You might have seen HRc rating when you are looking for a quality
knife, and wonder what it really means.
It refers to the Rockwell Scale of Hardness, part C. The Rockwell
scale is a measurement used for hardness of a steel piece, and part C is
specifically used for the steel in knives.
The higher the number, the harder the steel.
You may think the harder the better, but it is not necessarily the
case.
A
harder knife generally holds an edge better than a soft one, but it is easier
to crack or fail and takes longer to sharpen. Think of a hard knife as a sheet of
glass: it does not bend and keeps its shape very well, but it can shatter very
easily.
A softer knife is more durable and
easier to sharpen, but won’t maintain an edge as long as the hard one. Although an extreme example, a softer
knife is like a piece of aluminum foil: if it is dropped it will not shatter
since it has more give. However because it bends easier, it will not keep it's
sharp edge as long.
Another fact for you to consider when you are looking for a knife!
