Thread: Recommendations for a heat treat shop?

I don't have my blanks cut yet due to a litany of things, but I should have them for real in the next week.

So!

Two questions.

What should my minimum thickness on pre-HT razors be? If my memory hasn't gone to hell, I recall Charlie grinding down to a little over 1mm. But I'm pretty sure he wasn't using 1084...

And I'm also going to need a recommendation for a shop that'll properly heat treat razors made from the stuff.

On a quasi-related note: I cannot find 1084 thicker than 1/4" (the steel I have was from Jantz, 1084 1/4"x4"x8.75")

That's not going to be thick enough to make replicas of the largest old razors I have (my Magog razor is 11/32" thick at the thickest point, or 8.85mm). I don't have any plans to engage in the 'biggest razors' club thing, but there are a couple of old designs I wouldn't mind replicating that would require a thicker piece.

With the waterjet I have available, I could cut 3/4" or 1" 1080 bars down to size, but how is that for making razors?

Originally Posted by Voidmonster

With the waterjet I have available, I could cut 3/4" or 1" 1080 bars down to size, but how is that for making razors?

They’re talking about cloning wooly mammoths, maybe there’s a niche market....

Originally Posted by jfk742

They’re talking about cloning wooly mammoths, maybe there’s a niche market....

I'm pretty sure that's what my Magog razor was made for, in 1815. Clearly there were still some mammoths roaming the tundra of... Yorkshire.


(Magog vs. 9/8 W&B FBU)

I remember you posting about that one awhile back. The image with the hair follicle on the blade comes to mind. More of those blades in the world would not be a bad thing

I just got 1084 from NJ Steel Baron, but the thickest he has is 1/4" as well.

Originally Posted by dinnermint

I remember you posting about that one awhile back. The image with the hair follicle on the blade comes to mind. More of those blades in the world would not be a bad thing

If I do those, it’ll be down the line a bit. There’s about 20 different styles of razors from Smith’s Key that I want to make first.

Originally Posted by NittanyGator

I just got 1084 from NJ Steel Baron, but the thickest he has is 1/4" as well.

When the time comes to do bigger razors, I’ll probably go with 1080, since he offers it up to 1” thickness. From what I’ve seen, 1080 and 1084 are functionally extremely similar if not the same.

Now to just find someone who reliably heat treats razors.

Most reputable shops should be able to noodle out a method for heat treating to a desired hardness. At worst case, they should be able to get it dialed-in in a couple cracks at it. I would recommend doing 4 or 5 test pieces of a rolls razor style. This way you can work with a specific company to find properties that you desire in your blades.

This type of back and forth is typically best handled in person with a local place. There was a place I was thinking of ordering from for one of my company's projects. They did custom blades for indistrial equipment and I think they were in your area. It'll take me a bit to find/remember their name...

I have used Peter's heat treating a few times and have always been a happy customer.

https://www.petersheattreat.com/blades/

I think to get the thicker steel for stock removal you may have to find somebody with a press/hammer to dimension some stock for you.

If you are going to be farming out the heat treat, maybe look into other sorts of steels that would be the proper thickness.

I leave my edges a bit thick before heat treat, I like the safety margin. I shoot for something a nickel thickness or less, but not less than a dime. I just eyeball it.

1080, 1084, 1095,W2,W1 all are similar and will works as well as they are heat treated.

Originally Posted by spazola

I have used Peter's heat treating a few times and have always been a happy customer.

https://www.petersheattreat.com/blades/

I think to get the thicker steel for stock removal you may have to find somebody with a press/hammer to dimension some stock for you.

If you are going to be farming out the heat treat, maybe look into other sorts of steels that would be the proper thickness.

I leave my edges a bit thick before heat treat, I like the safety margin. I shoot for something a nickel thickness or less, but not less than a dime. I just eyeball it.

1080, 1084, 1095,W2,W1 all are similar and will works as well as they are heat treated.

Excellent!

Looking at Peter's Heat Treat, it would be in my best interest to do 15 at a time.

My short-term plan is to farm out heat treat -> sell razors -> buy kiln with proceeds, once I've got enough -> do it myself.

At the moment, I'm probably going to be grinding the first couple batches of razors using a drum sander on my drill press, but my first batch is going to be the old concaved or 'faux frameback' style that doesn't need a radius for the hollowing, so that shouldn't be *too* big a deal.