Thread: Wade and Butcher Irontusk

Originally Posted by celticcrusader

Well, the release date is 2017 and all I can say he's leaving it go right to the wire, or maybe it's already died a death through lack of interest.

Jamie, I am thinking you are right.

Originally Posted by SHING

I didn't know WB was held in such high regard, when I lived in Sheffield, the famous names were
.....

I do wonder if you can recycle the old Sheffield steel to make new razors.

Recycling old steel would be hit or miss. When modern steel is factored into the
cost I would bet that the cost of forging or grinding would so dominate the value
equation that it is likely a better choice to price the best Swedish, Japanese or German
steel and work it out.

That is not to say don't but finding three old razors to forge and weld together to yield
a single blade would seem to be a show stopper from the supply chain point of view.

If I was to explore this I would start with white paper steel (Shirogami)
"Shirogami White steel (also known as “white paper steel”, named for the wrapping usedby its manufacturer)
is used to make tools that can be sharpened to an excellent edge with good quality natural stones. It is a carbon
steel with only very small amounts of the impurities P (phosphorus)and S (sulfur). It has a very narrow range
of temperatures for hardening (Yakiire and quenching), and thus requires the blacksmith to be very skilled.
There are three forms of white steel with different carbon contents: #1 (1.2-1.4% C),#2 (1.0-1.2% C) and #3 (0.8-0.9%). "

With modern electric furnaces, temperature no longer requires the calibrated eyeballs of an expert for heat treating.

https://www.hidatool.com/image/data/...el%20Chart.pdf

As for recycling old razors do consider how thin the old finished ground steel is and the first heat
would generate more oxide scale than there was steel in the old blade excluding the spine. So my uncalibrated
eyeballs would see the old steel as slightly thick chopsticks to weld together and hammer into
a razor... then the lost carbon from heat and air...

However if you have old blades and want to -- have at it.

Recycling old Sheffield is really about research and nostalgia rather than practicality. I have some old Sheffield made pen knife blades that I want to make into knives when I get the time.

It would be nice to be able to offer new blades made of historic Sheffield steel smelted and forged over a hundred years ago in many cases. We can find out how steel were worked and blades made, a bit of experimental archaeology. We could even start making modern cast steel using the old techniques.

Here is one I made with my business partner, O1 steel, Micarta handles

Originally Posted by SHING

Recycling old Sheffield is really about research and nostalgia rather than practicality. I have some old Sheffield made pen knife blades that I want to make into knives when I get the time.

It would be nice to be able to offer new blades made of historic Sheffield steel smelted and forged over a hundred years ago in many cases. We can find out how steel were worked and blades made, a bit of experimental archaeology. We could even start making modern cast steel using the old techniques.

Here is one I made with my business partner, O1 steel, Micarta handles

Are you the UK knife maker Shing? I think I've seen your knives in the maker's section on the UK knife forum Edge Matters, 01 is pretty much the go-to steel for many custom razor makers, although there are a few who use more exotic steels. I have a modern day razor made in Sheffield made from 01 UK steel made by a UK maker Michael Waterhouse a very talented individual who also makes some great knives.

Originally Posted by celticcrusader

Are you the UK knife maker Shing? I think I've seen your knives in the maker's section on the UK knife forum Edge Matters, 01 is pretty much the go-to steel for many custom razor makers, although there are a few who use more exotic steels. I have a modern day razor made in Sheffield made from 01 UK steel made by a UK maker Michael Waterhouse a very talented individual who also makes some great knives.

Yes, the same person, I haven't come across Waterhouse's work before, they look very fine razors. I will most likely use 52100 and Niolox at the beginning. I am planning to start making razors in May this year because my business partner is on his 4 month holiday in South Africa and he will be returning with some equipment we will need for the razors. I will probably make some less hollow ground razors in the meantime and perhaps send them to people who would like to test them.

Originally Posted by SHING

Yes, the same person, I haven't come across Waterhouse's work before, they look very fine razors. I will most likely use 52100 and Niolox at the beginning. I am planning to start making razors in May this year because my business partner is on his 4 month holiday in South Africa and he will be returning with some equipment we will need for the razors. I will probably make some less hollow ground razors in the meantime and perhaps send them to people who would like to test them.

When Michael made one of his first razor he sent me the razor to test shave it.

Originally Posted by SHING

Thanks that was great, lovely pattern on that blade.

I remember as a kid, finding big knives with "warranted cast steel" stamped on the blades which would have been the same steel Victorian and Edwardian razors would be made of. Also files as well. Would be great if I can get enough of this old steel together to melt and make new ingots and make all sorts of new edged tools like historic bowies and of course razors.

At the moment, I am trying to find some high carbon steel actually made in Sheffield, the company I thought made steel in Sheffield gets their from all over the world so I have to be selective. Keep you posted.

Does Tata still make steel in England? I know its an India based company but UK Steel is like American Steel, and sadly almost a thing of the past.

Originally Posted by celticcrusader

When Michael made one of his first razor he sent me the razor to test shave it.

I will be happy for volunteers to test my razors out, that would be great, just need to finish off some knife orders first.

Perhaps, you can let me know what types of razors you like e.g. grind, size and handle material. Bear in mind I only have a 5 inch at the moment, I will be getting smaller ones in May so can't do really deep hollows right now.

I was going to do some 5/8 and 6/8 shoulderless hollow blades. Please note this is not a sale post and if I do wish to sell on this site in the future, I will get the appropriate membership level.

Originally Posted by MrZ

Does Tata still make steel in England? I know its an India based company but UK Steel is like American Steel, and sadly almost a thing of the past.

Tata is still making steel in Britain, the main steel producing plant is in Wales rather than England. The type of steel used in razors is not the same as the steel made in Wales, they make mild steel used in rebar and car bodies from ore in blast furnaces while most high carbon steel used in razors is made from scrap steel in much smaller electric furnaces.

Sheffield still makes speciality steels but no longer make mild steel. Some of the steel works in Sheffield and the surrounding cities have been turned into museums, they are really huge places.

The Wade & Butcher folks posted on their Facebook page that they weren't able to come to market in 2017, though things are moving along.