mcarey,
Thanks for everything including organizing the photos by Chuck Pittman.
(D*mn Chuck, now we have to try and make the stinkin' knives look as good as you do.
)
Thanks for the kind words from all you here too.
If you could measure the hardness of the zirconium nitride coating alone it would be a Rockwell "C" scale hardness of 92.
On the same Rockwell "C" scale the blade steel is 59-60.
footnote:
The Rockwell scales are used to test a given materials ability to resist surface indentation. Hardness does not automatically mean more edge holding because of the types of carbides contained within the matrix of a given alloy of tool steel, as well as the composition of the matrix that supports the carbides.
There are tool steels that have better edge holding at a lower Rockwell hardness than others that are harder.