Thread: I need advice on a crumbling edge.

I've been around that razor long enough now, that I don't need to try. The affected part of the edge crumbles even from doing a HHT.
But I 'm not sure about the premise that only steel with messed up temper would display that behavior. I think it also depend on how the temper was ruined. If overheated steel is quenched immediately, it could be brittle. If not quenched, it could be annealed (too a degree) and overly soft. I'm certainly no specialist in this field.
If I've understood the various posts in this thread well, then also corrosion can take different incarnations.

Bart.

Hello Bart,

ChrisL just brought this thread to my attention. It has been a very interesting read, especially about the hidden corrosion.

In the case of a wedge about the only thing to do is exactly what you have already done. Breadknife, set bevel up to 8000, if chipping occurs the go back, breadknife, set the bevel up to 8000, if chipping occurs, breadknife etc.
I do agree with the use of 3 layers of tape on the old wedges. The spine thickness usually has been severely compromised.

There is no easy way out of this, it is just plain grunt work.
It sounds like you are almost done. Keep trucking!

Two things:

Firstly I should like to speak up for and reiterate what I think has been said already. The restoration was done by a very well respected member of the SRP community. He has told me he did nothing to affect the temper of the blade and thats good enough for me. I hold his handywork in high regard and feel the problem here is 100% to do with the steel itself. It has nothing to do with and SRP member here.

Secondly- Hooray for Bart! I recieved my first two razors in the post today- the Dovo Black Star and the mystery titanium one. Bart, I too am suprised at the titanium one! I did a TPT on it and it sliced clean through my thumb pad! And the Dovo is also the first razor I have actually witnessed passing a proper genuine HHT in front of my eyes. I'm about to go shave with one for the first time but all the signs are good. I will report back afterwards though.

One question remains: What was that stuff you packaged it up in? It looked like something like a curtain rail!

Originally Posted by sidneykidney

Firstly I should like to speak up for and reiterate what I think has been said already. The restoration was done by a very well respected member of the SRP community. He has told me he did nothing to affect the temper of the blade and thats good enough for me. I hold his handywork in high regard and feel the problem here is 100% to do with the steel itself. It has nothing to do with and SRP member here.

No one could imply that anyway. It's unlikely the SRP member bought the razor new when it was made right?

Yes, my apologies. I misread one of Chris's posts. But my statement still stands.

Originally Posted by sidneykidney

Two things:

Firstly I should like to speak up for and reiterate what I think has been said already. The restoration was done by a very well respected member of the SRP community. He has told me he did nothing to affect the temper of the blade and thats good enough for me. I hold his handywork in high regard and feel the problem here is 100% to do with the steel itself. It has nothing to do with and SRP member here.

Thanks for pointing that out, Sandy. I think no one ever implied differently, but it sure sucks majorly when something like this shows up at the blade one has worked on, even if the problem was not caused by that person.
That blade is very old. It has a long history. What went wrong at which point is impossible for us to find out today.
It's good to emphasize that.

PS. I send razors that came without their own box, in plastic cable chute. It's inexpensive and works well to protect the razor.

Have a nice shave (I sure hope you do),
Bart.

Originally Posted by Bart

...
If I've understood the various posts in this thread well, then also corrosion can take different incarnations.
...

There are many different types of corrosion. On my desk right now (as a paperweight) is a block of 347 stainless steel. One of it's design parameters is the use of columbium to maximize its main feature: resistance to intergranular corrosion. Just one of many possibilities that your razor might have.

Interesting razor.

Gentlemen,

I struck solid steel.
Once there, I had to flat out the bevel first, using 1 layer of tape, in order to be able to cut a "workable" narrower bevel with no more than 3 layers. Anything more produces a too steep bevel angle, that doesn't provide a pull-free shave.
Once I completed the wide 1-layer bevel, I polished it on the buffing wheel, to make it more cosmetically acceptable. Next I honed a narrower 3-layer bevel, refined and finished it.
I had a test shave this morning. Still need to aim for a bit more keenness, as I didn't want to invest too much effort into an edge that could possibly crumble away once more (lost count), but the razor is certainly shaveready as is, and what's more, inspection with the stereoscope after the shave, revealed no degradation of the edge.

Thanks to all responding to this thread. It's been of much help and kept me motivated to sit this one through.

Bart.

And another one falls.....


Glad to hear it Bart!

Great news. Congrats Bart.

Good they made those razors so thick. Gives us a chance to save them 150 years later

Hope there was not too much 'plastic deformation' from that buff ( just kidding )