How to Test your Heat Treat

Cutting into bone is very hard on a knife. If it stays sharp after cutting bone or deer antler your heat treat is dialed in pretty well in my opinion. I used to run the same tests, and enjoyed having a knife that would hold it's edge throughout things like that. But I have since changed my way of thinking. Now I draw my hardness down on carbon steels. The knives still stay usable sharp when hitting bone or antler. With the blade being a tad softer they are some what tougher, easier to sharpen, and can be ground thinner for better cutting with out the risk of being chippy. Knives are for cutting not chopping!:)
 
we have a choices. a knife that is high hardness, ultra thin grind, ultra thin edge which needs warnings like shun and others have on website, soft fruit and veg, boneless protein. if knife is to be to butcher bone-in meat, not a thin a grind, thicker edge, thicker spine, steel not as hard.
just go thru this list http://www.zknives.com/knives/kitchen/misc/usetype/all/index.shtml the Japanese seem to have a blade for every possible chore and very few all purpose knives.
if you want a use anywhere knife, you will have compromises.
the user of a knife has their responsibility to use the knife properly. they need to practice with a new knife and learn what it can do. a high performance blade does not need as much force to perform. when cutting bone-in meat, I am using low force and if i hit bone, no damage.
how much softer are you making the blade?
 
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