There are many debates among knife lovers about their favorite steel and how it effects the sharp edge. We often get asked, "what kind of steel are in Canal Street Knives?" Or "do they use carbon steel or stainless steel in these knives?" Canal Street uses many types of steel in their knives and their choice of steel is predicted on a number of factors including: ability to hold a fine sharp edge, the knife design, the blade application, and the availability of materials. Right now a list of blade steels that have been used at Canal Street would look something like this: D2, 1095, 440C, A2, 420C, 14-4 CrMo(154 CM), A2, and 19 C 27.

Notwithstanding the type of steel being used in the blade, even more import is how a steel blade is heat treated, annealed, and its final Rockwell Hardness. This is what determine the ability to hold a fine edge. You can use the "finest" steel materials in the world, but if it is not heat-treated and annealed properly, you still have crap. So great attention is paid at Canal Street to the heat-treating and annealing process, and checking to make sure their steel blades obtain the proper Rockwell Hardness for edge making. Blades are tested with a Rockwell Hardness Tester by their cutlers after heat-treating to insure that they have the proper Rockwell Hardness. This is considered by them to be a most critical stage in the making of a steel blade.

We thought you might like to see the Tester and how this is done.

Pictures of the Hardness Tester on Knife Work Shop Floor

Close up of the Spot Anvil (below) and Ball (above) where blade is placed for testing

The unfinished blade is placed between the Spot Anvil and the Ball, which are pressed together to hold, and then allow the ball to penetrate, the blade, with a minor load followed by a major load. The resulting penetration is measured to determine the Rockwell hardness. In this case the blade is a D2 blade and the gauge below is reading the penetration showing a proper Rockwell of between 59 and 60.

Result on gauge (needle between 59-60) after testing D2 Blade

-----------------------------------------> on right - Penetrating ball mark in the tang --\/

The Tester itself must be tested before measuring the blade hardness and the blocks below show the penetrations from the numerous tests that were made.

Test Kit for testing Rockwell Tester Accuracy and close up of testing block

For more information about Rockwell Testers and Rockwell Hardness see the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockwell_scale