WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?
Rockwell scale? What’s the Rockwell scale? Who could possibly want to learn about steel hardness? We hear some of our biggest fans indeed enjoy learning the key components that make our beautiful Fini knives!
In our world, the Rockwell scale plays a key role in determining the strength of the steel we use to make our knives...Now, don't assume that the higher the number, the stronger the steel. Let's not confuse "hardness" with "toughness" In fact, the higher the number, the harder the steel, but as hardness increases, toughness goes in the opposite direction. So what now? As everything else in life, the perfect formula for a great steel knife is a balance of hardness and toughness (and a few other secret ingredients!).
The Rockwell scale is commonly used today to measure the hardness of metals. The hardness of most knives on the market today ranges from the low 50s to mid 60s. Keep in mind that the Rockwell scale is not linear, but exponential. In other words, going from HRC 64 to 65 is not the same as going from HRC 50 to 51. Our gorgeous knives are made of German forged steel with a score of HRC 58 and a 20 degree double edge blade that’s sharpened by hand! Voila!
The steel’s final degree of hardness is determined by the maker during the process of treating and heating up the steel. Generally speaking, a relatively soft knife ranks lower in the Rockwell scale and it is typically easier to sharpen, but doesn’t hold its edge for too long. A knife that ranks higher in the Rockwell scale tends to be more resistant to wear, and although it may be more difficult to sharpen, they do hold their edge longer.
Although we find it highly unlikely that this topic will ever come up in your future conversations, should anyone ever ask about the Rockwell scale, you'll know what to say!