Is a standard Victorinox Swiss Army knife steel hardness of 56 HRC (Rockwell scale) tough enough, and is it tougher than a standard pocket knife?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “knife rockwell“
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Is a standard Victorinox Swiss Army knife steel hardness of 56 HRC (Rockwell scale) tough enough, and is it tougher than a standard pocket knife?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “knife rockwell“
About Athena
You have to think about what “toughness” means, though. A sharp tool is not a tough tool. The toughest tool is probably a machete, which is made from medium carbon steel, and left fairly soft. This makes it easy to sharpen, and impossible to “snap”. I have a machete that is bent 10 degrees to one side about 1/3 of the length from the tip. It is tough, and it’s much more durable for chopping than a 70 HRC sushi chef’s knife.
I think mid 50’s is a great place to be for an everyday pocket knife. It’s pretty likely to keep an ok edge, and not suffer from all the abuse that people who buy lower end knives can dole out!
Authentic XYJ Since 1986,Outstanding Ancient Forging,6.7 Inch Full Tang
I bought this Swiss Army Knife (camping model) in South Korea in 1983. I was on deployment in the US Navy. This knife has been used to repair everything I’ve ever driven, from my ship to my motorcycle. This knife was used in various ways while I was part of the stage crew of Super Bowl 1989. I still use it at least once a week. Yes, SAK knives are definitely tough enough.
Wanbasion Black Stainless Steel Knife Set, Sharp Kitchen Knife
Generally speaking, 56HRC is definitely on the softer end for knife steels, but it all comes down to personal preference. I generally like my knives to be 58+, but my favourite knife, the CRKT Minimalist is 55–57, and while that softness can be a frustration, it’s all part of a compromise
Softer steel is more easily sharpened, which is a huge deal – far more so than people often consider. If your knife is hard as hell but you can’t sharpen it, it’ll be sharper for longer but only sharp once. A soft knife may need sharpening more often, but at least it’s actually resharpenable.
Victorinox knives make for lovely blades because the steel they’re made from is thin, and a full flat grind with a secondary edge bevel makes for an excellent slicer. This thinner steel means that, even when the edge is getting dull, they’ll still cut better than a thicker pocket knife simply because of the geometry of the blade itself.
As far as toughness goes, I define it as how much ‘abuse’ a steel can take before it shows signs of failure. Therefore, while a harder steel is more capable in terms of edge retention and abrasion resistance, they are often actually less tough than a softer steel, because chopping and prying tasks can lead to catastrophic failure – knives snapping in half. While this kind of abuse is never fair on a knife, it is still an undeniable fact that it should be a consideration. With that in mind, I’ve yet to have issue with a Victorinox knife. Folders, especially slipjoints, aren’t designeded for prying, chopping or throwing, so the toughness of a Victorinox knife is perfectly suited to the tasks it’s intended for – DIY, carving, slicing and general EDC use.
Harder steels also chip far more readily, whereas soft steels deform under stress. A deformed edge can be realigned and resharpened, but a chip in the edge will need some serious work to remove, because you need to grind the entire edge back to where the chip stops. That’s a chore on its own, but paired with harder steels, and it’s a nightmare.
The drop-point style of the pen blade used by Victorinox is also idea for giving a strong, durable tip that’s unlikely to bend with use, which is great for the longevity of the knife. While it does make it a worse ‘stabber’, a small slipjoint isn’t designed for this purpose as stabbing motions can lead to pressure on the spine of the blade and therefore cause it to close, so it isn’t really an issue. On one of my knives I opted to sharpen about 1cm of the spine by the tip to make it better at piercing cardboard, which definitely helped without sacrificing too much durability, so that could be an option if you like tinkering and modding your blades to suit your personal use.
My Alox Solo with a custom leather slip case.
Personally I must admit, I rarely carry them; I prefer a single, larger dedicated blade as my EDC like a UKPK because I rarely use the other tools on a SAK, and the extra weight can be an inconvenience. I’m also a sucker for a pocket clip, and find that a SAK can sit a bit awkwardly in the pocket.
Spyderco UKPK
However, a Pioneer normally finds its way into my pocket once a week, and I’ve always got the Hiker in my bag with me everywhere I go. Having owned several, I think they’re great knives. They’re sharp as hell, durable, plenty stainless, well-made, with a brand that really stands behind each piece. And for the price, you’ll really struggle to find better quality.
All the best
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Axes are typically in the low 50s and they get bashed into wood repeatedly.
The usefulness of the rockwell scale is hard to explain. Low 50s tend to bend/roll and get duller easily. They are typically easier to sharpen. 59 and above tend to chip/snap but hold an edge longer. They are typically harder to sharpen. That doesn’t hold hard and fast for every steel.
What I can tell you is that your daily cutting tasks like boxes, leather, fruit, meat etc. the edge will hold just fine. If you’re cutting into ceramic, metal, hard plastic the edge won’t hold up for long…like most steels.
Chicago Cutlery Belden 15 Piece Premium Kitchen Knife
I think it’d be fair to say SAKs are the standard pocketknife. Victorinox, the company that makes the original Swiss Army knives, is the biggest knife company in the world–if a non “knife person” carries a knife, it’s probably an SAK. They’re reasonably priced, resistant to corrosion, sharpen up easily, hold an edge well, and have a tool for just about everything.
Spring Assisted Knife – Pocket Folding Knife – Military Style
Victorinox knives are VERY tough, and as such you will never likely have a tougness related problem out of one.
What they are, is rather soft, and you will experience rapid dulling compared some fairly mainstream quality pocket knives such as Buck Knives, Spyderco, and Cold Steel. There is no such thing as a “standard pocket knife” because their are no standards, and because what each person views as normal for a pocket knife regarding quality, price, designed use, and features varies drastically depending on income, preferences, level of knowledge and viewpoint.
I do not buy Victorinox because I require higher edge retention, and can get low edge retention and high toughness (such as they offer) for a much lower price with a wider variety, should I so choose.
I would like to note very pointedly, that readers who like knives which are fairly easy to sharpen, inexpensive, and hold an excellent edge very well, Victorinox knives are NOT “where it’s at”, Kershaw knives in 14C28N steel are.
imarku Japanese Chef Knife – Pro Kitchen Knife 8 Inch Chef’s Knives