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This looks a bit suspect to me. The seller characterizes the blades as being 'rainbow' temper toned. I ain't saying they've been overheated ....... but it sure looks like it. Thoughts ?
Antique F w Engels 7 Day Straight Razor Set in OB Rainbow Temper Toned Blades | eBay
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I have seen stuff that looks just like that and it cleans off pretty easy with polish and mothers, however we have all seen overheated steel that looks very similar. If they are like that from overheating it looks like that happened a very long time ago. They hardly look like they have had a fresh polish. Kind of a hard worn set to begin with but those colors don't exactly make it any more appealing either. If you look at it as buying a box and seven sets of scales, it might be worth a little bit. If you won and had three workable blades as a bonus that would be Ok. Sometimes you have to look at what is really there and bid accordingly.
I looked at those last night because the price was pretty good. First thing I thought was buffing wheel, but i see what you mean about it happening a while ago. Didn't notice about them being temper toned. That's a good one. Not sure how I missed that..
It could be staining, the blue is definitely there, but I was looking at the tang stamps and the blades, and they all seem uniformly worn with the same directional pattern, as if each has been put on a buffing wheel?
Nah. They are tarnished. Funny how the seller made that 'Rainbow Temper' thing up! Nice work!
One is odd, hone wear on all. Pile of celluloid. Nuthin there, IMO
The box of course! The rest could be junk but the box still has value, it is in way better shape than those blades.Quote:
Originally Posted by sharptonn
NO, Shaun. No box for you. Has no class. ....Sorry! :DQuote:
Originally Posted by RezDog
The six matching razors are "Engels Wedge" razors. I know a lot of the more modern "wedge" razors are really more what I would call quarter hollow (I've got a Checker Wedge like this) but these razors look to be more like full hollow. I think someone did take them to a grinding wheel and hollowed them out more than they were originally and in the process overheated the blades. But you would think they would stop after the first one or two, wouldn't you?
You might have something there. Oddly enough, the seller pictures 6 of the razors together aside from the oddball that is obviously an Engels Wedge. It is slightly longer than the others.Quote:
Originally Posted by goldragon
As you say, they are stamped 'Wedge' but are full hollow. It could very well be that poor regrinding, overheating the blades, led to the color of the 6 blades. I wouldn't gamble on it myself.
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Seems pretty obvious that the temper is gone by overheating because even the odd ball razor has the "Rainbow Temper".
My first impression would be just room temperature oxidation. I've handled a lot of razors with color patterns like that that honed and shaved fine after polishing the color out. Some steels seem more reactive in different environments to developing an oxide coating like that. It could be overbuffing, but I generally suspect the former first.
A Joe Rodgers I bought, shown below, had something like this, but not as extreme. I remember it happening to another razor that I forgot to clean/rinse after shaving. I left lather on it overnight and it got a similar discolored effect. So it could be that, but ...... all of them, and the fact that they are stamped Wedge, but are FH, creates suspicion. Do they look like regrinds to you ? The one oddball is longer, and is a square point, the others obviously round points .... :thinking:Quote:
Originally Posted by ScienceGuy
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Rainbow temper??? I like it!
Very creative B.S.!
Since it was a set with the same owner, his habits could have caused all of them to react similarly. Hard to say if they're reground based on the pics. I don't have much experience with modern razors, but can say that various brands had different definitions for 'wedge'.Quote:
Originally Posted by JimmyHAD
Jimmy, I have a Torrey like this, have honed and used it and it's not a regrind. I'm not sure it's an issue, maybe it's a decoration of sorts that some razor manufactures used as a rust inhibitor ? If I remember correctly I think mine polished right off. I'll post a pic of it later tonight if I can find it....
Quote:
Originally Posted by ScienceGuy
I concur :)
I see a storage issue, probably with some type of oil left on the blades..
When you look at other Engels razor that are hollowed they all have a double stabilizer, these dont. If oil caused this issue howcome we dont see it on the tang?Quote:
Originally Posted by JimmyHAD
I say tarnish. JMHO
Of about a couple hundred razors I have seen, about twenty had similar discoloration due to oxidization. There are some salts that mimic blueing and a very tiny amount of acid in the atmosphere can do a number on polished metal over time.
And one was from overbuffing and had a dead edge.
Your guesses are as good as mine!
~Richard
Looking at he blades, the ends where there is the most exposure to air are the darkest.
Agreed, Richard. As many as I have seen, most were in seemingly stable cell and some were on natural materials. Makes me wonder about light 'gassing' and effects upon neighbors?
If a blade(worn out or not!)is deprived of moisture, it seems this type of patina is sometimes incurred. Better than rust or pitting! Simply tarnish. For whatever reason. JMO
Yeah doesn't look like overheating at all, rather a thin film diffraction like from oil in a puddle or soap bubble. It may be protective oil that's solidified over time.
Also I don't see any of the usual signs of post-factory grinding. It's probably wedge on par with the other wedge razors from the period, e.g. red imp 132.
And here I thought the rainbow hue on my FWE shorty was temper damage!
HA! I have one of those RARE razors, boys! So eat your hearts out! :chapeau
Jimmy, those razors are perfectly fine,,, they were cleaned & polished using a cotton T-Shirt & a bag of Skittles,,, thus you get the "Skittles Effect". :shrug:
Follow the rainbow Jimmy,,,,,:D
It doesn't look like the seller takes returns (without a hassle anyways) judging from his description and feedback so you would be assuming the risk.
