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What a bunch of baloney.
Boker doesn't need this kind of bad publicity. Whoever knows the Boker brand, knows that he's buying a reputable razor that doesn't need real silver just to improve the edge.
Ad here: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Boker-King-Cutter-Spanish-Point-Straight-Razor-140502_W0QQitemZ260357124241QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_ DefaultDomain_0?hash=item260357124241&_trksid=p328 6.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A1|39%3A1|240%3A1318
I hope the seller isn't one of our members... Ooooops ;)
I dunno. Nearly $300? I think he's looking for a fish, not one of us.
X
Price is a bit high for that razor.
I believe the "silver steel" bit was part of the original 1906 sales pitch. I'll see if I can find it.
That pic of the razor looks bogus to me . I don't see "Boker" stamped on the tang of the razor . Smells a little fishy to me .:hmmm:
These are the "new" Boker's made by I believe, Wacker. Some of you know I'm sure and will correct me if I got that wrong. I know there are some of you who can look at the blade and know who did it.
From the Promo
"King Cutter"
The modern edition of a classic piece from 1906. To improve cutting capability, real silver was added to the blade steel. Even today, the structure of the blade surface is refined by the addition of silver, which improves the shaving result significantly. The carbon steel blade has has a popular " Spanish Point," and the blade spine boasts eye-catching engraving in a floral pattern. The handle scales are made of authentic buffalo horn. Each piece is serialized and comes in a historical box with certificate of authenticity. The so called tapered hollow point of this blade can only be ground by highly experienced experts. Blade size: 5/8".
Knifecenter.com has 'em for $255.
I'm sorry but what is your point??Quote:
Originally Posted by Leon
The addition of real silver to improve the edge keenness. I remembered some threads where several people questioned the real improvement silver could make to an edge and the majority concluded that this element couldn't enhance the edge.Quote:
Originally Posted by Englishgent
Yep, that has been discussed. Silver is soft, heavy and malleable. You don't want to add softness or malleability to razor steel and the amount used wouldn't affect the weight so the only reason to put it in would be for advertising rights. That's the way I see it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Leon
When you add metal to an alloy it doesn't necessarily impart the properties of the pure metal. For example copper is a soft metal but adding up to about 10% copper to aluminium produces alloys considerably stronger and harder than pure aluminium.Quote:
Originally Posted by thebigspendur
Not that I'm saying silver wont make steel more soft and malleable (I really don't know) I'm just saying that you can't assume it will because silver has those properties itself.
This is a very complex subject. Every metal has certain characteristics and the finished product needs to match the job. You can have a strong metal that takes certain stresses very well but will easily fail other types of stresses. Either way the metal can be strong but in different ways. I would think adding copper to aluminum would give it the ability to accept stresses where flexibility is needed. Aluminum though strong is brittle and doesn't take stress well and is so alloyed for the job. I realize some alloys give some substances totally different characteristics but is that the rule or more the exception. I don't know.
Maybe our resident expert here Mike Blue will chime in with an opinion.
this is what I am hoping!Quote:
Originally Posted by thebigspendur
I'm trying to figure out what happened to my circadian rhythm last night. I'm hardly an expert, perhaps more an aggressive learner though...Quote:
Originally Posted by thebigspendur
The short version: There really was an alloy called silver steel. An 1852 Handbook of Chemistry by Henry Watts describes an alloy called "carbide of silver and iron" where 500 parts of steel were fused with 1 part of silver. He cites Michael Faraday's work in 1820 with regard to his researches into making a steel that would not rust. It's interesting reading in that these fellows were pretty much the first to experiment with what I call the minor alloying elements. They really paved the way for modern metallurgy despite being handicapped by the lack of our modern methods.
I'll have to ask some of my smithing friends that I know obtain spectrographic analysis of their steels from the mills. I suppose that silver could be present in a 100K lb melt. I've seen papers with californium and other exotics present in very small amounts. It's likely to be more of an interesting contaminant likely left over from the last run of scrap steels that went into 50 tonnes of rebar.
Truly, the minor alloying elements are important for performance. But, a modern manufacturer would have no need to return to an ancient alloy when really superior steels are pretty much "off the shelf" today. Leave it to the market hype and the halls of history.
Still, I have a crucible furnace and irons and steels and silver....could be interesting...