Scissor Steel Types: Grades, Hardness and Materials
Scissor steel types include named producer grades such as VG-10, standard designations such as 440C, maker-specific materials, and broader terms such as cobalt alloy or Damascus. This library explains those names, connects published chemistry and hardness to their sources, and helps you compare the material with a finished scissor’s construction and service requirements.
Start with the name on the scissor
A precise material name makes a useful first filter. It tells you which producer document or maker specification to look for. The directory below groups names by what they describe, with steel-reading guides in their own section.
| Wording on a listing | What the wording describes | Useful next reference |
|---|---|---|
| VG-10 or 14C28N | A named producer grade | VG-10 or 14C28N |
| 440C or SUS440C | A material designation associated with standards | 440C and SUS440C |
| Nano Powder Metal or CBA-1 | A scissor maker’s material designation | Nano Powder Metal or CBA-1 |
| Cobalt alloy or Damascus | A material family or layered construction | Cobalt alloy or Damascus |
| Sintered metal | A processing description | Sintered metal |
| Japanese, Korean or Solingen steel | An origin or geographic description | Country of origin |
Three ways to read a hardness figure
Hardness is a material property measured on a stated scale. In a scissor specification, retain both the value and the thing it describes.
| Published example | What it describes | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Takefu VG-10: at least 60 HRC | The producer’s quench-hardness lower bound | Read it with Takefu’s grade table |
| Jaguar KAMIYU: 59 HRC | The maker’s specification for a named hair scissor | Compare the KAMIYU model statement with other exact models |
| Alleima 14C28N: 55–62 HRC | A recommended range for knife applications | Keep the knife-application scope attached to the range |
The first two values are different kinds of records. Combining them into a “59–60 HRC VG-10 range” would lose the producer’s lower bound and the finished model’s identity. The hardness reference explains test scales, locations, tolerances and conversions.
Read chemistry as a material description
Composition tables identify elements and their published amounts. A nominal or representative value, a maximum limit and an allowed range mean different things. For example, Carpenter’s 440C table lists a carbon range, while Takefu’s VG-10 table gives representative figures. Preserve those distinctions when comparing materials.
Heat treatment and construction help turn a material into a working blade. Read a chemistry table alongside the producer’s processing guidance and the scissor maker’s geometry. The composition guide and heat-treatment reference provide the next steps.
Compare the finished scissors
A useful comparison connects material information with the tool you will use:
| Record | What to compare |
|---|---|
| Material | Exact designation, producer or maker source, and the blade parts covered |
| Finished hardness | Maker, model, value, test context and tolerance where published |
| Cutting construction | Blade geometry, edge, length and handedness |
| Fit and operation | Handle, pivot, tension adjustment and a trial with the correct hand |
| Ownership | Care instructions, approved service, parts, warranty and total cost |
Two scissors with the same steel name can differ in these other fields. Use model documentation and a suitable trial to resolve the practical questions that chemistry alone leaves open.
Care and sharpening
Use the exact model’s cleaning, lubrication, tension and service instructions. Workload, blade condition, alignment, incidents and previous sharpening all affect when attention is needed. A material grade does not create a universal service calendar.
Record the maker and model, cutting symptoms, care history and any impact before consulting a service provider. The scissor-maintenance guide and sharpening reference explain what information helps a technician assess the whole tool.
Sources and further reading
Each material entry keeps its detailed source trail and unresolved questions. Directory grouping describes the kind of name; it does not rank finished scissors. The hero photograph illustrates a metal surface and does not identify a steel grade.
Start with a material question
Five starting points for identifying a steel and reading its published specifications.
440C
440C is a high-carbon martensitic stainless designation. Compare producer composition and heat-treated hardness.
Producer pageVG-10
Takefu publishes VG-10 composition and quench hardness; Jaguar provides a separate KAMIYU model specification.
Qualified data14C28N
Alleima publishes nominal composition and a recommended hardness range for knife applications.
Catalog evidence10Cr15CoMoV
Read the retained supplier composition record and the open questions around silicon and VG-10 comparisons.
Documented originATS-314
Explore Yamamura’s development account and the distinction from ATS-34.
Producer grades
Named grades published by steel producers. Compare a producer specification with the exact finished model.
Aichi Steel
AUS-8
Aichi blade steel; separate plate chemistry, processing-reference hardness and named scissor specifications.
Alleima (formerly Sandvik Materials Technology)
12C27
Alleima blade steel; nominal chemistry and knife-application hardness need a separate scissor record.
12C27M
Alleima blade steel with documented scissor applications; distinct from 12C27.
13C26
Alleima razor steel; dated chemistry and application hardness are separately sourced.
14C28N
Alleima nitrogen-alloyed stainless; published knife guidance and nominal chemistry are available.
