Thank you for your well thought comments and questions. I don't know what the hardness is. I would like to know if there is any blade that is ~1/16 of an inch thick that can do what a sawzall blade can do. I think the answer to your question is in performance and not numbers. IMHO knives have become very complicated - "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction." ~ Albert Einstein