From SAK Wiki :
Victorinox reports: "After hardening at 1,040 degrees and tempering at 160 degrees, the blades have a hardness of RC 56 (RC = Rockwell C, unit of hardness)."
To resharpen the blades, Victorinox recommends using a honing stone, as the alloy from which the blades are manufactured is too hard for a honing steel.
The martensitic stainless steel alloy used for the cutting blades is optimized for high toughness and corrosion resistance and has a composition of 15% chromium, 0.60% silicon, 0.52% carbon, 0.50% molybdenum, and 0.45% manganese and is designated X55CrMo14 or DIN 1.4110 according to Victorinox. This steel hardness is suitable for practical use and easy resharpening, but less than achieved in stainless steel alloys used for blades optimized for high wear resistance.
Victorinox reports: "After hardening at 1,040 degrees and tempering at 160 degrees, the blades have a hardness of RC 56 (RC = Rockwell C, unit of hardness)."
To resharpen the blades, Victorinox recommends using a honing stone, as the alloy from which the blades are manufactured is too hard for a honing steel.
The martensitic stainless steel alloy used for the cutting blades is optimized for high toughness and corrosion resistance and has a composition of 15% chromium, 0.60% silicon, 0.52% carbon, 0.50% molybdenum, and 0.45% manganese and is designated X55CrMo14 or DIN 1.4110 according to Victorinox. This steel hardness is suitable for practical use and easy resharpening, but less than achieved in stainless steel alloys used for blades optimized for high wear resistance.