Soft blade?

[Bonio]

Ive got an old sheffield blade, I bought it from Ebay a while back. Its almost a wedge shape. It was polished but not sharpened when I got it and I bought some scales to finish it off.

Its sharp before I start shaving but about half way through a shave it seems to start dragging a little, in fact I just managed to nick myself with it thanks to it seeming to grab.

I know nothing about straight razors although I am trying to learn. I'm happy I can get it sharp as it will cut a hanging hair no problem and it shaves just fine until like I say about half way through. Unless its something wrong with my shaving prep I wondered if the blade could be just soft? Is this possible at all?

Im not sure what heat treatment is carried out on blades where they hardened in the old days?

Thanks

[Euclid440]

Well, that is possible, especially if someone over heated the blade while polishing it on a buffer.

Unfortunately, a HHT is not an indicator of how a razor will shave or even if it will shave, because the sample size is so small. Most probably the bevel is not fully set.

Have you look at the edge with magnification, and what did you hone it on? A good rule of thumb is, to look at the edge with magnification, at the first sign of a problem.


Posting some photos of the razor would help advising you.

[mainaman]

Apart from the razor if you lather was not good, not slick enough, you would experience a degradation of the edge feel on the skin

[Bonio]

Guys thanks for the replies.

I honed it on 1000, 3000, 4000, 8000 then canvas then strop both with paste one them. If the bevel was not right would i not shave right in the first place though? Like I say I know nothing

Ill try and get some photos but not sure how to get a picture of the edge.

Mainman I was wondering if that was the problem as well as im new its taking a while to shave although the lather feels slick enough and I used oil first.

When they heat treated blades in the old days did they do the entire blade or was it just a portion of the cutting edge? Im guessing with something as small as a blade they would have done the whole lot.

[mainaman]

Guys thanks for the replies.

I honed it on 1000, 3000, 4000, 8000 then canvas then strop both with paste one them. If the bevel was not right would i not shave right in the first place though? Like I say I know nothing

Ill try and get some photos but not sure how to get a picture of the edge.

Mainman I was wondering if that was the problem as well as im new its taking a while to shave although the lather feels slick enough and I used oil first.

When they heat treated blades in the old days did they do the entire blade or was it just a portion of the cutting edge? Im guessing with something as small as a blade they would have done the whole lot.

the whole blade was treated .
If your bevel was not completely set and you polished it on the higher grits, you could have masked that shortcoming initially. In general shaving with the grain with duller edge will work for most folks, the issues reveal themselves on the XTG and ATG passes.

[Bonio]

I never got any further than shaving WTG

[bluesman7]

When they heat treated blades in the old days did they do the entire blade or was it just a portion of the cutting edge? Im guessing with something as small as a blade they would have done the whole lot.

Normally the whole blade would get the heat treating. BUT Sheffield steel is a shallow hardening steel and only the thin section close to the cutting edge would be Martensite after the quench.

[Bonio]

Right now that is starting to make sense. I asked the original question because I studied metallurgy as part of my trade (although many years ago!) and I wondered if this blade might of been honed past the ideal layer for holding an edge. I only paid a few £ for it and it was bought as an experiment really. It measures 5/8" deep.

[10Pups]

Normally the whole blade would get the heat treating. BUT Sheffield steel is a shallow hardening steel and only the thin section close to the cutting edge would be Martensite after the quench.

That's 1 I never heard before. Just saying :<0) I would be interested in knowing more.

[rhensley]

Ive got an old sheffield blade, I bought it from Ebay a while back. Its almost a wedge shape. It was polished but not sharpened when I got it and I bought some scales to finish it off.

Its sharp before I start shaving but about half way through a shave it seems to start dragging a little, in fact I just managed to nick myself with it thanks to it seeming to grab.

I know nothing about straight razors although I am trying to learn. I'm happy I can get it sharp as it will cut a hanging hair no problem and it shaves just fine until like I say about half way through. Unless its something wrong with my shaving prep I wondered if the blade could be just soft? Is this possible at all?

Im not sure what heat treatment is carried out on blades where they hardened in the old days?

Thanks

Up date your info. Let folks know where you are. There might just be someone close enough that is good at honing that can help you. Just a thought.