Tested sticker

[MissouriGuerrilla]

I was wondering what the "Tested 56 to 58 Rockwell" sticker meant on a knife blade.

[tnorton]

It's a hardness test - I have noticed it is usually associated with 440 Stainless Steel - Another selling point for cheaper made knives in my humble opinion - T

[hardman]

I used to see that sticker a lot on Frost's Steel Warrior brand.

[Quick Steel]

The degree of hardness has a direct bearing on how the knife will perform. I think it is fair to say that most American knives, pocket knives, will test between 56 to 59. This should provide an edge that will last a reasonable time and will not be at all difficult to resharpen. However, the Japanese will often secure a hardness of 60 to 64. The purpose of this is to provide an extra long lasting edge and superior sharpness. The argument against this is that such an edge will be much more easily chipped or damaged. Also, it will take more care and time to resharpen it. The Japanese would argue that a blade will not chip if it is handled properly. An example of this would be to not take a chef's knife and hammer it through a chicken leg. In other words, use a knife for its intended purpose.

The hardness stamp indicates the number from the Rockwell C Scale. The higher the number the greater the steel's hardness.

[MissouriGuerrilla]

Thanks for the responses!