Question: What's the right hardness for me?

I

isaac.wade

Joined
Apr 6, 2015
Messages
3
Hi everyone. I've been browsing then forums without an account for a while, and you guys have all helped me make my first ever knife, a 4 mm thick O1 knife with a 4 inch blade. I'm ready to send it off to be hardened and tempered, but the place I'm sending it to needs a Rockwell hardness. I'm using the knife for camping and hunting, so a mix of hardness and toughness would be great. Its a pretty thick blade, so I'm hoping it will last a looooong time.

Thanks for all the help you guys have given me!
 
Personally I'd shoot for 57-59 HRC for a camp knife that's likely to see a lot of heavy use.
 
A 4" blade isn't a huge. I would ask for 59 rc. With a bigger chopper that will be subjected to more abuse you might want a little lower.

I have a 4" 1084 blade that does everything I need it to in camp, and I shot for 59 rc (although I didn't have it tested).
 
I would go Rc61. O1 is pretty tough. Going softer will give you marginally higher toughness, at a sacrifice of wear resistance. How thick is the edge going to be?
 
It may not even give you more toughness. I do believe O1 had an embrittlement zone in the mid to upper 50s.
 
Thanks for the answers everyone! The edge is 4 mm thick. I have sent in a quote to a heat treating place near me for 58 HRC. I'll see what they quote. Thanks so much guys, ill be sure to post photos of the knife when it is finished!
 
O1 is amazingly tuff at 60-61, seems to be its sweet spot. Much lower than that, use a cheaper steel.

This is from my experience, others may disagree...
 
Dewey and Warren have it. O-1 is pretty darn "tough" at 60-61. If you need lower RC, I'd choose different steel. Leave O1 at 57-58 and you leave performance on the table.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top