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Message: <blockquote data-quote="dennishoddy" data-source="post: 4324908" data-attributes="member: 5412">I called it redneck but learned how to read the sparks when working in a couple machine shops for around 20 years. I did the test tonight. 60 Rockwell pocketknife scratched the mower blade, but a drill took a little effort to penetrate it. Sparks were semi-light in color, not red. I'm thinking hardness was around the mid 40's. I do know the standard for a railroad spike is 46 Rockwell. Tested a few on some real testers. (I used to use the spikes to build food plot drags and was curious) Still have a bucket full and they redneck tested about the same. Probably what is expected? Mower blades can't be a 60 or they would break on impact with rocks but need to be hard enough to endure some damage. Too soft for a knife blade, so these and a few others go into the steel scrap.</blockquote>