what is the suitable hardness for a heavy duty type of knife

H

hammerfall

Joined
Oct 2, 2010
Messages
221
i got a new steel bar to try out. v0162 i think it is called. this new steel supposse to have very good toughness and yeild strength combination, engineers says so. however the date sheet stated that the hardness can be age hardened only at maxium hrc57.

is this hardness good enough for an heavy duty outdoor knife?
 
HrC 57-58 is the hardness on many commercial hunting knives.
It should be fine, especially with increases toughness and wear resistance.
 
Machetes and goloks etc. are often hardened to around there, sometimes even down around 55hrc.
 
This question got me thinking in a more general way about what the target numbers ought to be for different types of edged devices.

What would be the target hardness for:

1) Daggers
2) Machetes/Choppers/Camp knives
3) EDCs
4) Kitchen knives (maybe break down by type)
5) Tactical knives
6) Folders
7) Swords
8) Spear heads
9) Throwing knives

and so on...
 
I agree, Tryppyr — that would be a cool sticky to have. I'd like to see target edge thicknesses, too, and also some notes on good steel choices. There are a ton of threads on this type of question, so obviously there's a lot of demand for this information.

- Chris
 
The target hardness will depend on the steel used AND the intended use AND the blade geometry AND acceptable failure mode. Generally though, you want the steel to be as hard as you can get it and still meet all of your other criteria.

Personally, I like to run my knives pretty hard, >60rc even for big knives, but I usually use 3v so... Some guys like to run things softer. Jerry Fisk is known for liking fairly soft blades to get the type of edge he likes. I think 57-59 is pretty standard for big knives with simple steels.
 
i am pretty much attracted by this steel's outstanding toughness. its hardness is at the best barely reached hrc57. most likely to be hrc54~56.

i am now concerned about if this ranged hardness can meet the requirement for a heavy duty knife. in what kind of situations do you need a knife blade harder than hrc 55? are these kind of situation often occure? and would you like to trade the hardness for toughness. it has the highest v-notched impact data i have ever seen on steel that is as hard as hrc 55, but this average 55 hrc also get me a big headache.
 
The question is what will the knife be cutting?

If it is to be a heavy use camp knife, and will be cutting kindling for the fire, potatoes for the stew, and rope for the tent - Rc55-59 will work, and toughness is more important.

If it is to be a heavy use kitchen knife for a restaurant - Rc 59-62 will be needed, with good edge retention and ease of sharpening.

If it is to be a heavy use skinning knife for hunting or a fillet knife - The hardness should be Rc59-62, and edge retention is a big factor.

If it is to be used for cutting hard objects, like wood, it needs to be both hard and tough.
 
lets say the situation is: when you wake up and found yourself in the wilds of unknow location. a knife is the only tool you have. you need to rely on it until you can get contact with the outside world
 
I would want it Rc 55-58 and tough as hell. I could sharpen it on a rock, but could chop down a tree if needed. I wouldn't care if it got a bit dull, or even if it bent........ The last thing I would want is for it to break.
 
For what it's worth, I'm with Stacey. Aim for the highest toughness, and whatever hardness you get is what you have. 54-56 HRc (a typical range when specifiying hardness, ie 55 + or - 1 point) should be adequate for that kind of knife.
 
I like all these survival knife discussions, but. remember that the true outdoor survivors in this country when it was so wild that the white man didn't exist on the continent, used an extremely brittle flint blade.

Give me a decent quality 10" knife and some aircraft cable You can have the "perfect" knife
 
Another thing to keep in mind for a knife built primarily for toughness is it's edge geometry. You don't need to grind it crazy thin like I would for a skinner. A thicker, less acute edge (say .04-.05" at 30-40 degrees included) will make the very most of the steel's toughness, and resist chipping more than a thinner, sharper edge. Same goes for the blade's overall thickness; more steel is simply tougher, no matter what alloy you're using.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top