Patent ID: 8849588

Claim:
A hardness test method comprising: a first measurement process comprising forming an indentation by pressing an indenter loaded with a predetermined load with respect to a test specimen for verification in a predetermined environment, and measuring, for a plurality of times under a same condition, an indentation history curve detecting an amount of displacement of the indenter and a test force loaded on the indenter during the formation of the indentation; a setting process comprising: setting a predetermined range of variation in load loading history curves based on load loading history curves, formed during load loading, of the plurality of the indentation history curves obtained by the first measurement process; and fitting the load loading history curves of the plurality of the indentation history curves using a function having a shape that fits a load loading history curve of the plurality of the indentation history curves; a second measurement process comprising measuring an indentation history curve under a same condition as the first measurement process with respect to the test specimen for verification in an actual usage environment; and a judging process comprising judging whether a load loading history curve of the indentation history curve measured by the second measurement process is within the predetermined range of variation in a load loading history curve set by the setting process.