Thread: Razor Blanks made of welded steel wire?

Forgive me if this question has been asked before. I was reading Mole's barbering manual and was intrigued by this passage on razor blanks. Are they still made this way ?

Good question!
Back in the day the source of the best steels may have been music wire. That is a high carbon steel we would now call Tool Steel'
The only manufacturer that I know of, for certain, used watch springs from his horological business to make a patterned metal that was stable and cold be hardened and both held an edge and was long lasting. Le Coultre was the man.
I would suppose that others did similar things with the best steels they could obtain.

By the look of the drawing above, the process would be now called "Cable Damascus." Old cables were made of a good quality wrought iron and then of good steel. The forging process added carbon from the forge and so made the oft reheated and forged mass into a good razor steel...that is, if the process was done correctly.
Any and all methods of improving steel were tried until the "Bessemer Converter" process and even after that to get the alloying elements to the proper amounts.
Good article in the Classified's Library!
~Richard

I've watched a lot of videos on youtube about making cable damascus. It's a very cool process that results in amazing looking blades. There's been other threads discussing this topic and I think the main concern for razors is the quality of the Cable being used. I would love to see a razor maker do a cable damascus blade, it would be very drool worthy I'm sure.

As best as I can remember/tell, plow steel grade cable is like 1055, improved plow steel cable is like 1065. Extra improved is like 1075 and extra extra improved would be like 1084. For a razor shaped object, the extra would be the minimum I would use. You also need to make sure that the core is steel wire and not some fiber material. If it is fiber, that has to be removed. Also understand that while cable is convenient, it is, in many people opinions, not the "easiest" way to make patten welded steel. You really have to twist it up tight welding heat before you make it into a billet.

Originally Posted by JDM61

As best as I can remember/tell, plow steel grade cable is like 1055, improved plow steel cable is like 1065. Extra improved is like 1075 and extra extra improved would be like 1084. For a razor shaped object, the extra would be the minimum I would use. You also need to make sure that the core is steel wire and not some fiber material. If it is fiber, that has to be removed. Also understand that while cable is convenient, it is, in many people opinions, not the "easiest" way to make patten welded steel. You really have to twist it up tight welding heat before you make it into a billet.

EIPS is 1084
EEIPS is 1095

My day job is lifting and pressure equipment re-certs, I have checked with my manufacturers on this.

My question is does anyone know any vintage straight razors made using this process. I would like to try an acid etch one

I have a vintage marked as Damascus but with no visible pattern
I have been tempted in the past to etch it to see if there is a weld pattern but haven't yet due to not wanting trash a good blade
this may have been made in this fashion by chance?

Originally Posted by Substance

I have a vintage marked as Damascus but with no visible pattern
I have been tempted in the past to etch it to see if there is a weld pattern but haven't yet due to not wanting trash a good blade
this may have been made in this fashion by chance?

Maybe if you tried the tail

Most of what the knife suppliers sell is EIPS. I have some of that stuff, but haven't messed with it much. Sound like it would be pretty similar to the old stock Schrade 1084 that I have.

Originally Posted by Thisisclog

EIPS is 1084
EEIPS is 1095

My day job is lifting and pressure equipment re-certs, I have checked with my manufacturers on this.

Here is a good thread on welded steel wire.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/forge...-damascus.html