Highest HRC for Spyderco

[Ryno]

Other than ZDP 189 at HRC 65, which spyderco steels are treated the hardest? I looked over Ankersons test, but it's not an exhaustive list of HRCs.

[Ankerson]

MAXAMET Mule Team - 67-68 HRC

[Stuman]

Deffo CTS micro-melt Maxamet, I had my Manix 2 in Maxamet tested for its Rockwell on its edge and spine and I actually wrote on here about in a discussion some where, if memory serves I think the edge was really high around 68 HRC to 69 HRC and the spine was lower and came in at around 66 to 67 and we were surprised as it looked as if the blade had a differential heat treat but I think it was prob the differences in the thickness of the blade - spine being thicker means it will be a little lower but there is one HSS that is similar to Maxamet but it actually goes higher than a Rockwell machine can go and that it cpm Rex 121 and that is clocking in at over 72+ HRC but I dunno if Spyderco is making a knife in this steel. Just to give you a idea Tungsten starts at 70 HRC and that is tough stuff. After that you have ZDP 189 , HAP 70, CPM M4, K390, personally I like M4 and K390 and MAXAMET they are my choices. At the moment the only super Transitional super steel Spyderco are using is Maxamet but I have high hopes for Rex 121 and HAP70 and some more K390 and M4 knives. Also K390s party trick is it’s ability to be hardened even further with out suffering a marginal loss of hardness over toughness because when you harden steel to a high hardness you lose toughness so it’s a matter of hitting the sweet spot in the middle, usually depending on what you are wanting the steel for or wanting it do fir you.

[defenestrate]

if I recall correctly, hardness tests for the original SE H1 Jumpmaster put it in the 67 or 68 range due to work-hardening the H1. i have a Spyderhawk SE in it and those serrations are awesome, though the tip is still somewhat soft.

That was, by my understanding, the hardest steel Spyderco had created and tested pre-Maxamet. The regular PE blades were not nearly as hard, I'm guessing maybe <60, which is one of the main reasons why LX200N has been well-received. Haven't tried it yet, but I understand it is similar to a rustproof VG10 or something similar. I think H1 is closer to AUS-8 on a plain edge.

[JuPaul]

BBB tested a rex45 para3 lw at 67.1!

viewtopic.php?t=83847&start=120

[bdblue]

I thought 10V was up there too, well ahead of the similar K390.

[vivi]

Anyone know what Spyderco runs their M4 at?

[Accutron]

Rex 45 typically tests 66-67 with an occasional outlier.

Golden M4 is about 63-65, but the Taichung stuff tested so far has been softer, in the 60-61 range.

The 10V PM2s I've seen tested have mostly been in the 62-63.5 range, but BBB's came back 64.6.

The K390 Police is around 64-65.5, but I think the K390 PM2 is more like 63-64.

[jpm2]

Anyone know what Spyderco runs their M4 at?

According this this, they are averaging ~63.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/ ... I/htmlview#

[Accutron]

Here's the larger spreadsheet...

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... edit#gid=0

It looks like I remembered wrong on the softer Taichung M4. There's a GB2 that came back 63.1, and multiple M4 Mules (Golden manufactured) that all tested right around 61.