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Feb 12th, 2024
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 A question for Knife makers.
#2240382
04/12/11 02:53 PM
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catchin'
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What does the hardness number mean? What is a good number?
Do different numbers mean different hardnesses for different metals.
Which metals hold their edge longer?
Life is Good Today.
I never dreamed of being a father....now I can't imagine being anything else.
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Re: A question for Knife makers.
[Re: catchin']
#2240731
04/12/11 05:12 PM
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Joined: Mar 2010
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DiverTexas
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The relative hardness of the steel is spelled out by the RC number. The higher the number, the harder the steel. IMO a good hunting knife will be between 58-60 on the scale and a kitchen or chefs knife will be between 60-63. Going higher than that can cause the steel to become brittle.
Keep in mind, this is just my opinion and others may prefer different RC ratings on their blades.
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Re: A question for Knife makers.
[Re: DiverTexas]
#2240766
04/12/11 05:24 PM
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catchin'
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Does the hardness help the knife keeps it's edge or is it the metal?
Life is Good Today.
I never dreamed of being a father....now I can't imagine being anything else.
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Re: A question for Knife makers.
[Re: catchin']
#2240829
04/12/11 05:53 PM
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Joined: Mar 2010
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DiverTexas
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Yes, the hardness definitely helps retain the edge.
Other factors like cryogenically treating the steel will help it retain its edge as well.
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Re: A question for Knife makers.
[Re: catchin']
#2240974
04/12/11 06:53 PM
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scattergun
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Google Rockwell Scale. There are a lot of other factors that come into play regarding how knife steel will perform.
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Re: A question for Knife makers.
[Re: scattergun]
#2241881
04/13/11 02:05 AM
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Joined: Aug 2005
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MikeC
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I try to keep my knives in the 59-61 range. Lower RC won't hold an edge as well and higher RC will be hard to sharpen for the average guy and can lead to edge chipping depending on the steel and how it's used.
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Re: A question for Knife makers.
[Re: catchin']
#2242266
04/13/11 06:26 AM
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Joined: Apr 2011
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TSullivan
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Does the hardness help the knife keeps it's edge or is it the metal? It largely depends on both. A really hard crappy steel will still not perform as well as a moderately hard good steel. Getting the proper RC is like a balancing act. If it's too high the edge might chip out if you hit some bone while skinning. It may also make the tip break if you do any light prying with the knife. But if the RC is too low the knife might lose its edge really quick. A good RC will give the knife the best compromise of edge retention and toughness.
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Re: A question for Knife makers.
[Re: TSullivan]
#2242418
04/13/11 12:39 PM
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 332
jrpbullrider
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I have an old file I found and want to try to make it in to a knife how hard would it be and how would I find out the "RC"
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Re: A question for Knife makers.
[Re: jrpbullrider]
#2242654
04/13/11 02:16 PM
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catchin'
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I bought a couple Anza file knives and the egde they came with was fanastic and held through 3 deer. Skinning and light neck bone prying but I have not been able to put the same edge back on.
I wonder if I am putting on an edge that is too flat like for fillet knife.
Life is Good Today.
I never dreamed of being a father....now I can't imagine being anything else.
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Re: A question for Knife makers.
[Re: jrpbullrider]
#2242805
04/13/11 03:27 PM
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,073
bdotson
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I have an old file I found and want to try to make it in to a knife how hard would it be and how would I find out the "RC" To find the hardness of a steel you will need a hardness tester. such as a rockwell tester the one I use is a wilson brand. There are many diffrent scales such as A scale, B scale and the ever popular C scale. (RC) stands for rockwell "C" scale. 58rc = 58 on the rockwell C scale. I might ask why one would want to make a knife from a file? A file would be to hard to drill holes in for the handle s well as the grinding of the blade would be ver tough as well. One could anneal the file but if you dont know what material it was made from it would be very hard to know how to anneal harden and temper. The steel for a quality knife is not all that expensive and then you know what you have hope this helps Buddy
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Re: A question for Knife makers.
[Re: bdotson]
#2243015
04/13/11 04:42 PM
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 88
TSullivan
Outdoorsman
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Outdoorsman
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I have an old file I found and want to try to make it in to a knife how hard would it be and how would I find out the "RC" To find the hardness of a steel you will need a hardness tester. such as a rockwell tester the one I use is a wilson brand. There are many diffrent scales such as A scale, B scale and the ever popular C scale. (RC) stands for rockwell "C" scale. 58rc = 58 on the rockwell C scale. I might ask why one would want to make a knife from a file? A file would be to hard to drill holes in for the handle s well as the grinding of the blade would be ver tough as well. One could anneal the file but if you dont know what material it was made from it would be very hard to know how to anneal harden and temper. The steel for a quality knife is not all that expensive and then you know what you have hope this helps Buddy People have been making knives out of files for years. Files are a tool and not surprising they are made out of the same tool steels that people use for knives (1095 and W1 are the most common). Plus they can typically be bought for less than $1 at an garage sale.
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Re: A question for Knife makers.
[Re: TSullivan]
#2243204
04/13/11 06:09 PM
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catchin'
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Anza Knives have been doing it for over 30 years, they are made from Nickelson files. I love mine but I'm looking to get a different fully custom made knife soon.
Life is Good Today.
I never dreamed of being a father....now I can't imagine being anything else.
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Re: A question for Knife makers.
[Re: bdotson]
#2244956
04/14/11 01:26 PM
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,615
billybob
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Sticshooter frequently builds knives from old files and sawblades...He probably sells more on here than all the rest of us combined.
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Re: A question for Knife makers.
[Re: billybob]
#2245129
04/14/11 03:06 PM
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catchin'
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I know I've seen and admire his knives. A lot of his knives have this gentle arc that I really like.
I'm looking for a bowie style/length knife with antler handle.
I just need to find a good excuse to justify the price.
Last edited by catchin'; 04/14/11 03:13 PM.
Life is Good Today.
I never dreamed of being a father....now I can't imagine being anything else.
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Re: A question for Knife makers.
[Re: catchin']
#2245148
04/14/11 03:14 PM
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,615
billybob
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I can do that...clik on my link. They run $90.
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Re: A question for Knife makers.
[Re: catchin']
#2245316
04/14/11 04:35 PM
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 10,496
Halfadozen
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I bought a couple Anza file knives and the egde they came with was fanastic and held through 3 deer. Skinning and light neck bone prying but I have not been able to put the same edge back on.
I wonder if I am putting on an edge that is too flat like for fillet knife. I too have an Anza, about 20 years old now, and can't get it back to a good edge.
Freedom is a fragile thing ...Those who have known freedom, and then lost it, have never known it again.
-- Ronald Reagan
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Re: A question for Knife makers.
[Re: Halfadozen]
#2245582
04/14/11 07:05 PM
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Joined: Sep 2009
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catchin'
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I bought a couple Anza file knives and the egde they came with was fanastic and held through 3 deer. Skinning and light neck bone prying but I have not been able to put the same edge back on.
I wonder if I am putting on an edge that is too flat like for fillet knife. I too have an Anza, about 20 years old now, and can't get it back to a good edge. I spoke with Charlie (the man who makes the knives) last night and he said he has changed the hardness of the files over the years so they hold an edge better. They are high carbon files so they should hold an edge excellently. I found out I wasn't putting a shallow enough edge on mine. My edge was too blunt and I was sharpening it wrong.
Life is Good Today.
I never dreamed of being a father....now I can't imagine being anything else.
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