Number as Pertaining to Hardness
In copper base alloys inductry; temper is referred to as so many numbers hard, i.e. Yellow Brass Half Hard is termed 2 numbers hard. This term is derived from terminology used on the mill gloor where by temper or hardness is imparted by cold working and classified as to hardness by the number of Brown & Sharpe gages away from the soft or as-annealed state.
