Thread: Re-using Sheffield Steel?

The only sensible way to do it is crucible smelting.
However that is a fairly tricky and pretty dangerous process. It's not rocket science, but working with molten metal can be extremely dangerous if you go into it without knowledge or experience.

I should have clarified - I would be going down the pattern welded billet road, not smelting. I was nervous enough melting down some copper and aluminium in my forge. No way I'm stepping up to molten iron until I have some idea as to what I'd be doing.

Originally Posted by Cangooner

I should have clarified - I would be going down the pattern welded billet road, not smelting. I was nervous enough melting down some copper and aluminium in my forge. No way I'm stepping up to molten iron until I have some idea as to what I'd be doing.

I think that would be a really nice project, kind of a spiritual successor! I can even send you a donor or two if I sort through my stuff.

I don't see it as practical. For pattern welding you need stuff to be flat-ish enough to form a billet that will stay together. Pile a bunch of razors together, hit it at welding temperature, and things will be very exciting around your anvil

Hi,

before I started making razors I had specialized on making kitchenknives from self alloyed and casted steel. So I have a lot of experience with melting and casting steel. It would be easy (with the corresponding equipement) to melt the old razors, but it wouldn´t be "Sheffield" steel anymore after this process. Because you must add aluminum and glas to the steel which act as protection against oxidation, but at the same time also purify the steel. Further the crucibles have always a high carbon content which will enhance the carbon content of the resulting steel. So if you start with a steel with about 1% Carbon, you will end with about 1,2%.
The result will be a good carbon steel, but no longer sheffield steel.
Pattern welding would be tricky too for the reasons Bruno mentioned above.
It´s possible, but you would need to forgeweld it many many times in order to get a homogene material (similar to the process used by japanese swordsmiths to refine the tamahagane steel)
This is a project for someone with much ambition and time or someone with a lot of money to have this made as a custom order.

best regards,
Ulrik

Originally Posted by Bruno

I don't see it as practical. For pattern welding you need stuff to be flat-ish enough to form a billet that will stay together. Pile a bunch of razors together, hit it at welding temperature, and things will be very exciting around your anvil

Ah, but not if they're squared off first.

The makers of "Forged in Fire" (http://www.history.com/shows/forged-in-fire) should do a razor episode. But no, it's always weapons, weapons, weapons. Boring!

Originally Posted by jmabuse

The makers of "Forged in Fire" (Forged in Fire Full Episodes, Video & More | HISTORY) should do a razor episode. But no, it's always weapons, weapons, weapons. Boring!

I wish they would branch out into other aspects of smithing beyond bladesmithing. But I imagine that's where the ratings are.