AUS-10 is a stainless steel produced by Aichi Steel in Japan. While once relatively unfamiliar, it has gained prominence in recent years, standing out as the highest-carbon variant within the AUS series.

Although AUS-10 was not widely known initially, it has garnered popularity. Leading brands like Sakai Takayuki have incorporated it into their 45-layer Damast collection, resulting in knives that are not only visually appealing but also stunning to work with. Why? These knives, with a hardness of 60 HRC, are exceptionally robust, making sharpening easier and retaining sharpness effectively.

The high hardness of AUS-10 primarily stems from its remarkably high carbon content, approximately 1.05. This allows for easy sharpening, delivering razor-sharp results. However, this high hardness also introduces some fragility, addressed by the addition of nickel, manganese, and silicon to enhance the material’s ductility and elasticity.

The vanadium element in AUS-10 contributes to carbide formation, acting as a robust carbide shaper. Carbides are combinations of carbon and other substances, such as vanadium, chromium, molybdenum, and nickel. The connection between these substances emerges under high temperatures for an extended period.

Knives with a higher number of carbides can often be sharpened much sharper than knives with larger carbides. Coarser carbides risk breaking during sharpening, potentially leaving (small) serrations on the edge. Fine, tightly compressed carbides, however, avoid this issue.

Furthermore, the combination of vanadium, chromium, and molybdenum ensures corrosion and wear resistance in the steel. AUS-10 knives are less prone to rust and require less frequent sharpening as a result.

In conclusion, we may expect to hear more about AUS-10 steel in the future. Its strength, relative toughness, resistance to rust and wear, and ease of sharpening make it a top-quality choice for knives.