Aichi Steel Corporation / Japan

AUS-10A

Stainless Steel59–61 HRCConventional Ingot Steel Process

Composition

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

Material Overview

AUS-10A is part of the Japanese AUS steel series produced by Aichi Steel Corporation. It is often compared to VG-10 but generally has slightly lower wear resistance while maintaining good toughness and easier sharpening characteristics. AUS-10 provides a balanced and practical performance profile, making it popular in affordable to mid-range knives where ease of maintenance and durability are important.

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

6.0

Toughness

7.0

Corrosion Resistance

8.0

Sharpenability

8.0

Advantages

Easy to sharpen
Good corrosion resistance
Solid toughness for daily use
Affordable and widely used
Reliable for kitchen and EDC applications

Disadvantages

Lower edge retention than VG-10 and PM steels
Not suitable for heavy-duty cutting tasks
Moderate wear resistance
Mid-tier performance overall

At A Glance

AUS-10A is a Japanese stainless steel offering good toughness, decent corrosion resistance, and easy sharpening, commonly used in mid-range kitchen and EDC knives.