Military, Why Did They Lower The RC?

[Razor]

I read they lowered the RC of the blade steel.I wonder if my new military will hold a edge like the old did.The old you never had to sharpen it.The new does not seem to get as sharp.

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Ray

 

[Burke]

I believe it was because there were issues with chipping on a few blades; lowering the rockwell meant that the edge would indent rather than chip.

 

[mr44]

440V chips badly if it is too hard. An eary review of the Starmate that I read detailed the same problem -- it held an edge nicely, but chipped badly on a brass rod. It's just another one of the tradeoffs that must be made when selecting a blade steel. Do you want toughness or abrasion resisitance/edge-holding ability?

PM

 

[Burke]

I want toughness and abrasion resistance. And I want it in a stainless steel that still takes an attractive patina, and is non-metallic, so I can take it where-ever I want. And I want it all for under thirty bucks. (Is that unreasonable?)