Kasho Blue Series Updated With VG-10W Steel Variant
Kasho, the professional scissors division of KAI Corporation (貝印株式会社), has updated their Blue and Ivory series with blades made from VG-10W — a tungsten-enhanced variant of the industry’s most widely used premium steel. The update is a measured evolution rather than a revolution, but it signals where mainstream Japanese scissors manufacturing is heading.
KAI and Kasho: The Parent Company
KAI Corporation is headquartered in Seki City, Gifu Prefecture, and is one of the largest blade manufacturers in the world. Their product range spans disposable razors, kitchen knives, surgical instruments, and professional hair scissors. Kasho operates as their dedicated professional hairdressing brand, giving it access to KAI’s substantial materials science and manufacturing resources.
This corporate backing matters because it means Kasho’s steel specifications are not marketing approximations — they are drawn from a company with the engineering depth to develop and verify proprietary steel variants.
VG-10W: What the Tungsten Adds
VG-10 is the workhorse premium steel in professional scissors. Its nominal composition — carbon approximately 1.0%, chromium approximately 15%, with additions of molybdenum, vanadium, and cobalt — delivers a reliable hardness range of HRC 58-62 and has earned its reputation through decades of consistent performance.
The W variant adds tungsten to this established formula. Tungsten forms extremely hard tungsten carbides within the steel matrix. These carbides are harder than the chromium and vanadium carbides already present in standard VG-10, which translates to improved wear resistance at the cutting edge. In practical terms, the blade should maintain its sharpness for longer intervals between professional sharpenings.
The trade-off, as with most metallurgical improvements, is nuanced. Harder carbides can make the steel slightly more difficult to sharpen — a consideration for sharpening technicians to be aware of, though not something the end user is likely to notice during normal use.
Kasho Millennium: Sintered Metal
While the VG-10W update addresses Kasho’s mid-range lines, their Millennium Series uses an entirely different manufacturing approach: sintered metal (焼結金属 / shouketsu kinzoku). Sintering compresses metal powder under extreme pressure and heats it below the melting point, producing an extremely fine, uniform grain structure.
Sintered metal scissors occupy a similar performance tier to powder metallurgy steels like SG2 but arrive at those properties through a different process. The Millennium Series represents Kasho’s statement piece — demonstrating that a large-scale manufacturer can compete with boutique brands on materials technology.
Practical Implications
For stylists currently using Kasho Blue or Ivory series scissors, the VG-10W update means your next replacement pair should hold an edge noticeably longer than your current set. For those shopping in the VG-10 price tier across brands, Kasho’s variant is worth comparing — it represents a genuine, if incremental, improvement over standard VG-10 at a similar price point.