LORE LAB Steel Test Database
15°

Smallest micro-bevel angle that held 600 push cuts on A-grade FAS spruce.

Based on 1 passing test with a recorded micro-bevel angle, out of 3 total for this steel.
Limited data: this rests on a single test. Treat as provisional.

The test that got there

Company / model
IYK / FORMOSA
Secondary bevel
9° per side
Micro-bevel
15° (the headline angle)
Factory HRC
Hardness not recorded
Tester
S
Wood
Spruce
Date
2024/12/10

The spread

3 tests, every one shown
Pass (600 cuts) Fail (at its cut count) Heat damage (shown as context)

Micro-bevel angle (degrees per side)

Swipe the chart sideways to see the full angle range.

Heat-damage context

1 test for this steel carried heat damage in the edge. Heat damage is an edge-prep artifact, not a limit of the steel: grinding can leave a heat-damaged layer near the apex, and clearing it can take repeated sharpenings. The one such case in our whole record took four before the edge came back, shown here for context, not as a fixed rule. A heat-damage failure never lowers the feasible angle above. These rows stay in the chart and table (marked with a dashed ring), demoted but never deleted.

This steel's headline rests on one passing test. Read the angle as provisional until more tests are recorded.

By brand

Every brand we have tested this steel under, and its own best result -- heat-treat can shift the feasible angle from one maker to the next.

IYK
15° n = 3

All tests

Sorted by result, then angle. Every recorded test for this steel, including heat-damage rows.

Tags
Heat 15° 9° 600 IYK / FORMOSA n/r S Spruce heat-damage
Fail 15° 9° 267 IYK / FORMOSA n/r S Spruce
Fail 15° 9° 163 IYK / FORMOSA n/r I Spruce chipping
15° Heat damage 600 cuts
Company
IYK / FORMOSA
Secondary
9°
HRC
n/r
Tester
S
Tags
heat-damage
15° Fail 267 cuts
Company
IYK / FORMOSA
Secondary
9°
HRC
n/r
Tester
S
15° Fail 163 cuts
Company
IYK / FORMOSA
Secondary
9°
HRC
n/r
Tester
I
Tags
chipping