Why would there be a vickers hardness mark on a Hytest forester?

[Au_Craftsman]

Recently rust stripped and I have noted a vickers hardness test indent on the side of it. The broad arrow means it was military issue but from what i know the vickers test required expensive equipment so it would have more likely been done at the manufacturers. Not sure what the purpose of this would be and I have never seen a Forester before that has one. Any chance someone knows more about it?

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Could have been for verifying a military manufacturing specification. Looks like they may have been measuring the depth of hardening to make sure it was within spec. I know a lot of US government axe contracts have requirements for the hardness to go to a certain depth.

 

[jake pogg]

Could have been for verifying a military manufacturing specification.

That sounds most reasonable.

Chances are it's positioned to test hardness an N-th distance from the edge.

 

[Au_Craftsman]

Ye

That sounds most reasonable.

Chances are it's positioned to test hardness an N-th distance from the edge.

Yeah so that's good to know that it passed the test, seeing that it's that far back does that mean the edge is hardened up until around there? If so that's great it will last alot long than expected

 

[jake pogg]

Yes.
And the reason these are not so common is likely that the mil-specs called for every 100th or every 379th or whatever to be tested.
I've spoken with a gentleman who actually forged things in Au naval shipyards during WWII,some shackles for anchor gear i think,and they were tested every few dozen pieces...

 

[Au_Craftsman]

Wow that's great to hear and explains alot, I guess that makes it quite rare then

 

[Square_peg]

They might also be testing that the eye is adequately soft to pevent cracking. That was also a requirement of some contracts.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Yeah. Specification of depth wasn't just to make sure there was enough depth to the hardening, but also to make sure it didn't get too close to the eye.

 

[garry3]

Maybe just QC. Council tool had a video at one time showing them Rockwell hardness testing random axes through the manufacturing process.