Böhler
M390
Böhler powder stainless; average chemistry and product-form context need a separate scissor record.
Read M390 reference →N690
Böhler cobalt-bearing stainless with average chemistry and conditional producer processing data.
Read N690 reference →Proterial (formerly Hitachi Metals)
ATS-34
Proterial blade steel: typical Cr 14%, Mo 4% and separate delivery and hardening hardness.
GIN1
Proterial GIN1 blade steel; producer chemistry and hardening hardness need finished-scissor context.
GIN3
Proterial GIN3 blade steel; producer chemistry and hardening hardness need finished-scissor context.
HAP40
Proterial powder high-speed tool steel; composition ranges and two separate hardening conditions.
Read HAP40 reference →ZDP-189
Proterial powder-metallurgy stainless grade; keep material and finished-scissor hardness separate.
Takefu Special Steel
SG2
Takefu SG2 powder steel; published quench hardness and named Kasho model figures have separate scopes.
V1
Takefu carbon blade steel, distinct from stainless VG-1.
VG-1
Takefu stainless blade steel with barber and beauty scissors listed among its applications.
VG-10
Takefu cobalt-bearing stainless; compare published quench hardness with named scissor specifications.
VG-2
Takefu stainless blade steel; published chemistry differs from VG-1 and VG-5.
VG-5
Takefu stainless blade steel with more carbon and molybdenum than VG-2, plus vanadium.
VG-XEOS
Takefu stainless blade steel; composition undisclosed and no numeric hardness in the reviewed grade pages.
Read VG-XEOS reference →voestalpine Precision Strip AB
AEB-L
Voestalpine razor/scalpel steel with nominal chemistry and an attributed 1928 patent history.
Read AEB-L reference →Standard designations
Material designations used in standards. Keep the standard, edition and product form with the material record.
2Cr13
2Cr13 / 20Cr13: producer naming and scoped stock chemistry; finished hardness needs model evidence.
Read 2Cr13 reference →3CR13
3Cr13 / 30Cr13: producer naming and scoped stock chemistry; finished hardness needs model evidence.
Read 3CR13 reference →4034 Stainless
European 1.4034 stainless designation; keep the material number with its specification.
4037 Stainless
European 1.4037 stainless designation; identify the supplied condition and finished-tool evidence.
440C
High-carbon martensitic stainless designation; compare producer chemistry and heat-treated hardness.
4CR13
4Cr13 / 40Cr13: producer naming and scoped stock chemistry; finished hardness needs model evidence.
Read 4CR13 reference →SKD-11
Daido DC11/JIS SKD11: tool-steel chemistry, qualified standard correspondence and conditional hardness.
SUS410
SUS410: JIS martensitic stainless; composition limits and producer hardness examples have separate scopes.
SUS420J2
SUS420J2: JIS blade-material designation; composition limits and producer quench examples need model context.
SUS440C
JIS stainless designation with named plate data; 440C correspondence is not an interchangeability guarantee.
Scissor-maker material names
Material names used by scissor makers. Each entry explains the maker claim and the models it covers.
ATS-314
Yamamura-developed stainless cobalt alloy; documented production and distinct identity from ATS-34.
Read ATS-314 reference →CBA-1
Joewell cobalt-base blade material: historical composition, Vickers hardness and named models.
CMC
Mizutani’s CMC material designation; trace composition and processing claims to the maker.
Read CMC reference →Extramarise I Cobalt Alloy
Mizutani’s Extramarise I material; keep its composition account distinct from Extramarise II.
Read Extramarise I Cobalt Alloy reference →Extramarise II Cobalt Alloy
Mizutani’s Extramarise II material; compare the maker’s description with Extramarise I.
Read Extramarise II Cobalt Alloy reference →HYS
Hayashi powder high-speed material; 63–64 HRC narrative and 64 HRC summary are maker-level statements.
HYS-MAX67
Hayashi maker designation; MARK-IV and DRY models carry a published 67 HRC blade claim.
Micro Carbide Steel
Jaguar’s powder-metallurgical blade material, with named-model hardness evidence.
Nano Powder Metal
Mizutani’s Nano Powder Metal designation; separate the brand material from generic powder-steel labels.
Read Nano Powder Metal reference →Pure Cobalt (Hayashi)
Hayashi cobalt-base material: at least 60% cobalt, with a maker-published 47 HRC material figure.
SG Powder High Metal
Okawa’s SG Powder High Metal designation; keep it separate from Takefu SG2.
Read SG Powder High Metal reference →SOLINOX54
Jaguar PRE STYLE material designation; 54 HRC is published for the named PRE STYLE P model.
Supplier and unresolved designations
Labels whose producer, standard or relationship to another grade needs clarification. Published supplier data stays attributed.
10Cr15CoMoV
Supplier-documented blade-steel designation; compare its own chemistry with Takefu’s separate VG-10.
