Various Chinese Manufacturers / China

10cr15mov

Stainless Steel57–61 HRCConventional Ingot Steel Process

Composition

Core alloying elements define the baseline trade-off between wear resistance, corrosion behavior, and toughness.

Material Overview

10Cr15MoV is a widely used Chinese stainless steel often considered a domestic equivalent to VG-10. It contains chromium, molybdenum, and vanadium, which improve hardness, corrosion resistance, and edge stability. While it does not reach the refinement or consistency of premium Japanese or powder metallurgy steels, it offers very practical performance for everyday cutting tasks at a lower cost. It is especially common in affordable kitchen and EDC knives.

Performance Radar

Use four core metrics to understand the usable operating envelope of this steel at a glance.

Edge Retention

Toughness

Corrosion Resistance

Sharpenability

Edge Retention

7.0

Toughness

7.0

Corrosion Resistance

8.0

Sharpenability

9.0

Advantages

Easy to sharpen
Good corrosion resistance
Affordable and widely available
Decent toughness for daily use
Practical for kitchen and EDC knives

Disadvantages

Lower edge retention than VG-10 and PM steels
Less consistent than premium steels
Not suitable for heavy-duty cutting
Mid-to-low performance tier overall

At A Glance

10Cr15MoV is a Chinese stainless steel similar to VG-10, offering good corrosion resistance, easy sharpening, and solid everyday performance for budget to mid-range knives.