Quote Originally Posted by Mike Blue View Post
I'm glad you use the word "relatively". One of the problems with the heat treatment manuals is that all the test samples were regular polygons and neither knife nor razor shaped. Things do change when you try to apply that data to a sharp angled form like a knife blade and the internal stresses are even more severe in the thin razor section. That you intend to shape this material after heat treatment is probably the most intelligent thing to do.

Bohler Uddeholm steels like the Vanadis series are interesting. Why did you pick an H-13 variant? Other than it meets your desire or curiosity, beard hair does not require a hot working die steel to separate from the face. But I agree with others, you are trying to make your point the hard way. I'll be just as interested as they in how your time and money are spent in the end result.
Hi Mike. Of course! Those heat treat manuals are just a starting point. from there experience helps a lot. I learned a lot from heat treating my own punches and dies as an apprentice, and that's where I learned to leave as much stock as possible for very thin areas, as thin cross sections in heat treat are something to avoid. Since I can grind it using a machine, it will help speed the process and I wouldn't want to do it after by hand, personally. Just a lot of time and caution otherwise.

I picked the Vanadis because I had a perfectly sized offcut from a die I made about 6 years back and it's wear resistance along with toughness *should* in theory translate into a sturdy blade that if ground right will hold an edge for ages. It's also quite stain resistant, as in 6 years it hasn't tarnished even in a humid Ontario garage which is a plus considering the environment of the application. I could pick another metal (I love CPM D2 for instance, fine grain with the qualities of normal D2), but I think this will be a good experiment that could either turn out great, or be something to chalk up to a learning experience. I love doing things against the grain (hardy har har) and trying new things, so I thought since no one has done this, why the heck not!

I hope you guys get a kick out of what becomes of this. Thanks a ton for the interest, and I'd love to keep getting feedback from you guys.

Cheers
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