Originally Posted by
Bruno
61 is generally considered the sweet spot. Much harder, and it will be difficult to hone.
Honing always needs to be considered, and if you go above 62, it becomes much more difficult to put a decent edge on it.
One thing that trips up many knifemakers, including many that do find their way over here, is they usually think that a razor is just a different shape of knife. Noy many knifemakers stay around because getting objective criticism is not compatible with their worldview. The most common mistake for example is making razors that are way too thin.
Anyway, in terms of hardness: 60 +- 1 is the norm. 58 and 59 are doable and many old sheffields are in that range. 62 is doable as well. Less or more becomes problematic one way or the other.