HRC is a hardness scale. Higher numbers hold a finer edge; they also chip if you twist, cut frozen food, or meet a bone.
German chef’s knives often sit around 56–58 HRC — forgiving, easy to hone, built for a heavy board. Japanese kitchen knives often run 58–61, with ceremony pieces like Miyabi going harder still.
Harder is not better. It is a trade. If you cook with rhythm and a wooden board, a harder Japanese edge feels like a gift. If you joint chickens and forget the steel, German hardness will forgive you.