Dealer that test there knives hrc before delivery

sharalds52 said:
Does anyone know of any knife dealers that will test there knife’s hrc on reguest ?
Click to expand...
I don't think most dealers have the time or the equipment for that. I know some of the smaller dealers test the functionality of OTF's and automatics before shipping them.
 
I've never heard of such a thing happening.

Custom and semi-custom makers will typically test the hardness, often with a Rockwell hardness tester, but I've never heard of a dealer/vendor doing that.

Such a test would require the knife to be taken out of it's packaging, and a tiny divot/indentation to be made in the side of the blade. That would add an imperfection to the blade (albeit a tiny one), and I don't think the manufacturer would like that.

And like KOD said above, dealers aren't going to want to take the time to fulfill such a request from every customer who asks, nor are they likely to possess the equipment.

Heck, good luck getting a dealer to just inspect a knife before shipping it out. That itself is a very rare courtesy.
 
Some company used to test and mark knives with a label and an arrow pointing to the test point for HRC, if it helps. I am not sure which, I think Marbles or Steel Warrior or something.
 
Never seen or heard of any company doing that either. Just takes way too long to do each knife plus you have to have the equipment. It would however be a cool idea for a lone forum member or something to create. They could be a small knife dealer, even if it was buying, selling and trading used knives as well, and HRC test each one. I bet they'd be pretty popular.
 
calm said:
Some company used to test and mark knives with a label and an arrow pointing to the test point for HRC, if it helps. I am not sure which, I think Marbles or Steel Warrior or something.
LimpCroissant said:
Never seen or heard of any company doing that either. Just takes way too long to do each knife plus you have to have the equipment. It would however be a cool idea for a lone forum member or something to create. They could be a small knife dealer, even if it was buying, selling and trading used knives as well, and HRC test each one. I bet they'd be pretty popular.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
From the Puma Website
AWtWNC1.png


On the back side of the blade of my Puma Duke
u5WVMq8.jpg
 
Rockwell testers are expensive.
No. I do not know of a dealer who has invested in one.
 
The only knife manufacturer (not dealer) I’m aware of that HRC tests every blade produced is Rockstead out of Japan. The HRC result for that specific knife is included with the knife's documentation.
 
Last edited:
yea, gotta be factory number n dimple, or dimple n range by batch. They could very price dependent on batch. I would smile as I paid for factory dimple and number / batch range! Knives are not part of the great garbage stream, but a perfect example of life time tools. In that light consumer cost takes on a new meaning.
 
Besides, HRC is claim made by mfg, not the dealer so there’s nothing they can do about it. You’d have to take it up with mfg and it’s not a warranty applicable item anyways.
 
Thxs for all replies. Does anyone know how much a retailer would have to charge to make the process work for their bottom line? I would be willing to pay for the privilege. Maybe 12$. Would that be even close to cost plus profit? Is there anyone who has the equipment and time to be able to offer such a service?
 
sharalds52 said:
Thxs for all replies. Does anyone know how much a retailer would have to charge to make the process work for their bottom line? I would be willing to pay for the privilege. Maybe 12$. Would that be even close to cost plus profit? Is there anyone who has the equipment and time to be able to offer such a service?
Click to expand...

It's not going to happen, for the reasons already given.

Many, if not all of the knives I've bought came in factory sealed packaging from the manufacturer. Retailers aren't going to open sealed packaging to test a knife's hardness.

Performing such a test would mark the blade, and manufacturers might not like their blades being marked by a retailer. Manufacturers also might not like a retailer performing their own tests on the manufacturers knives, and then contradicting the manufacturers specs if their test comes up with a different result than the manufacturer.

Just imagine if a manufacturer advertised that their blades had a HRC of 58-60, and then some retailer did their own test, which may or may not be accurate, and publicly stated "No, we tested it ourselves and it's 56-58 HRC". I don't think the manufacturers would like that. And I don't think the retailers are going to want to risk upsetting the manufacturers by doing so.

And even if all of that weren't an issue, it would cost money to buy a high-quality, reliable hardness tester, and then employees would have to be trained in how to use it, and performing the tests would take time that employees could be doing other things.

And some knife retailers are small, sometimes one man operations, with very thin profit margins to begin with. They aren't going to spend/gamble money on a RC tester for a few people who might be willing to pay a little extra for such a service.

Like I said, it's not going to happen.
 
Last edited:
OP. Sent comment below to Hogue in hopes that they would at least consider the possibilities. Keep hoping Benchmade, Spyderco, Buck, CRK, etc, will as well.
* I valued this work and resulting info at $60.00 extra because these are life time tools, kinetic art perhaps but first of all tools.
* No one worries about Buck HRC because they have Paul BOSS process as differentiator.
* HRC impacts performance as surely as geometry.
* No one marketing "puke-worthy" garbage stream stuff is gonna bother, except as they do when declaring one steel but using another, use inferior parts, etc.
* Steel spec sheets expresses attributes as HRC, and I see those who use Peter's services announce it, standing on his reputation.
* In the light of CMP's specs, Ritter/Hogue are calling out Doug's RSK® MK1-G2 MagnaCut at 63/64.

"I would pay 60 bucks more for a HOGUE DEKA Magnacut if I could get the unit with HRC dimples plus tested number."...
 
CRK puts a note of the HRC on the birth card.

But otherwise who's gonna buy all those knives with an extra divot that don't meet some guy's standard? Will they just get donated to the knife pound?
 
Danke42 said:
who's gonna buy all those knives with an extra divot that don't meet some guy's standard? Will they just get donated to the knife pound?
Click to expand...
the number and divot are an actual measure, that is why I hope for the option, a customer not understanding steels is not part of this equation. And understanding steel is more then an HRC, as BBB, Laren, and so many others have illustrated many times over, from as far back as pre-deluvian humanity: Genesis 4:22 "... Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every craftsman in bronze and iron."
Side note- yes, Tubal-Cain is Able's mercifully treated (even protected from revenge at his request) murderer brother Cain's descendant.
 
Randal: The 'Milk Maids'?
Dante: The women that go through every gallon of milk, looking for that later date, as if somewhere beyond all the other gallons is a container of milk that won't go bad for at least a decade.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top