Email from Leatherman. RE: Blade Hardness.

[afishhunter]

Hello,

Thank you for your question about the hardness of our blades.

Here’s the Rockwell Hardness (RHC) range for the blade steels we use:

• S30V Stainless Steel: Typically hardened to 58–60 HRC. This provides excellent edge retention and corrosion resistance.
• 420HC Stainless Steel: Typically hardened to 55–59 HRC, offering a good balance of hardness, toughness, and ease of sharpening.

These ranges ensure our blades perform reliably for everyday tasks while maintaining durability.

Let me know if you have any other questions!




Kind Regards,



Anhel

Consumer Support Specialist II

Leatherman Tool Group, Inc.



*&*&*&*

I know I was not the only one wanting to know if LM ran their S30V "soft".
Sorry, I forgot to ask about their CPM154.
It is probably on the "soft" side as well, based on the RHC of their 420HC and S30V.

My guess[\i] is "soft" for ease of sharpening and possibly added "toughness" to resist chipping or/and worse.

 

[Lesknife]

Their 420hc is run at 55-59 hrc ? That seems to be a bigger spread than what I usually see. My Wave must be at the high end of 59 because it has chipped a few times small chips but it’s my backup blade for nasty stuff anyway so it’s not a bad problem. I would rather have it a bit softer around 56 but it is what it is.

 

[afishhunter]

That seems to be a bigger spread than what I usually see.

Agreed.
I think something like "58-60"/"57-59", etc., with an average of the middle value is more common.