Spyderco has a few very affordable ZDP knives that obtain a Rockwell of 64, such as the three pictured to the left. The Rockwell test is very important for manufacturers in properly maintaining quality control, but it also offers a measure of quality for the consumer. Knowing the Rockwell can help you guess at how well a blade will perform, and perhaps prevent bad purchases.
If you see a folding knife in the low 50s, it could be roughly sharpened on the curb or the blocks of a wall.
If you want a knife with a little more quality to it, aim for the Rc range. Many of my own knives fall in that range.
A little better than average, but still at an affordable price. If you are looking for a premium steel, we offer a great number of fantastic blades. You can use our filters to find what kind of steel you like, or just use the search bar function. If you see an axe significantly above 55 Rockwell, that is probably too hard and will chip in hard use - avoid that purchase. Avoid any throwing knives above 55 Rc as well.
If the knife is a folding knife and is much below 54, it is too soft a steel to be used extensively. Not many companies allow customers to see Rockwell ratings, as the numbers are not an exact rating system for quality only for hardness.
However, I think it is important to be transparent with customers, and to try to educate my customers where possible. I always list the Rockwell for my knives. Being transparent just means I need to take a little more time and explain what the numbers mean. In my opinion, all companies should list what type of steel a blade uses, as well as a Rockwell rating. For other brands we sell, we do our best to try and get the information from the manufacturer so you can make informed decisions.
If they happen to list the steel, but not the Rockwell, you can usually find that steel on my Steel Chart to get an idea of probably what Rockwell the steel is tempered at. Hopefully you now know a lot more about the Rockwell Rating system and what the numbers mean.
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Understanding Rockwell Tweet What is Rockwell? What does RC stand for? How is the test performed? Throwing Knives Another implement that uses softer steels are throwing knives and throwing axes. Like the Brinell hardness scale, the Rockwell scale is based on measuring the depth of the indentation made by pressing a diamond point, or a ball, into the material. Unlike the Brinell test, however, the Rockwell test makes two depth measurements.
The ball say is brought in contact with the material to be tested. The preliminary force is applied for a set length of time, and then the depth of the indentation is measured.
Then the force is increased in a set rate until it reaches the total force. This force is kept constant for a predetermined period, after which the force is reduced to the preliminary force level. After a set period of time, the depth of the indentation is measured for a second time. Usually the entire process is carried out by automatic machinery. Precise measurements are also helpful when you are looking for a quality kitchen knife.
There are so many types of steel, it can be difficult to determine what the best steel for kitchen knives is — unless you have a system of precise measurements. Enter the Rockwell hardness scale. Think of it as a Scoville scale for steel. The Rockwell hardness scale important to your search for the perfect kitchen knives because harder steel holds its sharp cutting edge better than softer steel.
But how hard is hard? The Rockwell hardness test was originally created to measure ball bearings. Seven years after Wilber Scoville decided to get serious about the precise measurement of spiciness, a metallurgist working at a New England ball bearing plant invented an accurate and repeatable way to measure hardness. Stanley P. Rockwell created a way to measure the steel ball bearings his company created, but the test was easy to apply to any type of metal or non-metallic material.
The scale that bears his name determines relative hardness of metal by measuring the depth of an indentation after a heavy object impacts a piece of metal. Diamond is the hardest natural substance known to man. The most commonly used version of the Rockwell test uses a conical diamond to impact the metal. The amount of force and depth of the cone-shaped indentation is then measured. The test is performed twice. Initially only a minor load of pressure is applied, and the measurement is taken.
The second time — in the exact position — the pressure is increased to a major load of about pounds of pressure, and then the indentation is measured again. Rockwell Hardness Testing. Hardness is a characteristic of a material, not a fundamental physical property. It is defined as the resistance to indentation, and it is determined by measuring the permanent depth of the indentation.
More simply put, when using a fixed force load and a given indenter, the smaller the indentation, the harder the material. Indentation hardness value is obtained by measuring the depth or the area of the indentation using one of over 12 different test methods.
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