Carbon Steel vs Stainless Steel Kitchen Knives: White #2 vs VG10 vs General Stainless (One-Screen Test)

One good kitchen knife can give you confidence in every dish you make. But when it comes to choosing that knife, the first thing to consider is material: carbon steel or stainless steel. Carbon steel needs rust care but is known for excellent sharpness and edge retention. Stainless steel is easier to maintain and won’t rust, but can have slightly less cutting performance.

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The material question that doesn’t have an easy answer

This question might have sat with you for a long time. After talking with chefs about whether a carbon steel knife can really work as a main, all-purpose knife, there still wasn’t a clear answer. There are plenty of videos explaining the differences between carbon steel and stainless steel, but almost none that show the difference side-by-side on one screen. So it was decided to test it directly. 

The knives and steels chosen for the test

For this test, three knives were prepared: a White #2 knife, a VG10 knife, and a general stainless steel knife. White #2 was chosen specifically because from personal experience this is what was being used during chef days , and its hardness isn’t far from high-carbon stainless steel, which makes comparison easier.

The references behind the comparisons

All the experiments and comparisons in this test are structured using information from two respected books: Japanese Kitchen Knives by K. Kato and Knife Engineering by Larrin Thomas. These references help frame what to look for during sharpening, cutting, and maintenance.

Steel 1: White steel (White #2)

White steel is a traditional high-carbon steel made by Hitachi Metal in Japan. It’s wrapped in white paper when shipped, which is why it’s called white steel. Hardness is usually around 61–62 HRC.

According to Japanese Kitchen Knives, white steel is low in impurities, excellent in sharpness and sharpening ease, and has great edge retention. Over time it forms a patina, a natural protective layer that helps resist rust. Patina can slow corrosion, but it doesn’t completely prevent food discoloration with certain ingredients.

Steel 2: VG10

VG10 is a stainless steel made by Takefu Special Steel and is often referred to as a world standard. Many manufacturers use it around 60 HRC. With high chromium content, it offers strong corrosion resistance.

As described in Knife Engineering, VG10 has an excellent balance of corrosion resistance and cutting performance. Even when hardness is close to White #2, the alloy structure and carbide size can make it behave differently during sharpening and cutting.

Steel 3: General stainless steel

This is a common stainless steel used for reliable everyday kitchen knives. It’s described as similar in performance to steels like X50CrMoV, often associated with entry-level lines from brands such as Jewilling or Wursthof. Hardness is usually around 54–56 HRC.

It’s very corrosion resistant and easy to maintain, but edge retention is noticeably lower than high-carbon steel or premium stainless steel like VG10.

Sharpening setup: the same process for all three

Before any cutting tests, all three knives were sharpened using the same progression: 320, 1,000, 5,000 grit whetstones.

• White #2: the edge forms quickly with a tactile bite on the stone. The steel feels like it engages with the abrasive clearly. However, this knife hadn’t been used or maintained for a while, so rust had formed right on the edge. During sharpening it became clear that part of the edge was being ground out, leaving chips. It took almost two hours to remove the chips and restore a proper edge.
  
• VG10: it feels slightly slick, almost like it glides without grabbing the abrasive as much. This matches what Knife Engineering explains—high-carbon stainless steels with more alloy content can feel less responsive during sharpening because of larger carbide structure.
  
• General stainless: it sharpens very quickly, mostly because the steel is softer. The edge doesn’t feel as crisp, and experience suggests it will lose that sharpness faster. With larger carbide structures, it’s harder to create a clean and smooth surface compared to carbon steel.
  

Some chefs ask: if carbon steel is harder, how can it be easier to sharpen than stainless steel? The explanation here is that it comes down to the simpler alloy composition and smaller carbides—not hardness alone.

The cutting test ingredients

Five common ingredients were prepared to test not only how each knife cuts, but also how the blade and food change after cutting:

• Lemon
  
• Onion
  
• Tomato
  
• Avocado
  
• Potato
  

Cutting results: how each steel behaved

White #2 sliced all ingredients effortlessly with clean, smooth cuts. Acidic foods didn’t cause immediate rust if the knife was washed right after, but the blade did start to change colour. Some cut produce also showed slight discoloration after a while.

VG10 was also very sharp and showed no reaction to acidic foods. The cut surfaces remained clean and the knife itself looked unchanged.

General stainless felt okay right after sharpening, but tomato cutting was less smooth than the others. There was no rust, no patina, and no food discoloration.

There wasn’t dramatic rust visible on White #2 during cutting, but some reaction on the blade was still noticeable. In a commercial kitchen, that kind of reaction would be irritating. It’s also noted that blue steel would likely perform better with fewer reactions.

Edge retention: what happened after equal cutting

After slicing equal amounts of ingredients, the knives were tested again on tomatoes using a push cut.

An edge retention test was prepared, but the video footage for that test was lost. Even so, the resulting observation reported was that both White #2 and VG10 kept their edge far longer than general stainless, with White #2 being slightly better in sharpness retention.

Maintenance test: washing, air drying, and what changed

All three knives were washed and left to air dry for 30 minutes.

• White #2 showed faint rust spots
  
• Stainless showed no changes.
  

For carbon steel, immediate drying is described as non-negotiable. Once that habit forms, rust becomes far less of a concern. Proper patina care also helps.

However, certain acidic foods can damage the patina layer. Avoiding those ingredients with a carbon steel knife can help prolong its life.

Conclusion: what each steel is best at

• White #2: outstanding sharpness and edge retention, and it is easy to resharpen. It requires patina management and selective use to avoid food discoloration.
  
• VG10: a great all-rounder that balances sharpness, corrosion resistance, and ease of care. It’s described as the world standard for a reason.
  
• General stainless: low maintenance and budget friendly, but edge retention is the weakest. In a professional kitchen it would require frequent honing or sharpening.
  

From this perspective, knife choice is about balancing cutting performance, maintenance effort, and budget. For most people, a well-made high-carbon stainless steel like VG10 offers the best overall satisfaction.

For professionals, a good knife isn’t just about initial sharpness—it’s about staying sharp long enough to reduce fatigue during long shifts.