Thanks for sharing the details of your testing—we really appreciate the thoughtful feedback. Our quality control process includes batch hardness testing: for every 100 knives produced, a swatch of the same steel and thickness follows the batch and is measured to confirm it meets our Rockwell hardness specification. We know how critical hardness is in a blade; too hard and it can become brittle, too soft and it requires more frequent sharpening. At-home hardness tests are useful for general comparison, but they can vary quite a bit depending on surface finish, test method, and whether they’re reading surface vs. core hardness. Because of that, they often read lower than calibrated Rockwell testing. We’re checking in with our manufacturing partner to verify hardness on our end as well. Carry options are also important to us, so we offer a pocket carry clip for the scout sheath. Thanks again for taking the time to share this and for the 5-star review of Scout Feather. Happy adventuring!