Hardest Rockwell Sharpness Chef Knife

Rockwell hardness is the scale that is more than 100 years old and widely used for various applications like designing, engineering and production of consumer products including kitchen knives. The rockwell hardness scale rating plays a vital role on the performance of knives. If the HRC ratings are different of two knives that look practically identical can be differentiated easily on the basis of their hrc scale. In this article, we are going to discuss the hardest rockwell sharpness of chef knives.

We will discuss what is the actual meaning of rockwell hardness, how it works and which rating is best for your knife and how to decide which knife should be bought for our kitchens. Let’s come with us for a detailed discussion.

What is Rockwell Hardness (HRC)

It is the system that measures the hardness, relative power and strength of different products, in which metal is also included. The knife’s rockwheel rigidity/hardness rating (HRC) will tell you how firm and durable it is. The higher the number of HRC scale ratings, the stronger the knife is.

Why Does HRC Matter ?

The HRC mainly impacts the flexibility and sharpness of knives. Those knives have a high rockwell hardness rating, keep their edges for remarkably longer and are all over durable. Furthermore, these knives are less flexible that’s why they can easily break. For example, some carving knives fall slightly on the scale of a hard rock wheel, so that they can bend them around the meat bones.

What is the Perfect Hardness for a Kitchen Knife ?

It depends on for what purpose you are using your chef knife. Normally, the HRC of 60 or higher is perfect for safe working. The knife has a 60 HRC score will come with the sharpness retention that the majority of the people want.

Some Warnings to Consider Regarding HRC

When you are going to market to buy a chef’s knife based on HRC, you should keep in mind the following tips:

If you are less skilled, the high HRC knife is more easily calm, the more easily it goes to the touch lower on the scale (55-58).
If you want a knife with flexibility then you should buy a knife with a little lower HRC score like 56.
You can also buy a chef knife having hrc more than 68 but these knives are highly expensive and only worthy for you if you are an expert chef.

What is the Highest HRC for Chef’s Knives

Super high carbon steel is the best and highest hrc contain material for chef’s knife. This compound or steel has a notable higher than average amount of carbon that offers great durability, hardness and sharpness retention. Many japanese kitchen knives offer hrc rating higher than 68 and they have extremely sharp and durable blades but could be brittle easily.

Quality of Low HRC Rating

Kitchen knives made with soft stainless steel material are more strong.
Those knives which are rated low in 50s will not retain their edges sharp as well as knives with a higher RC rating.
Low HRC knives can easily hone or sharpen and do not require much time for their maintenance.
These knives also offer adjustable strength or material’s resistance to breaking under stress.

Qualities of High HRC Rating

Kitchen knives have a high hrc rating made with harder steel and it is easy to maintain its sharp edges.
If your blade steel is too hard then there are many chances to brittle and also to break while using it.
Those chef’s knives have the hardest rockwell sharpness rating more than 65 are more prone to damage.
High hrc rating knives require more effort to sharpen

Use of Rockwell Hardness Scale for Chef Knives

The main purpose of rockwell hardness is to determine how hard or tough the blade of your kitchen knife is. Before selecting a knife for your kitchen it is necessary to look after the HRC rating of the knife. In most cases, the cooks and homeowners buy knives with lowest hrc rating of 52 and highest rating of 60. The knife will be breakable if its rockwell hardness is going below to 52. If you think that little bit difference won’t matter then you’re wrong because this scaling is highly sensitive. Single point difference can make a big difference.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Use a Rockwell Hardness Tester ?

How you are using the rockwell hardness tester depends upon the type of machine. If you are using an automated rockwell hardness tester then no need for hard work just need to assemble the indenter and sprint it. But in case of a manual tester, you need to organize the tester securely, apply little force, fix the barrel dia and then again apply load. Once you are done then see the reading, you will get results.

Is Testing Destructive ?

No, the rockwell testing is not destructive at all. It will not damage the material that is used for testing but there will be a little bit of dent that will appear which depending on the color of the material tested, it may be unnoticeable. You can say it will not be one or two millimeters in measurements.

How to Test Rockwell Hardness at Home ?

You can’t perform rockwell hardness at home because it is measured by using a special machine that is specifically for this purpose. Unless you don’t have a way to concentrate the total 150 KGF force in a piece of steel and measure the depth you can’t do it.

What is the Best Rockwell Hardness for a Chef’s Knife ?

There is no best hrc rating for chef’s knife and it only depends upon the preferences. You will require to use the knife for some time in order to determine whether it is made with soft material or hard material. If you are seeing that knife retain its edges for a long time but its obstinate to sharpen leads to being made with hard material. Its opposite case leads to knives made with soft material.

Conclusion

After summarizing everything in this article tells us, there is no supernatural rockwell hardness number declared for chef knives in your kitchen. Choose the best chef knife with specific hard or soft steel just like other things you choose for your kitchen according to your personal preferences. If you don’t know which knife is suitable for you then simply select the chef knife having hrc between 54 to 56. This range will ensure that this steel is perfect without being too hard or soft.