Cold Steel Rockwell hardness

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Rowan McDirk

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Aug 16, 2013
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I found some info on the hardness from different steels on the Midway USA site and searched some more with Google, I suppose there could be questions about the RockWell Rc hardness of CS blades.

Here is what I found so far:

Carbon V: HRC 59
AUS8A: HRC 57-59
VG1 San Mai III: outer layer HRC 57 center layer HRC 59
D2: HRC 59-60
Cts-xhp (Ultimate Hunter): HRC 63,5 & 60,5
Cts-xhp (Espada): HRC 61-63
Cts-xhp ( Swift II): HRC 62,5
Cts-Xhp ( Code 4): HRC 62
Cts-xhp (American Lawman): 60,3
Krupp 4116 (Kudu): HRC 56-57
SK5 (Laredo Bowie): HRC 57-58
SK5 (Bushman): HRC 54
SK5 (Recon Scout): HRC 58-60
52100 (Cold Steel drop forged hunter): HRC 58-59
5150 (Trench Hawk): HRC 50-55
AUS8A (Voyager): HRC 58-60
AUS8A (Tuff Lite): HRC 59
Krupp 4116 (Pendleton Lite Hunter): HRC 58
Krupp 4116 (Leatherneck): HRC 57-58
1055 (Trail Hawk): HRC 56
AUS8A (Nightforce): HRC 58-59
Krupp 4116 (Finn Bear): HRC 56-57
AUS8A (Secret Edge): HRC 56
1055 (Bowie Machete): HRC 56
O-1 (Trail Master): HRC 56-57
AUS8A (Marauder): HRC 58
CPM S35VN (Lucky One): HRC 60-61
CPM S35VN (Code 4): HRC 60
CPM S35VN (AD10): HRC 59
Krupp 4116 (Bowie Spike): HRC 57
CPM 3V (Master Hunter) 60-61

Some are found with google, I'm not sure if all are correct.
If anyone has any other data, please add.
 
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Cts-xhp . . . my Holdouts( I and III) and Ti Lites (both IV and VI) are just about perfect. I wouldn't change them. No chipping, they hold an edge well, even carves curls off mild steel without damage to the knife. I LIKE !

CTS-BD1 isn't on the list. My Voyager in BD-1 is also just right. I had heard disparaging things about BD-1 but in EDC use I have to say it held up . . . nothing to dislike.
 
Rockwell hardness does not equate to a better knife all the time. You could have the same steel for two knives and both be Rockwell 60hrc but one could be far more refined. Just look for example at Busse knives. Much better grain structure without increasing hrc.

Not only this but mass production knives are not all guaranteed to be that hrc. They treat these knives in large batches and not everyone gets the same heat treatment through the process. So while they may say 61 hrc it could range from 58-62hrc or you could have even got a dud at 55 hrc.

On top of that different knives made in different factories will differ since no two hardness testers are calibrated the same.

I'm not sure what I'm trying to say, more or less hrc is just a small fraction about the steel in knives.
 
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Mo2 said:
I'm not sure what I'm trying to say, more or less hrc is just a small fraction about the steel in knives.
Click to expand...

I understood it quite well. :)

Also...a wise man once said, "No bad steels...just different steels."
 
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Rowan McDirk said:
I found some info on the hardness from different steels on the Midway USA site and searched some more with Google, I suppose there could be questions about the RockWell Rc hardness of CS blades.

Here is what I found so far:

Carbon V: HRC 59
AUS8A: HRC 57-59
VG1 San Mai III: outer layer HRC 57 center layer HRC 59
D2: HRC 59-60
Cts-xhp (Ultimate Hunter): HRC 63,5
Cts-xhp (Espada): HRC 61-63
Krupp 4116 (Kudu): HRC 56-57
SK5 (Laredo Bowie): HRC 57-58
SK5 (Bushman): HRC 54
SK5 (Recon Scout): HRC 58-60
52100 (Cold Steel drop forged hunter): HRC 58-59
5150 (Trench Hawk): HRC 50-55
AUS8A (Voyager): HRC 58-60
Krupp 4116 (Pendleton Lite Hunter): HRC 58
Krupp 4116 (Leatherneck): HRC 57-58
1055 (Trail Hawk): HRC 56
AUS8A (Nightforce): HRC 58-59
Krupp 4116 (Finn Bear): HRC 56-57
AUS8A (Secret Edge): HRC 56
1055 (Bowie Machete): HRC 56
O-1 (Trail Master): HRC 56-57
AUS8A (Marauder): HRC 58
CPM S35VN (Lucky One): HRC 60-61
Krupp 4116 (Bowie Spike): HRC 57
CPM 3V (Master Hunter) 60-61

Some are found with google, I'm not sure if all are correct.
If anyone has any other data, please add.
Click to expand...
The Cold Steel Recon Tanto in SK5 has an HRC of up to 65 from a website selling CS Knives. I'm guessing it's about 62-65 HRC. SK5 model.
 
Things like this are why Cold Steel and Spyderco are the only brands I implicitly trust to get the heat treatment right. I have a Recon 1 in S35VN and it has been stupidly sharp from day one, despite the minimal stropping I do to compensate for the stuff I put it through.
 
I find it extremely difficult to believe the SK5 recon tanto is even 58rc . Mine dulls rather easily and rolls on everything but green wood.
 
thebrain said:
I find it extremely difficult to believe the SK5 recon tanto is even 58rc . Mine dulls rather easily and rolls on everything but green wood.
Click to expand...

Maybe yours didn't get heat treated because mine is stupid sharp and I use it for just about everything and never gets dull and the tip is still very pointy. I even used it to pry open a metal filing cabinet open. it's indestructible I find.
 
I am going to reprofile and see if they burned it a bit during factory sharpening. I hope that is what is going on. I have lightly sharpened it three times but didn't really go after new steel yet.
 
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thebrain said:
I am going to reprofile and see if they burned it a bit during factory sharpening. I hope that is what is going on. I have lightly sharpened it three times but didn't really go after new steel yet.
Click to expand...

Before you get into a full blown reprofile, try "erasing" the edge by drawing it perpendicularly across a 400 grit <or thereabouts> stone a few pulls.

Remove all that ruined matrix directly...sometimes if you just keep sharpening the "V" you just keep pushing the overheated stuff to the apex.

You probably already tried this, if so, sorry for wasting your time. :)
 
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Research about the Rockwell hardness on production blades.
Cold Steel heat treatment looks really good!

docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OepNr_D4lqbdTFqdqWl1rmAd4bOzPzJe6J0iEWrdJGU/htmlview

Completed the list according to these results.
 
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I remember when they were using XHP the early models were testing out at like 63, they later went closer to 61 which is really more suited for most uses of XHP.

I would guess the S35VN is probably around 60.
 
John_0917 said:
I remember when they were using XHP the early models were testing out at like 63, they later went closer to 61 which is really more suited for most uses of XHP.

I would guess the S35VN is probably around 60.
Click to expand...
Interesting, I’ve not seen where early XHP models were testing that high. I just received my 5th recon 1 (my name’s jux and I have a problem), and it’s an early hollow ground xhp model. We’ll see if it’s noticeably different in use and sharpening.
 
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