SWORD-FV10: Our Most Popular High-Performance VG10 Knife Series

There are many western-style knives available from our company, but the FV10 Series is one that is commonly praised by professional chefs and home cooks alike. In my experience with this steel and knife, I believe it’s worthy of the praise.

Customers speak fondly of its comfortable handle, cutting ability and the longevity of its sharp edge.
In this article I’ll introduce the appeal of the FV10 series from the perspective of a craftsman.

Let’s talk about the design, starting with the handle. It has a classic European handle shape, but uniquely, the FV10 bolster is made from Nickle Silver instead of stainless steel (which you would normally use) and features a sweeping curve on the handle side. This has an amber-like shine that gives it a luxurious impression.

Because of the change in material, this bolster sometimes needs extra cleaning around the seams to make sure no dirt penetrates into the handle itself.

I think the reason why you can tell it is an FV10 just by looking at it is because of the unique bolster design.

Customer feedback has been really positive and they often talk about how comfortable the handle is for big or small hands, and how it’s a really easy knife to use over a long period of time, and doesn't contribute to any hand strain.

Recently a lot of manufacturers have developed very elaborate designs at the expense of practicality. I like the fact that the FV10 series has a good combination of style and practicality.

I think the best feature of this knife is the blade of course.

A high hardness and durability are essential for a good knife. Getting that balance can be difficult for a lot of knife makers. A very hard blade can be difficult to sharpen and also may chip, while a soft blade will lose its edge quickly even after a fresh sharpening.

A high level of both hardness and durability is an essential requirement for a good knife and that comes down to good heat treatment. We take our heat treatment very seriously.

The VG10 that we use contains about 1% Carbon, which puts it in the class of "High Carbon Stainless Steels."

VG10 also has Cobalt which helps make the blade strong and also gives it some “stickiness” when sharpening, which makes it a joy to sharpen.

The heat treatment is perfect on this blade so we get a perfectly sharp edge that is strong and easy to sharpen.

The blade geometry is ideal, with a uniform thickness from cutting edge to the base of the blade, making it easier to avoid an uneven sharpening compared to variable thickness knives like some deba knives. Due to the blade’s thinness and the gentle curve of the edge, there are a variety of ways to sharpen it. The blade can be ground thin to maximise its sharpness or you can leave it a little thicker to provide more core strength.

Personally I recommend that you grind it thin, to keep that cutting edge as it is intended to be.

It may seem expensive compared to knives with fancy steel and fancy finishes, but the FV10 Series really is a balanced, strong, stylish and sharp knife to add to your collection. Ask us more about them online or in-store!