V1 Steel

V1 is a Takefu Special Steel non-stainless carbon cutlery grade, separate from Takefu’s stainless VG-1. Takefu publishes representative values of 1.15% carbon, 0.40% chromium and no more than 0.25% nickel, along with quench hardness of 64 HRC or higher. That figure does not specify the hardness or performance of a finished scissor.

Steel types
Material evidence instrument

Read a steel claim as a four-layer record

A grade can be useful evidence, but a finished shear adds maker execution, geometry, condition, and service history.
Apply to V1 Steel
GRADE ≠ EDGE LIFE
Grade identity Source level Finished blade Service history
  1. 01 Identify the grade Use a producer or traceable maker designation.
  2. 02 Name the source layer Separate mill data, maker data, seller copy, and measurement.
  3. 03 Record execution Heat treatment, geometry, assembly, and finished-blade values stay model-specific.
  4. 04 Keep the history Condition, use, care, impacts, and service affect the working edge.

Do not inferOne element, HRC value, country adjective, price tier, or steel name cannot rank sharpness, toughness, corrosion resistance, or service life.

V1 Steel

Published specification

Takefu groups V1 with its separate V2C and V2 grades. It describes low levels of phosphorus, sulfur, copper and arsenic, and discusses ease of heat treatment and forging. The published ≥64 HRC is a quench-hardness figure. No finished V1 hair-scissor model or service interval was verified from Takefu’s material page.

The small chromium addition does not make V1 stainless. Clean and dry a V1 blade promptly and follow the scissor maker’s carbon-steel care and sharpening guidance.

Scissor listings

The Tokko Katana Kyosho listing calls its 6-inch shear “V1 Hitachi steel.” That wording does not prove the grade’s mill origin. No matching Proterial (formerly Hitachi Metals) V1 grade document was found in the sources reviewed for this entry. Ask the seller for a material certificate and finished-blade hardness when those details matter.

Sources

VG-1 · Carbon Steel · Scissor Maintenance

Published material composition

Takefu V1. Representative producer table figures; stated maxima remain limits. Unreported elements are not zero and these figures are not a lot analysis. Composition source

Published composition by mass
ElementMass %Value type
C1.15%representative
Cr0.4%representative
Ni≤0.25%maximum

Elements absent from this table are unreported in this source, not zero. These material figures do not identify the chemistry of an individual finished scissor.

Indicative PREN: unavailable. This material is not classified as stainless steel. Calculation and limits.

Material names and relationships

References

Sources

1 source
  1. 🇯🇵 武生特殊鋼材 (Takefu Special Steel Co., Ltd.) (reference)

Source scope and limitations are stated on the page. External links open in new tabs.

Quick clarifications

Frequently Asked Questions

3 answers you can open one at a time
Is Takefu V1 the same as VG-1?

No. V1 is Takefu’s non-stainless carbon cutlery steel; VG-1 is a separate stainless grade.

What hardness does Takefu publish for V1?

Takefu publishes quench hardness of 64 HRC or higher. This is a material specification, not a measured hardness for every finished scissor.

Does a scissor labeled "Hitachi V1" contain Takefu V1?

The label alone does not establish the supplier. The Tokko Kyosho listing uses “V1 Hitachi steel”, but no Proterial or Hitachi V1 grade document was located in this review.

Community notes

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Last updated: September 29, 2026 · by