Rockwell hardness for woodworking tools

[ericspaw]

I am in the process in making plane irons for some wooden planes. I noticed that knife makers strive for a Rockwell 58/59, but I noticed that the high end replacement A2 plane irons are in 61/62 range.

I'll have it sent out for hardening and tempering.

In terms of real world usage, (I am a hobbiest,) is there a difference in the couple points?

Thanking all in advance

Eric

 

[james terrio]

In terms of real world usage, (I am a hobbiest,) is there a difference in the couple points?

Yes, quite a bit actually. 58-62 is a pretty big jump. Plane irons can be less tough because they're not subject to impact or side loads, so the extra hardness makes their edge last longer.