1095 Hardness?

[Jesse Frady]

So I've used 1095 for quite a while and always considered it to be at least on the upper end of hardness when it comes to the more basic low-alloy steels. However, as I'm looking online I see a lot of sources claiming numbers like 55 HRC, is this accurate? I've never officially tested my blades with a hardness tester but based on the charts I've seen I was expecting closer to 60 HRC. Thoughts?

--------- EDIT -------

I should mention, when I say *my* blades I mean the blades I make. Typically I quench in Parks 50 and temper at 400 for two hours twice. What kind of ballpark hardness should I expect from this kind of process?

 

[TC]

"...The hardness after quenching is as high as 66 HRC..."

More 1095 info than you can shake a stick at: https://www.theworldmaterial.com/sae-aisi-1095-high-carbon-steel/

 

[Alone]

I have (*and use...HARD) a buttload of 1095 blades.

Of the ones that I use most often, most are showing between 55 and 58 Rc from their respective Manufacturers.


I don't know if this helps, but can tell you that 1095 and 5160 are two of my FAVORITE and TRUSTED steels. From my experiences, both will take a horrendous beating...right up there with 3V and INFI.



*If you love 1095, and have been beating on yours the way that I have on mine, you may be subconsciously equating "hardness" with "toughness"...which are two very different things. As an over-simplified example, glass is very "hard", but ain't very "tough".

 

[Wandering_About]

1095 can be heat treated to a range of hardness, and I would not be surprised at all if many knives are in the 55-58Rc range. Just depends on what the maker intends. A lot of knives in 1095 are fixed blades with some kind of "hard use" intent, and many makers will go for a somewhat lower hardness to try to improve overall knife toughness.

 

[EngrSorenson]

As I understand it, there's a trade between soft vs. hard and tough vs. brittle.
ESEE is known to run their 1095 softer on purpose in favor of a tougher knife.
Ontario runs their old hickory line really soft... but I can't figure out why.

There's probably a good rule of thumb for practical applications of 1095.

 

[chevyrulez1]

As I understand it, there's a trade between soft vs. hard and tough vs. brittle.
ESEE is known to run their 1095 softer on purpose in favor of a tougher knife.
Ontario runs their old hickory line really soft... but I can't figure out why.

There's probably a good rule of thumb for practical applications of 1095.

This is correct, and is true regardless of the steel. I think there is too much focus on hardness alone these days and some people don’t understand when you give in one direction you are taking from another. A good blade needs to be a balance between the two. I think most steels (1095 included) are going to be between 55-60. Some of the newer high performance steels you can push a little higher, but if you get much over that you end up getting brittleness, and the answer to that is to make the knife with a thicker stock. Then the geometry of the blade can start to hinder its slicing ability, etc.
So it depends on the use or purpose for the blade as to the overall design and hardness, and the knifemakers have to walk the fine line of making a blade that will perform well at it’s intended purpose without breaking or chipping.
I enjoy sharpening and don’t really have a need for extreme edge retention, so I personally like a little softer steel.

So the key would be blade stock. An ESEE or Becker knife made with thicker stock can be harder because it is not as likely to break, where an Old Hickory will be softer to keep it from snapping or chipping. Personally, I would rather use an Old Hickory to skin and butcher a deer or slice tomatoes, so it’s all about what you want.

 

[Ourorboros]

1095 is essentially White 2 that doesn't need to be as pure. It can get quite hard. No steel has a set final HRC. It's all in the process.
As I understand it, the final result depends on what temperature you take the steel to before quenching. Which you do not mention. Then subtract the tempering.

It's all at the discretion of the smith. The Japanese take their axes to over 60HRC. Most Westerners would not do that with a hard use blade.
That's part of the art, designing a blade for it's usage. It's not only profile and grind, but picking the right steel and heat treatment.
But it's all a balance. Harder blades have better edge retention but chip more - even a kitchen knife will microchip like crazy if it takes abuse. And wear resistance is great, until it comes time to sharpen.