i used an a type gyuto and petty at work for 2 years or so. still use em occasionally. it's semi stainless steel. for the money, it's decent to good in most respects, sharpenability, sharpness, edge retention. however, whilst it doesn't rust too easily, it will get some spots and definitely tends to get a dull grey patina. in terms of aesthetics, it's not particularly attractive unless you have a regimen to keep it stain free and lots of sandpaper.
however, the real problem with a type knives isn't the steel, it's the grind. they're pretty thick behind the edge and need heavy thinning. because the steel is relatively wear resistant, it's a pita to thin.
when i did my research on the knife, i remember that it was lauded on the old kf if you thinned it a lot because then it'd cut pretty well and last quite long. i got the knife because i wanted a wa handled gyuto and i happened to be in tokyo. for the money it's still a decent proposition. i paid like $150 for my 240mm gyuto including a saya.
nowadays, there's easy access and knowledge of many different brands across the board, so for me, the a types aren't really what i'd look at but ymmv. it's still a decent, utilitarian knife but it's not the best value considering how much thinning needs to be done.