Read 10Cr15CoMoV reference →5CR15MOV
Blade-steel label with differing dated supplier chemistry; confirm the exact specification and finished model.
Read 5CR15MOV reference →6CR13
Supplier-specific 6Cr14(6Cr13) record; distinct from low-carbon X6Cr13/1.4000. Verify the finished model.
Read 6CR13 reference →7Cr17MoV
Supplier-documented stainless designation; use exact chemistry and finished-model evidence.
Read 7Cr17MoV reference →8CR13MOV
Stainless designation in a knife-maker chart; producer data and finished-scissor values need confirmation.
Read 8CR13MOV reference →9Cr13CoMoV
Historical knife-maker designation; producer chemistry and full 9CR13 scissor identity remain unverified.
Read 9Cr13CoMoV reference →9Cr18MoV
Blade-steel designation with supplier evidence; check the source behind any 440C comparison.
Read 9Cr18MoV reference →ATS-55
ATS-55 appears in Spyderco’s maker chart; producer chemistry and finished-scissor hardness remain unverified.
Read ATS-55 reference →ZA-18
Cobalt-bearing designation with named shear examples; its mill attribution remains unconfirmed.
Material families and layered constructions
Broader material or construction terms. A family can contain several distinct grades or implementations.
Aogami (Blue Paper Steel)
Blue Paper carbon-steel family; identify the numbered grade or Super designation.
Read Aogami (Blue Paper Steel) reference →Carbon Steel
A broad steel family; identify the grade and the maker’s care requirements.
Read Carbon Steel reference →Cobalt Alloy
A broad label covering cobalt-bearing steels and cobalt-base materials; identify the actual alloy.
Read Cobalt Alloy reference →Damascus
Layered or patterned blade construction; the cutting material needs its own identification.
Read Damascus reference →MV Stainless
A molybdenum-vanadium stainless family label; it does not identify one fixed composition.
Read MV Stainless reference →Powder Damascus Alloy
Powder-metallurgy patterned material; identify the maker’s construction and exact scissor model.
Read Powder Damascus Alloy reference →Shirogami (White Paper Steel)
White Paper carbon-steel family; identify the numbered grade and its own specification.
Stellite Alloy
A cobalt-base alloy family; identify the exact alloy and its use in a named scissor.
Read Stellite Alloy reference →Origin labels
Geographic descriptions of material supply. Check the actual grade and finished-product origin separately.
Korean Stainless
An origin label for stainless steel; request the producer and exact grade.
Read Korean Stainless reference →Solingen Steel
A geographic steel label; identify the material grade and manufacturer separately.
Read Solingen Steel reference →Taiwan Steel
A material-origin description; distinguish the steel supplier from the finished scissor’s origin.
Read Taiwan Steel reference →Manufacturing processes
Process names describe how material is made or consolidated. Record the grade alongside the process.
Cast Stainless
A stainless-component forming route; alloy, component and finished hardness need separate evidence.
Read Cast Stainless reference →Sintered Metal (Kasho)
A powder-consolidation process description; identify the actual grade used in the finished scissor.
Read Sintered Metal (Kasho) reference →Ceramic materials
Non-metal blade materials with different property and test conventions from steel.
Zirconia Ceramic
Zirconium-oxide ceramic blade material; steel hardness scales and care assumptions do not transfer.
Read Zirconia Ceramic reference →How to read steel specifications
Practical guides to composition tables, hardness measurements and comparing source records.
Steel Composition Guide
Read elements, ranges, maximum limits and representative values in a steel composition table.
Read Steel Composition Guide reference →Steel Hardness Reference
Understand HRC, HV and the test conditions behind a blade-hardness statement.
Read Steel Hardness Reference reference →Frequently Asked Questions
5 answers you can open one at a timeWhat is the best steel for professional scissors?
There is no universal best grade. Compare exact finished scissors using verified material identity, geometry, heat-treatment evidence if published, fit, condition, trial, care, warranty, service route, and current ownership cost.
Does a higher HRC number mean better scissors?
No. Hardness is one measured property, and values are comparable only when scale, method, part, location, condition, range, and tolerance are known. It does not measure fit, sharpness, toughness, corrosion, edge life, or product quality by itself.
Can a steel label predict sharpening frequency?
No universal interval follows from a grade name. Service depends on the exact tool, geometry, condition, workload, incidents, care, maker guidance, and qualified inspection.
Does Japanese steel mean a scissor was made in Japan?
No. Material source and finished-product country of origin are separate claims. Verify the producer and grade, then separately verify the exact model’s manufacturing and legal origin wording.
Can two scissors with the same steel perform differently?
Yes. Material traceability, heat treatment, blade and edge geometry, assembly, set, condition, fit, care, and service can differ. A grade name is not a finished-tool certificate.