File set to test hardness
- Thread starter TheEdge01
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I have that set and have used them on every knife I have made. Using heat treat recipes published by many, they confirm the hardness your expecting in a ballpark area. Not exact but if and how well they bite or don’t give some good feedback. Another tool in your toolbox and when used with other testing worth the money. Just my experience and I would probably get a Rockwell tester if I made and sold lots of knives. James
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My personal opinion as someone who considered one of those sets and eventually got a RC tester (for relatively low price if you watch for older used models) is that they don't supply much more info than some testing of the edges can supply. To dial in a heat treat recipe you need to know more than files can supply in my mind so might as well put it towards saving for a tester. That being said other people seem to find them useful.
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith
ilmarinen - MODERATOR
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For the price, it is an OK step toward getting a hardness tester eventually.
They will tell you if the edge is hard. That is about all. It is a subjective test, and two people may fund different results with files. They are better than just using a bench file to see if it skates, but they are not an accurate test of the blades hardness.
They will tell you if the edge is hard. That is about all. It is a subjective test, and two people may fund different results with files. They are better than just using a bench file to see if it skates, but they are not an accurate test of the blades hardness.
It does the job. Easy to use. Could not find a cheaper one new.
Only negative is mine reads 0.7 lower than the calibration block. It's an easy fix though. I have just been lazy, and just account for that difference in my testing.
I have one that’s 60 rc
I use it if I want to test a laminated blade with some core or new ht recipe or testing for laminated steels. To be honest I don’t find it very useful and it’s always questionable to me what the result it.
I think if you got some steel coupons made and tested to known hardness so you have some standard to work with in your shop , the file could be useful.
some shop files like a USA made Nicholson might be 66 rc. It’s most helpful to have something that is a known standard that you can compare what you just heat treated to
I use it if I want to test a laminated blade with some core or new ht recipe or testing for laminated steels. To be honest I don’t find it very useful and it’s always questionable to me what the result it.
I think if you got some steel coupons made and tested to known hardness so you have some standard to work with in your shop , the file could be useful.
some shop files like a USA made Nicholson might be 66 rc. It’s most helpful to have something that is a known standard that you can compare what you just heat treated to
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Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith
ilmarinen - MODERATOR
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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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Another issue is they get dulled by the tests. After a while, they don't bite the steel like before. If you keep using them, the results will indicate a harder blade than it really is.
Quote "It does the job. Easy to use. Could not find a cheaper one new.
Only negative is mine reads 0.7 lower than the calibration block. It's an easy fix though. I have just been lazy, and just account for that difference in my testing."
The manual although confusing does explain how to fix that. There was a thread on BF that had detailed instructions how to fine tune the Grizzly RC tester. Wish I had that when I fine tuned mine but it's dead nuts on now.
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/grizzly-rockwell-hardness-tester.1697329/
Only negative is mine reads 0.7 lower than the calibration block. It's an easy fix though. I have just been lazy, and just account for that difference in my testing."
The manual although confusing does explain how to fix that. There was a thread on BF that had detailed instructions how to fine tune the Grizzly RC tester. Wish I had that when I fine tuned mine but it's dead nuts on now.
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/grizzly-rockwell-hardness-tester.1697329/