we have 33 layers on each side of the core steel, for a total of 67 layers). The technique helps create a knife blade that is super sharp, light, and durable - and the beautiful pattern that emerges on the blade from the many layers is an added bonus.

Advantages of Damascus Knives:

1. Genuine Damascus knives.

Achieve unparalleled sharpness due to the high carbon and vanadium content in the unique manufacturing process.

2. They are incredibly light.

Despite the many layers of steel, the blades are not heavy, making the knives incredibly comfortable to work with.

3. They are all unique.

When you invest in Damascus knives, you get an aesthetic knife with the beautiful pattern created during the process. No two Damascus knives are the same; they are all unique.

4. Balanced knives.

The long production process of damascened knives helps create balanced knives that are comfortable to work with in the kitchen.

Are you looking for a kitchen knife that is robust, sharp, and unique?

In the Endeavour Damascus series, we use VG10 steel from Takefu Special Steel Co. in Echizen, Japan. The knives are hand-sharpened and polished to achieve ultimate sharpness. They are forged in 67 layers, making them completely unique and giving them a hardness of 60-61 HRC. All knives are hardened at over 1000 degrees and then cooled to below -180 degrees. This process ensures the hardness of the steel and helps them retain their sharpness.

All our knives are designed and drawn by hand by Kirk and Maarbjerg. They are carefully tested by chefs, and we can proudly say that the knives' high quality meets our desires in material selection and manufacturing. These professional knives are designed to be used in a busy kitchen.